Forgive the 'new guy' to the discussion. I'm in a similar boat; been out of the cockpit for going on 6 months now and will get my check-of-the-month from Big Blue around Christmas. Outside of getting a type rating/ATP a couple of years ago I haven't been in any sort of upgrade training in a long time. Couple that with 18 months non-flying by the time I retire and I believe I just became 'the choir' for this discussion.
Is there a threat of a flow thru company like Endeavor being a bad call as Delta needs their regional feeder fully staffed? In other words if they have you in their ranks could it be more difficult to get DAL to look at you since you're serving their overall need already?
Again, forgive my ignorance but curious about all the 'sign-up' and retainer bonuses in the regionals having an implied purpose which might go against the pilot's desire to get some good experience on his or her way up to heavier iron. I'm guessing it still comes down to the individual pilot's choice to chase their own plan, but I've seen the bonus game derail plans before.
I probably don't grasp how a signing bonus works in the regionals, and frankly my perspective is that of a carrier military pilot with very little understanding of how the commercial aviation world works.
This is a great thread and I appreciate the wisdom being passed by Albie as it is resonating with me based on current circumstances, so any additional professional point outs are greatly appreciated!