There is plenty of good info on these boards, so keep doing the research, but make sure you know what to "filter out," if you know what I mean.

In regards to upgrade time, realize that the recruiter will tell you what is happening right now, but you have to look into your crystal ball to try to determine what will happen to YOU. Yeah, it's mostly a crapshoot.

Personally, I went to a regional (Great Lakes) for the quick upgrade and it worked out. Others were not so fortunate. When I made my decision, I based it heavily on the following:

Bases
Upgrade
What people do I know there? What do they say about it?
How will working for this airline be perceived resume-wise down rhe road?

In the end, I'm very happy I went the route I did, and would do it again. That said, I'm not sure I'd do it again based on the way things are today! Point being: Weight the options and go with what YOU think for now. Enjoy the ride, because you're in for a wild one.