To the Op, I’ve been following the hiring for years and the conventional wisdom was to not chase the upgrade because there were quality alternatives even as short as 3-4 years ago Pinnacle, Eagle and ExpressJet. Now, there are no secure companies to look toward. The small ones you may or may not upgrade quickly, the large ones you may or may not have a job. Chasing the upgrade isn’t more or less risky than ever before but the opportunity cost has gone way down because the “stable” regionals don’t exist anymore. Going to the shorter upgrade is like climbing a rocky cliff you will get bloodied and bruised, but going to a large one is like climbing a mud bank, you may end up sliding backwards. Just prepare yourself for whichever one you choose. Perception is what controls your happiness.