I can’t comment on Spirit but after about 1 more year, JetBlue is paying the same A320 rates as AA. JetBlue pays new hires $88/hr year one and Captains will top out on the 320 in 1.5 years at $275/hr...currently AA pays $278/hr for 320 captains and $90/hr for newhires. So why turn down a job that is gonna pay you today what AA might start paying you 8 years from now if you get the chance to flow?

I’d say keep pursuing AA if you are hoping to be lucky enough to get in before they finish hiring all their next generation of wide body captains (maybe 3,000 spots out of 15,000???)
But the truth of the matter is the majority of AA pilots fly around in 737’s and A320’s and so will future flow throughs.

Both AA and JB paid out a very disappointing 2% in profit sharing last year and both have 16% direct contributions to your 401K. So again, by all means, keep the dream of flying widebodies alive if that’s really important to you and keep applying to AA for a few years if you get a shot to go to JetBlue. But if you look at the hiring numbers and realize you will spend most of your left seat time in a 737 or 320 at AA why stay at Envoy for 8 years making $70-80/hr when you could have been at JetBlue making $160-180/hour for 5 of those 8 years plus getting 16% of that into your 401K?

Not knocking AA/Envoy or the flow or anyone who has decided to wait it out for the flow. This is just a JetBlue pilot’s 2 cents on leaving the regionals ASAP for a decent carrier with a solid contract.