[Firebird2XC]

Thanks for the positive feedback and insightful follow-ons, everybody.

A point I don't think I entirely made clear was that Regional pilots will eventually be the "mainline" domestic air carriers- the original Legacies will be little more than brand names farmed out to affiliates. The Legacy carriers will likely do domestic long-haul and international operations, while domestic operations are bid against each other and driven to lower costs of labor.

Many of us will never make it to the "major leagues". The real problem with that, however, is that those of us still at the Regional level will be doing domestic flights for ludicrously low pay.

The other day I was chatting up a pretty gal who tends bar at night to pay for her masters degree. Her day job? Financial planner. She told me her boss's secretary makes twice what I do.

I was insulted and embarrassed.. but not because of what she said. I was insulted to think that my value as a highly proficient aviator is worth half that of someone who answers phones and types memos all day. I was embarrassed because myself and those like me have let it happen on our watch.