You will get a lot of different opinions here based on many different experiences.

I was at a regional from 2000-2007. The times are so different today from the lost decade that it’s almost hard for me to relate.

One constant in aviation is that you have to have an ultimate goal to keep working towards.

This industry can change overnight, so you can only make decisions based on what you know as fact today, and luck and timing will be constant factors in the industry.

All that said, education, qualifications and experience are the tools of the trade. There are no shortcuts.

Signing bonuses may be a nice short term benefit, but you have to look past the smoke screen.

Filter the airlines by what you want and work backwards from your ultimate goal. Maybe you will see a path.

Good luck.