Originally Posted by stabilatoron

I have to disagree and say that the public would be more outraged to learn their pilot has DUI's, a criminal history, or accident history rather than no college degree. And this is in absolutely no way to disparage these pilots. I think the "lifers" at the regionals are some of the best to fly with. Most actually take pride in what they do, do it well, and have seen enough in their time to be some damn good pilots. A far-cry from the "get your time and get out" pilots.

But the majors don't see it that way. All of the flows, unless I am mistaken, have some sort of "final-review" by a hiring committee, interview, or both. The contract always has stipulations. They look at exactly these things to cover THEIR ass. Not saying it's right, but it's what they do. That is why most pilots with a history are confined to the regionals.

Now a regional merging with a mainline would be unprecedented. Historically it has been mainline to mainline mergers or regional to regional mergers. When American merged with US Air or United with Continental, they knew their pilots were held to the same (or very close) hiring standards. Mesa is known for giving pilots a second chance, which has benefitted both the airline and pilots. But United knows these hiring standards are not the same. Not to mention all the low-time pilots with a R-ATP, which United would never traditionally hire.

A regional merging with a major would be unprecedented territory, and I don't think United would just welcome all pilots with open arms. This is true for any regional, not just Mesa. It's why Aviate still has a final review where they look at everything from your training record to how many days you called in sick. It is not as simple as walking off Mesa property and onto United's.