A simple math equation. End state: I want to fly for an airline and make a respectable wage to support a family. Not a whole lot of paths to get there other than the regionals and military. Do I eat the cowshtt sandwich or the rotting carcass to sustain myself until I can eat the steak after a very finite amount of suck? Doesn't matter, all options suck...just need to position myself to minimize the suck. What do you need to get hired by a major? FW multi/turbine hours. Generally speaking some PIC time. That ruled out SKW, XJT, and ENY. I live out west somewhere and don't want to commute more than one leg, preferably not at all. Mesa's bases work out perfectly for me (minus IAD). I'm not dealing with east coast or or midwest /northern bases. That leaves me with basically great lakes or mesa. For my personal situation, mesa was the clear choice. Throw in some possible new flying that you keep promising and my pay will be higher in my 2nd/3rd year at Mesa as a captain than it would have been at any of the "good contract" regionals (I still posit that there is no such thing). So until the regional model crumbles, if one wants to be a pilot at a legacy, one must have FW mil time or regional time. Or go to some of those international flying gigs...not for me I have a family I've been away from for the last several years. My total pay over the next 3-5 years, and QOL, in my best estimate, will be higher at Mesa than anywhere else (unless I decide to get a real job and quit and sit behind a desk).

To summarize: Total pay for 3-5 years (assuming CA pay at some point halfway thru that timeframe) + QOL along the way (living in base) + marketability for an actual "career" flying job = where I want to go.

You? Quick upgrade? Same reasons, same end-state, I would venture to guess. Unless someone just doesn't do any research on the industry or a particular company, I think everyone makes the best decision for him/herself for the reasons they value using similar logic...which is why I don't know why people are still going to SKW/XJT/ENY.