FWIW...in my RJ jumpseat travels over the years I often talk to the RJ guys about when/if they plan to move on to SWA, FDX, etc...They all tell me about how they have xx,xxx hrs of PIC turbine time, buddies writing letters, etc... and still can't get an interview. But, when I ask them if they have a 4 yr Bachelor degree, the response is often, "I 'went' to the University of _____." Unfortunately, 'Went to' and 'graduated from' are two different things. Most of my buds over the years that ended up as "lifers" at the regionals were lacking a 4 yr degree. Now from the sound of it, many of you have that piece of paper. If so, I would say that your timing is just bad considering the state of our industry over the last decade. I truly believe that the hiring "flood gates" are about to open again though. If you don't have a 4 yr degree during at least the initial hiring wave I think that all of the turbine PIC time in the world is not going to help. I know it's outrageously expen$ive to do, but, if someone was anywhere near completion of a 4 yr degree it might make sense to complete it via online courses our whatever it takes. Just my .02