I'm one of those heading back. To all of you who are slamming this industry, I agree that it is unstable. However, with all the mergers, legislated pilot shortages, announced hiring, consolidation of regionals, regionals like republic buying mainline carriers, and regional airlines upgrading to e-jets and MRJs, are you really saying that the airlines will be a worse place to be? Are you serious? All the complaints about this generation and the next being so screwed.... excuse me? The next generation will be doing it's first IOEs on 100 passenger jets instead of flying grand canyon tours and tugging banners. After that jetblue or a legacy is the next move. The legacies are stronger now and hiring while scope improves. Did anybody miss compass giving a full ATP and PIC type to new hires? Or Expressjet consolidating with Skywest and ASA in order to have a shot of keeping the new United's regional flying in the face of declines like those at Comair? Mesa, which was the case-in-point of regional airline decline, ate it and is not getting ahead any more.

Anyone who says that one cannot get ahead in the airline industry is obviously oblivious to the very progression that continues to take place. It will take time, will be less stable than other careers, and involve paying your dues..... but does anyone truly believe you can't work up to a good flying job making $100,000+? Those must be the folks camping on the seniority lists of regionals, afraid to take the next step. There are plenty of folks who even went through the messes at Eastern and others who I personally have seen get on their feet well since then in aviation. And even so... things are getting better.