Originally posted by BenThere
Well done, SURPLUS 1!
While I am a mainline major carrier pilot, I see the business model of the majors evolving toward ever greater reliance on their regional partners to carry ever greater proportions of the domestic load. I would much rather be bumped to an RJ in bad times than furloughed to the street. I also want to see us serve Fargo, as the RJs make feasible. This makes the industry grow to provide more jobs for more of us. Most importantly, I want pilots, who have paid their dues in life regardless of where they work just to get any airline job, to earn a decent, family supporting living. We in the majors will continue to be threatened by increasing efficiency and utilization of the RJs unless their success is made to become our success.
BenThere,
Thanks and congrats to you. Apparently you've seen the "big picture". Unless we join hands and work together to make things better for all, management will make us the victims of our own folly.
The RJs are here and like it or not they aren't going to disappear. No union can really prevent management from operating a particular aircraft type. No pilot group that I can think of will ever allow another pilot group to simply put them out of work via a scope clause.
The only way we can avoid competitive wars between pilots for the same flying and not become victims of the "lowest bidder" plague is to join forces. Too many major airline pilots don't appear to see that and USALPA certainly doesn't.