Window_Seat

It seems to me that all the growth is being done at the regional level. (Delta adding 900's, NWA with 900's and EMB's, United contracting the 170's and the CRJ 700, US Airways a while back trying to get more 900's form PSA). American is the only airline with control of this... somewhat. Where are all you newbies going to go that just think 1000 pic will get you to a major when hiring has been stagnant for the last 7 years and there are people with 7 more years of PIC experience ahead of you? Now with age 65 coming up that could add a few more to your sit at the regionals. Should I mention mergers? Am I wrong to think that if the regionals weren't so cheap, majors wouldn't need use the regionals. We need to stop subsiding this industry with our wages and start making it more expensive. That is the only way the majors will have a future without everything being contract flying as the trend is going now.

flynavyj

i don't know if i'd say the legacy carriers are actually "growing" especially not from the way they used to be. however, i will agree that they are growing away from their current state, which has been a shadow of their former selves in the post 9/11 world. Are regional airlines growing? yes, and alarmingly fast, but didn't everyone predict that there'd be more flying with smaller airplanes post 9/11? And didn't that grow true? yep. So, here's another though, will the guys who've been stuck in the regionals for the last seven years get the first shot at the legacy carriers again? yep, what about the southwests, and then startups, they'll get all those options before the rest of the younger regional pilots do. There will however be movement again at the top end of the regionals, which will spur movement in the bottom, and allow people to move forward again, get their upgrade, get their PIC, then hopefully, follow suit. But you, me, and everyone else is simply guessing (hoping) that the aviation industry continues to improve, and another rapid recession isn't just over the horizon.

Window_Seat

Are they actually ordering new aircraft rather than just replacing the existing ones... are Available Seat Miles Growing? Don't really have any figures but all I hear about is 900 deliveries besides SWA getting a significant amount of new aircraft.

Velocipede

That's how they're doing it. Add ASMs by ordering bigger airplanes and swapping one for one. No new pilots needed.