I think it's so hilarious how all of us RJ pilots for some reason think that everyone knows everything about our companies and their "prestige" among regionals.

From everyone I know at majors no one seems to care (or in some cases even know) about one regional vs. the next. It would be like going to your 1st regional interview and not getthing the job b/c you instructed at a school with less pay and worse schedules than another flight school. How many regionals give a crap what flight school you instructed at? None that I know of. Similar thing with majors--XXX hrs PIC in a CRJ is XXX hrs PIC in a CRJ...everything else is networking and attitude.

Factor in the fact that most former military pilots (who might be your interviewer) don't know or care what regional is what, unless you are the company they commute on...I can't count how many times I've jumpseated FedEx out of Memphis and even though Pinnacle has a base there the guys (who don't commute to MEM) ask me who Pinnacle is and what we fly...of course they understand "Flagship=NWA Airlink RJ"...but do they say "oh, you guys don't have an industry leading contract, we'll never hire you." No...because they don't give a crap, and neither will I if I'm ever fortunate enough to get on at a major.

I understand the sentiment that we should all hold out for the "best" regional for our situation, and not "lower the bar," but there is a certain point where you have to remember--a regional is a friggin regional, whether it's Skywest or Mesa. It's typically the lifers at the "better" regionals who perpetuate the myth that somehow they are better or more respected than other RJ drivers, when in fact most people outside of our little realm don't know or care...

Besides, yesterdays "bottom feeder" sometimes becomes tomorrow's "industry leader"...as the topic of our thread, SWA, has proven