I never said I wanted 3300 pilots to be unemployed. In fact, the 3 legacies will need to hire near 15,000 pilots within the next decade due to age 65 retirements. That means all but 3 pilots, including you, Russ, and Jon Rivoli, will be hired away. What will you three be doing? Flying 3 duchesses from SLC to Cody, Twin Falls, and St George. That will be awesome for you three winners.
Anyway, scope clauses do rule your business. You can't have certain sized planes and still codeshare with DL. DL has one exception, the Republic/Frontier exception, since Republic owns Frontier and they have planes over 76 seats. Can any other DCI do the same? NOPE. Now, you can fly planes for UAL, US, AA, etc, but they still can't have over 76 seats. (unless you count your part ownership in a Trip, a Braisilian carrier with E175s and E190s---but they aint commin North---NOPE).
So, you can have grandiose plans, but they won't come to fruition until you decide to dump the contracts. Why? Because scope erosion usually only happens when FORCED, or in a BK situation. Good ole Tom Horton at AA went that way, and he LOST his $20 million exit bonus (turned down by BK judge and now DOJ said NO). Upper management people want big cash, and the easiest way to get it now is through PROFIT SHARING, not BK. Make big profits, get big bonuses...... Make big profits, no scope changes... Get the picture yet?
So, as 99% of your airline is hired away in the next 10 years, and a place like Riddle only puts out 14 students a year who can afford to fly there, it will be tougher to get anyone who fits the 1500 rule, and every Regional will shrink, while the 3 legacies hire all of the pilots, with their better pay, benefits, and the ability to fly away from Utah. You three though, get to fly the mighty Duchess all over that area, and kick some serious arse! Your cohorts will be happy making more and flying bigger, and you guys, well, you guys will.....ummm.... get vectors? Say hi to "Uncle" Steve for me!
Bye Bye---General Lee