Originally Posted by
jrcrj
This was exactly my scenario, AA WO regional, got class date at F9 when I had 700 hrs SIC as a FO. I stayed at my regional and now am a captain. Still haven’t heard anything from UA almost 500 TPIC in. Still trying to determine if it was the right decision. Maybe truth to going to ULCC and getting furloughed is a fast track…
Three years ago, I met a 24 year old at a LCC who bragged that he'd be number 8 on the seniority list at his LCC when he retires. He'd made the move over after just a couple hundred hours at a regional. Today, he's likely still at that LCC, possibly still on reserve with no forecast seniority movement for at least a couple years. Had he stayed at his regional, he'd be a CA today and reaching competitive TPIC numbers for the legacy of his choice.
Honestly, staying at your AA WO regional is probably a good move. The fastest route to your destination is a straight line. Previous conventional wisdom of switching to the first potential "if the music stops where do you want to be stuck for the rest of your career" airline no longer holds with projected retirements and/or growth at the legacies. Today, TPIC trumps getting well less than min guarantee of block time each month at an LCC/ULCC.
If that LCC or ULCC is super healthy financially and you live in base (is there such an airline today)? Maybe consider that LCC/ULCC move. If anything, history has shown us the only constant in this industry is change.