Take the job and don't look back. Your husband has a good, solid job today but trust me when I say that he wants to move on with his career. If he didn't, he would't have jumped through the hoops to get the ucal position.

He'll be at the bottom of the list at ual, which means he have nowhere to look but forward. He can look forward to better pay, better retirement, flying different airplanes(320,737,757,767,777,747,787,350), better layovers, eventual upgrades.

What does he have to look forward to at a regional? Nothing. From where he's perched it can only get worse.

Furlough? Always possible. Given the amount of pilots retiring at all airlines, even if smisek screws it up he can probably land a job at delta, American, swa, etc.

Congratulate him on getting hired and move forward.