There was a brief time, a VERY brief time when being a "lifer" at a regional wasn't really a bad thing. After upgrading, a 80-100K/yr W2 was doable, especially if living in base and holding a decent schedule, moving up the seniority ladder quickly, etc.

But that time has passed. Take a look at what's happened to COMAIR and ACA just to start with. THEN take a look at what happened to AWAC, THEN look at what's happened to Pinnacle and PSA. There's a trend starting to show. The guys that are able to take advantage of the seniority/longevity at a regional are starting to become more and more scarce. And the things that made being senior at a regional are slowly eroding.