Originally Posted by
stbloc
that's some solid advice. wife has a good job and have kids so iah is very important to me. if I don't stay local I won't quit my current day job. I think the risk with you is better then mesa. I can always go to mesa if something happens here. I just have a hard time believing they would disolve you guys. but what do I know. look at piedmont they were hung to die and now good things are happening there. if they do disolve you wouldn't SkyWest flow you into there system or even better ual give somekind of flow. may be wishful thinking just a thought. pilots are in demand so I think someone would want the assets.
Piedmont was in a far different place than ExpressJet and their circumstances were vastly different that allowed it "to be saved." Mesa's odds of being around are far greater than ExpressJet's simply due to the fact that they operate 76 seat RJs and have a far cheaper contract.
If XJT is shut down, SkyWest will likely offer preferential interviews and MAYBE 2nd-3rd year FO pay to former ExpressJet pilots, but being that they are not ALPA they could offer no incentives and probably won't simply to save money.
Do what is right for you and your family, that should always come first. But, please keep in mind that the future of ExpressJet is in very serious doubt. Any regional airline, no matter the size is expendable and can be shut down. ExpressJet is 50%-55% smaller today compared to late 2010 and the forecast is for it to shrink even further. If you simply want a flying job and want to live at home and you don't care about upgrading and money isn't an issue, then XJT might be just fine for you. However, if you are going to XJT with the hopes of one day going to a major airline and making a career as an airline pilot then ExpressJet might not be the best airline to start with because the opportunity to grow/upgrade etc there is severely, if not completely limited. Its all a gamble in the end, but why place a bet on a long shot when there are so many other and better options. Don't let the possibility of a commute limit your career.