Please keep in mind that the ONLY cost advantage held by RJ's is in the cockpit. The non-crew-related CASM for an RJ is the same as a 757.
DAL is already farming out RJ flying to Chautauqua because Comair's crew costs went up and they need lower costs in the low-yield Florida market.
Pilots at JetBlue will fly for $80/hr. for how long? Will they take stock instead of cash?
The big majors were busy pissing away cash over the past few years because they had so much coming in. They have to change the way they are doing things. But simply slashing employee compensation isn't the answer.
Why is the UAL Captain worth $300k/year? Look at it as payback
for babysitting his captains while he was an F/E and F/O making $40k. And, even if you hire cheaper crews, they will eventually demand increased compensation as the operation expands and prospers. Profit sharing is tenuous due to a company's ability to hide cash. We've seen how valuable stock can be--NOT!
The CEO's now have to earn their keep. Pilots do it daily.TC