best combination of Upgrade Tie, QOL, pay, equipment, commuting, scheds, contract.
Because those all usually don't come in the same airline. Historically, the crappier regionals offered quicker upgrades but an overall lower compensation/QOL package. It was always a trade off.
Today, if I had to start at a regional I would heavily consider Compass. Those CAs are going to be flowing to Delta which means there will be movement to the left seat. Compass pay/QOL doesn't seem too bad either.