As long as you're not at the end of a hiring burst you'll likely be able to get to your base of choice within two months of getting done with OE, if not sooner. Keep in mind that means your base of choice has to have the equipment you got during indoc since there's a one-year lock on your aircraft as a new hire. As for the 88 vs the 717, everything I hear from a friend who went from the 88 to the 717 is how much he loves the 717. If you're like me and all you know if the 88 (as far as Delta aircraft are concerned) then the maddog is A-OK.