I'll cut jack some slack. If he's a 33 yr old RJ FO, I'm guessing it's his first airline job and he's new to the industry. Apology if I'm wrong. If he thinks a 3 year upgrade is long, it's not really his fault- it's the world he's been living in. We can speak from experience that he doesn't have.

Jack- to summarise what's been said here- the good times (fast movement, good regional pay) we're experiencing now are an anomaly. I wouldn't count on it continuing until your're 65. In your 30's it's a no-brainer. The pay, work rules, opprotunities and job security (see what happened to Air Wisconsn this week?) will be better. Make the move- you won't regret it. I haven't flown with anyone who's regretted leaving a regional.