ORD Regional Choice
I'm looking to start with a regional this fall, and want ORD as a base. That brings it to SkyWest, Envoy, Republic, Air Wisconsin, GoJet, ExpressJet, and Trans States. Currently, MQ, YX, and OO are at the top of the list.
Unfortunately, I can't get anything back from MQ and probably won't for the near future. I'm not able to be in their cadet program, and regardless I'm not interested in signing a long term contract. Even if they opened up off the street hiring, it could be a long wait for a class date. They have a great bonus and flow, but could get stuck in LGA as both an FO and eventually CA.
YX seems to be a good option, based off of their contract, quality of life, and pay/bonus but their ORD base is in question. Could probably hold ORD as an FO pretty quick, but it is difficult to see a future there as upgrading would most likely equal a move or a commute for years. I've also heard that many people tend to get "stuck" at YX and they don't have as many pilots moving on to the majors as other carriers do. Don't know the actual truth behind this, but I've heard it from a variety of people.
OO is a solid option, because they are so large in ORD, have a fast upgrade, and I can get a class date and through training relatively quickly. I'm currently involved in their pilot pathway program. But based off of the forums, it seems to be an increasingly unpopular place to work and QOL is deteriorating and their future pay/work rules are unknown. It's difficult to not drink the Kool Aid and try to understand the truth at what their future looks like and if it is worth going to a place that many seem unhappy at. Their pay is a tough pill to swallow also, especially if on reserve for more than a few months.
ZW, G7, EV, and AX are off the table for multiple reasons, as many people are unhappy at each and each of them have hard negatives that make life there seem miserable. ZW and AX have great bonuses, but they appear to be get rick quick scams into a terrible work environment and unknown future. EV and G7 also don't appear to have futures.
It's more difficult than it looks to find an ORD regional that I would be happy with. As this forum points out, it could be the place where I work for a while if everything doesn't line up how the "experts" guarantee it will with the pilot shortage and airline growth.
Any thoughts, comments, suggestions, or corrections are appreciated.
-Thanks