Originally Posted by
NoValueAviator
5 years would depend on more extensions of the CRJ operation, but how is even 3 wasted years acceptable in this environment?
The next generation of mainline airline pilots is going to be hired between now and 2026. You may still get hired after that, but it's going to be a lot harder, and you're going to spend your entire career a lot less senior.
The numbers I’ve seen state that if you get hired on at AA by about 2021-2022 you can hold domestic narrow-body CA or wide body FO in about 5 years. Widebody CA would still be about 20 years out from that hire date. Hired beyond 2023-2024 and I think you’ll “miss the boat” to some extent. You’ll still enjoy a great career compared to what many have experienced in this crazy industry, but not the same meteoric rise in seniority as those hired just a year or two ahead of you.