Originally Posted by
rickair7777
I think there's a bubble there too but will come later than the legacies by about ten years. But it will be a small bubble because many of them will get on with majors in the next five years (easily worth it at age 55, especially if the kids are out of the house and you can live without picking your days off for a couple years).
At my regional, this is far from true. I can't recall any Capts., over 50 with 10+ years seniority, that was actively pursuing a major. They would be making less money for a couple of years, loose their 17 days off, and commutable trips to learn a new plane and airline. $120,000+ is a nice salary in most parts of America.
If you have a clean record as a regional captain, within the next 7 years, you will not have a problem getting to a mainline. Of course, there won't be a shortage at the majors, with upper-middle-class wages and decent QOL. We won't see the majors with empty seats in new hire classes, but we also won't see their hiring rates of the 2000s.
The regionals have adapted and made this career a more viable option. My regional new hire class had more ex-corporate pilots than CFIs, and they left for BETTER QOL... Yes at a regional.