Indicating they will do it again as soon as recruiting gets as skosh as it did in 2016 and the major retirement/hiring wave is still years from peaking.

And seriously, look on the ‘career’ threads, anyone who asks about whether they can ever make it to a major because of bad marks in their career or a lack of a degree are being advised to go to a wholly owned.

Once again, one can debate whether those alleged ‘black marks’ or the presence or absence of a four year degree actually MEAN anything, but there is little doubt that those with them are being disproportionately channeled into AA wholly owned regionals. And in nine years - when the retirement/hiring wave peak has passed - are those really the people AA is going to want in preference to separating/retiring military and other unblemished OTS hires? I woukdn’t Be too sure.

Without actual contractual language the flow is vaporware. Even with it, it’s your (regional) union against management and who has the big gun lawyers in that face off? I wouldn’t even bet on APA siding with the regional unions.

We’ll see in about eight or nine years I guess, which of course is damn near an eternity in this business.