I am leaving the military and seeking out a job at a regional airline this year. I will be living very close to ORD -- Envoy, Republic, Air Wisconsin, and SkyWest are at the top of my list for consideration.

I understand getting ORD would not be out of the question as an FO, but I was told CA upgrades are over 10 years. Granted, that could come down with growth + attrition, however, I've also been told that ORD may close. I don't want to chase airlines for upgrades, but 10 years is steep; TPIC is high priority on my list and it seems like Envoy and SkyWest would get me there in ~18 months.

I really would rather not commute, but if I did, Endeavor seems like a better deal (upgrade + pay + commutability from ORD <-> LGA).

Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated. Republic seems like a great option but not necessarily for someone in ORD.