Originally Posted by
word302
I would definitely narrow your search to Compass and Skywest. Commuting to reserve is a special kind of hell. LAX is Compass' junior base I believe and likely attainable at Skywest a few months after training. Nobody is going to give a damn about flows in a few years.
I'd second that recommendation.
I do not believe in all this my regional is better than your regional rhetoric. Both seem to be good options.
Don't get sucked in by long-term promises. The entire industry is a giant pyramid scheme. Everyone is dreaming of becoming the super senior 787 capatin who only works 3 days a month but very few people will get there.
I'd pick whoever you are comfortable with now and you think you are comfortable with if you get "stuck" there for more than a couple of years. You'd be surprised how many lifers are at regionals - and almost none of them joined with the intention of becoming a lifer.
As for flows, I can easily see those backfire in a couple of years. If hiring at the majors really picks up as everyone expects it to there will be a real incentive for AA to reduce flow from the regionals. Why canabalize your regional pilot pool if you can hire of the street from "competitors"?
Flows serve one purpose only - lock-in. Once you put in 3, 4 or 5 years you will think twice to jump ship or rather hang on for that coveted flow. If pilots truly become a rare commodity it won't matter anyway.