As many have stated, wholly-owneds aren't doing much better than anyone else. Read through a little of the
Warning about Endeavor to Delta (ETD) thread and you'll get a good idea. Everyone agrees a quick upgrade is a positive thing, the hesitance to chase one comes from the possibility that when you get to a regional, upgrade time might get a lot longer before you upgrade. Research trends, who's getting new airplanes and who isn't, and who has 50-seat jets. 50-seat jets are no longer economical and have become liabilities, not assets. That's why I'd recommend against a carrier like Air Wisconsin, even though they might have a respectable contract.
A while ago, I made a post about my recommendations. It's just my humble opinion - I'm still in training and don't have any actual time on the line, and some called me on that - but I did a lot of homework and spoke to numerous friends in the industry, and this is what I came up with:
Originally Posted by
deltajuliet
Invariably, the ultimate question this thread will probably evolve into is: "Who should I work for?" We argue about that day and night on these boards, but allow me to humbly offer my suggestions. Keep in mind this is as of right now; things could be different in a year.
Mesa - Fast upgrade time, stable, growing, modern fleet.
Compass - Pretty much the same as Mesa.
SkyWest - This is sort of the opposite in that it's not growing and you'll have a very long upgrade (~7 years as of now). However, many of my friends have elected to go here for its well respected treatment of employees.
Horizon - Excellent pay (at least compared to other regionals). Long upgrade, however.
One other deciding factor for you might be the bases these regionals have. I live in Phoenix, so naturally Mesa was an obvious choice for me. Again, this is my humble 2 cents, do your own homework, and best of luck.