Actually, the core problem with the industry is too many pilots chasing too few jobs. It has been that way for a solid 4 decades now. That is where the problem starts. Supply and demand are out of whack in this industry, which leads to low wages. Wages that are lower than one would ordinarily expect for the educational and experience requirements for a job like this.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg. If the jobs had not been farmed out in the first place, would the jobs had been available now at mainline wages and benefits or would the mass expansion have been slowed because it would have been more expensive for the airlines. As you said later....hindsight is 20/20 so we will really never know but we can speculate.
As I have stated REPEATEDLY on this forum, the mainline pilots made a mistake by allowing Rj flying to be farmed out in the first place, starting in the 90's. Two points on that. One, hindsight is 20/20. Many at the time thought using RJ's for feed would enhance growth at the mainline and lead to more jobs. Few anticipated the abuse of the RJ system that would take place. Two, even if the mainline pilots had said no to RJ flying back in the 90's, what do you think would have happened when the mainline airlines went into bankruptcy or were forced to give concessions to avoid bankruptcy? Do you really think that airline management wouldn't have gotten all that RJ flying anyway under the gavel of a bankruptcy court judge?
I agree that a mistake was made in allowing RJ flying to be farmed out. Had it been kept in house, I think the quick expansion into new smaller and riskier markets would have been more slow and controlled. Could that have helped to mitigate the economic situations with the airlines even after 9-11? I don't know.
Your point about RJ pay...a few thoughts. One, the mainline pilots have yet to go through a full contract cycle after their bankruptcy contract, so some of those FO rates you refer to have yet to be adjusted, particularly at United, CAL, and US Air off the top of my head. Two, I am not sure that there is anything wrong with a RJ Captain making a wage that is higher than a 1-5 year mainline FO?
Point taken about the contract cycle. I would like to see wages at the majors start at the top end of regional wages. Right now they don't. Everyone complains about a guy going to GO jet or Mesa but nobody complained when guys went to Northwest for $30 per hour for the first year, American for $35 hour etc. If you have the education and the experience to be hired at a major you ought to be paid as if you are working for a major from day 1, as you said in your first paragraph.
Regarding rates. I may have jumped the gun on saying that. I remember 5 years ago rates being posted for E-170/190 for most of the majors but I can't find them on APC right now or when searching. From what I remember, they were on average $5 less on the top pay from compass, ASA, Whisky's top pay. I suspect that the reason they are not on APC is because the aircraft are not on property or the rates were negotiated in a side letter.
Last edited: