1) We sometimes fly into Nashville, but why does that make a difference? In other words, don't pick an airline for a domicile or for an overnight. You WILL be sourly disappointed. This stuff changes month by month.

2) While all the same type rating, flying the 700/900 will in NO way prepare you for the 200. No slats, much more complicated systems, different sight picture, no FADEC, No coupled VNAV, the list goes on. The other way around? Maybe. If you master the 200, it should help you transition to the 7/900 but that's a one-way street.

3) If hiring was competitive, I could see being a captain in a CRJ as an advantage. But right now, anyone who is sane and with a clean aviation/criminal record is 99.95% sure to get a job. We do not do any direct entry captains so whether you flew F-18's, 747's, CRJ's, or 172's everyone gets treated the same and goes through the same program. No honor's classes here. As a side note: not all, but some of the worse students that have been through the program have been CL-65 type rated pilots. It's a problem when they come with a mentality and an attitude that they know better than the instructor and are stuck with 'well, at ASDFGHJKL airlines we used to do it this way'. Don't be that guy.

That being said, AWA is not problem free since after all it is a regional. All regionals suck. But in my opinion, it's a good place to come right now. Good money and the foundation for fast movement is being set. We still don't know how good or how bad the United Career Progression thing is going to work but, hey, better than nothing right? Plus, it does not prevent you from getting hired elsewhere, including United, 'off the street'.

Give it a shot.

Edit: Also, from your post history I see you are Mesa. Sorry about that man. Come on over, things can ONLY get better here