I realize I am a little late to the party on this but I'd still like to throw in my two cents.

Shouldn't this always be the case if that is what the law says? I've heard people suggest to "always disclose EVERYTHING on the app no matter what," but in reality if by law you are not required to acknowledge an arrest, and have gone through the rigid list of requirements to have said record removed, then why report it?

There's a lot of bias out there that the expunction process is for people "working the system" to shove all of their black marks under the rug, which isn't hardly a reality in my home state. Now I can't speak for the majority of states but I have several good friends who work in the legal system in my home state (Florida) and this topic comes up from time to time at the usual social events. In order to apply for an expunction you have to meet a list of requirements (if you were found guilty then forget about it) and in the final stage it goes before a judge, who can deny the request at their discretion. They don't exactly hand those out like candy.

I'm sure it varies by state, but a simple google search reveals the expungement statutes in my home state and you only have to disclose that information in certain cases such as seeking employment in a public school, law enforcement agency, applying for purchase of a firearm, etc...applying to work for an airline is not in that list.

My thoughts on this are A) if you have a mark in your past then seek legal advice before applying and B) if the airlines have a problem with individuals choosing to not disclose certain information, as dictated by the LAW, then maybe they should go to Congress and ask for an exemption that requires an individual to disclose that information anyway.