Things might be very different now, but the "don't chase the upgrade" has been around for years and years.

As someone said, the game changes at the regional level to often, it's unstable and incredibly unstable now that companies are having a hard time filling classes. If you qualify for a direct entry captain at Company B and are still a year + from upgrading at Company A, it might make sense...but all in all, chasing upgrade typically further increases your risk of remaining on year one pay more than upgrading sooner.