We often operate through airports where Mesa flies (i.e. ORD) and ride the hotel shuttles with some of them.
Some CRJ pilots at other companies tell me that Mesa is still dragging the regional industry down, and Mesa pilots are forced to operate as if they had crossed a picket line-to put it as diplomatically as possible. The original choice of exact wording came from them.
Four days ago a fellow pilot here said that an entire class of prospective Mesa pilots were "no shows".
Even if that story is only half true, it really says something.
The more willing pilots are to sacrifice professional working conditions and pay, in order to jump into a small jet, the fewer jobs they will later have at the majors. It is already a grim prospect. At one US major, a few hundred furloughed pilots might not ever return, due to the harsh, drastic overnight erosion of career pay and working conditions. For the first time ever, many pilots can be better paid in the active duty military than flying as FO in a mainline jet for a US major airline!
A decent-paying job with foreign airlines might be the only reasonable long-term career prospects for many younger pilots now-and the assumed benefit of a 4-year (US college) degree might be of much less benefit over there.
They turned the various pilot groups against each other and will continue to do so. These companies have turned exploitation and manipulation of the pilot ego into a finely honed weapon, and an art. They have decades of practice. They probably exchange quite valuable tips at ATA conferences. The attraction of flying 'my first jet!' makes it so much easier for Upper Mgmts. But where is the much higher increase in pay, in proportion to the large increase of the speed/payload factor?
US pilots with majors, except for SWA, UPS, FEDEX etc are now paid about 30-38 % less than what they were a few years ago.
The best of luck to all of you young pilots out there. I mean all of this with the utmost sincerity. Many might want to consider working overseas, as difficult as it can be on the personal life, even when things work out.