You could argue that Republic, Lakes and PSA are worse, or at least equal on the (crappy) contract stuff. Mesa isn't too far behind them. Not to defend GoJet, and not having a dog in the fight, I thought it was worth noting.
Further, Eagle, Horizon and SkyWest are basically stagnant seniority wise. A few are looking at a net loss of Aircraft. While it's no contest that these are "better" companies for QOL, for someone balancing upgrade time as a factor heck, lakes beats the "good" companies.
The point is, everyone's definition of "Better" is different and subjective. It depends on your personal situation and what factors you hold important. Understand that when you say, "So and so is a horrible place to work" that it is based on your personal perspective. The guy next to you might be in a different situation and it is a great place for him/her to work.
It could also be argued that Whiskey, ExpressJet and TSA all are facing some future challenges as their fleets are facing the end of contract periods and they are basically all the type of aircraft that mainline is threatening to park. While this won't happen overnight, in the process of determining stability (in case you get stuck) it must be considered.
What I am saying is that good vs. bad is a function of a persons personal situation (family, where you live etc.) and what they hold as important company specific factors (upgrade, pay, type, contract etc) Basically, these considerations void the- "It's a crappy pace to work" argument. And since they didn't just take concessions you could say they are better than some.
Don't forget that not every company is calling whoever turns in an app. Based on my experience thus far I would say that there isn't much of a shortage. Perhaps there will be, but not today?
As an outsider that is considering getting back into 121 based on the factors I listed above, GoJet appears to be a decent option. While I don't dispute that it has it's draw backs, it also has it's perks. Just like every other regional out there. It is just another regional and every person needs to weigh the good and bad and make their own decision. Remember that the weighing of good vs. bad is not the same for each person.
As far as this reputation thing goes, I would agree that there is a legitimate complaint as to their history. Also, there is a legitimate complaint against the original pilot group. But now? It's a pretty ridiculous argument.
I understand that just like voting for Obama, "it's cool" to hate GoJet. But when a person actually applies critical thinking skills when they decide what "good" is for them, their perspective might change.
