I am curious to know where you got the CL-65 rating from? Which Regional did you work for prior to your current company? I am cheering Management along you say, HMMMMMMMM No, I am just stating facts, it is what it is and it's just business. Pilots can be just as greedy a management. Hence why regionals keep flying bigger and bigger jets. Mainline pilots keep turning down flying because they are too good to fly a smaller jet. Yes Money has allot to do with that but
if it means loosing my Job at Delta, or whom ever,for flying an 190/195 for a little less money then I would gladly take the pay cut to stay at Delta then start all over somewhere else.
Union Reps can't bargain for us, sure they can it takes time and allot of aggravation but that's the world of negotiation.
I don't fly for an airline, We may not have our own "Brand" name "Yet" but, last time I checked I sign a release, fly under 121 regs and do the same job you do just a different airplane. Seems to be an airline to me.
Naive about how the process is working you say. You can't accept the fact that the industry is changing and will be for quite sometime. Your living in the past and this is the future. The facts are the facts and you can't change them. Forgive me for being a realist but these are the facts. You came from a regional and are now flying for your own Brand and that's great if that is your wish.
I sincerely hope you guys get bigger and pick up some slack where the legacy carriers are lacking. In my opinion we need some fresh blood in the industry. Before all this is done there will be 1 or 2 less legacy carriers flying the sky's. It's all cyclical just any other business. Industries change, and ours happens to be changing.
Not sure of the exact time line but it goes something like this:
1. Buy your first airline job. Pay for some beech t-prop time with Gulf stream airlines.
2. Get a job with 9E and then see the light.
3. Leave for another airline and get on a soap box.
The thing is Airline Driver has it right. Market forces will determine what happens. Sure those forces get a little tweaked with crooked managment and antiquated laws. But change is here.
The whole whose flying is it...what type of engine does it have discussion ...is ridiculous. The wallmartization of our profession began with deregulation and it has not hit the bottom yet.
The best bet is to sock away as much as you can...watch the show...and hug your kids at night.