I've never worked at an airline, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. Anyhow, a few months of lurking on these forums, plus a few years of talking to my former students who are now in the regionals and legacy carriers, as well as friends who are at various regionals including OO, made me realize a few things:

* Every OO pilot I talked to really enjoyed their jobs. I definitely cannot say the same for other regional pilots.

* If you read all the threads on this forum, the OO guys appear far less likely to hate their airline/ management/ QOL/ etc.

* As the only airline that has never furloughed a pilot, OO appears to hold some genuine respect in the industry.

* When I told people of my offer at OO, invariably everyone said, 'Dude, you made the right choice!'

So I'm obviously a total greenhorn when it comes to this industry. But from an outsider's perspective (as little value as that may hold), OO appears to be the best choice for aspiring regional pilots....at least, ones who live near OO's bases.

I was really impressed with the OO interviewing team, and felt a certain esprit de corps that I have not felt really anywhere else. Not to mention that the FAs on both OO flights I took were super-friendly, and when I told them I was headed to an interview, just lit up and couldn't stop talking about how much they liked OO.

I'm sure there is a lot to complain about at OO, as in any job. But on the surface it looks like an attractive place to advance one's career while working with some cool people.