Upgrade at any union airline is seniority based and your date of hire and open captain positions will trigger your upgrade. If someone senior to you based on DOH (date of hire) does not to take the slot, the next person in line gets a shot at it. Therefore, on your bid sheet (similar to the military dream sheet) you always put down what you want and not what you think you are going to get. At some regionals the upgrade is faster due to growth and attrition while at others it is longer. I honestly don't think that you will not be considered by a major because you were with a specific regional. As many have commented, target the one where you don't have to commute and if there is a flow through, it's worth looking at as well. BTW, start working on obtaining your civilian ATP as soon as you are able. And yes, some regionals are much better to work for than others, whether it's pay, quality of life, benefits, management etc. Upgrade times can change and it is hard to say what they might be when you retire from the USN. Right now, as you read this forum I think it can happen as quickly as 12 months(or less) as some regionals.