When was the last time majors hired? I fly with 10-15 year captains all the time who have been trying to leave the whole time and are now getting to an age where that's impossible. I don't think most people who have made a career out of the regionals ever intended to actually do that.

I'm lucky because I'm still young, but I've been flying for 12 years and with our current upgrade time it will be at least another 8 before I can leave the regionals. Anyone 10 years older than me probably isn't going anywhere if they're hired today at a regional. This IS the career now.