Sirius

Wouldn’t say complete garbage they are getting huge bonuses and payrates they will get lots of money this summer and since no classes no one will jump in front of them seniority wise.

dsevo

We need to be very deliberate with Group 1 on the contract negotiations. I think the fact that it looked so terrible on the crap AIP last fall gives credence to your bet.

Saabs

They aren’t trying to get group 1 rates. They are trying to get pay by aircraft.

TransWorld

I think more likely, they will absorb the 76 seat RJs from their WO, making them Group 1. That could solved the CA problem on them.

RJs, times they are-a-changing.

pitchattitude

I disagree. It takes just as many pilots to staff an RJ at a regional as it does mainline. Moving the RJs to mainline with a group 1 rate doesn’t change how many pilots you need. It just increases the overall cost of flying them and that is why it won’t happen. The cost of flying anRJ is a lot more than just pilot pay. It’s also benefits and hotel expenses and not just for pilots, but the FAs as well as mechanics and dispatchers, even if you can keep ground services separate.

Even though retirements tick up for a few years soon, the debacle that the airlines created by not using the money they took to keep pilots hired, trained and current and all the early retirements handed out will be more than caught up then. All the new programs to get more people flying again as well as better pay bringing people into/back to flying will as well. The supply will more than catch up with the demand before too long.

AllYourBaseAreB

You know what’s even MORE expensive? Constantly training replacements. Not being able to staff those RJs effectively and then sitting generating zero revenue

highfarfast

I don’t expect it to happen but just want to point out that if RJ flying moved to mainline, it absolutely would solve the RJ staffing problem because the legacies will always fill classes with guys that want a chance at flying widebodies someday. But you’re right that it doesn’t solve the industry wide staffing problem. It would just put a lot more pressure on the ULCCs. I have no idea why a legacy carrier would care about that though.

pitchattitude

While I agree that planes sitting idle aren’t generating revenue, the training cost is probably the same or more moving the planes to mainline. One more plane in the fleet that is the “junior” plane that people bid off of as soon as they can hold something that pays more and triggering another cascade of training events.

And the reality of those planes sitting empty and the pilot shortage that is going on now is because of Covid and the airlines choosing to offer early retirements and stopping training after taking money to keep people gainfully employed.

AllYourBaseAreB

The last of the early outs at AA to retire from the list is gone in July. We have more pilots on property than pre Covid, with fewer aircraft. We have yet to peak on rate of retirements. I don’t see how Covid is causing the current RJ staffing problem.

pitchattitude

If there are more pilots and fewer planes as well as fewer types of planes (more streamlined system) it’s because all the airlines are trying to compensate. But as I said, all the reasons why supply is coming bask are just kicking in. The supply-demand price point will work itself out. Always does.

ALPA says there isn’t a supply problem and they have a double edged sword to yield. Keeping the current ATP requirements in place which is barrier to entry and having enough supply of pilots. If there was an over supply of pilots, wages would see downward pressure again.