So...let's summarize:

1. Invest time, (a ton of) money, and effort into flight training and hope you don't have any failed check rides.

2. Work as a CFI or build time some how (paid for or not) to get 1,500 hours.

3. Come August, pay up to $15,000 for ATP certificate.

4. Apply to regional to make crap money as FO with the possibility of doing so for 10 years before upgrade to captain.

5. If lucky to upgrade to captain at regional, applying to majors is nothing more than who you know (unless you're female or a minority).

Awesome.

This should be a mandatory glossy poster at every flight school and academy.