Who said it was a choice? Regionals ARE the career now except for the very small % of fortunate guys who pull their golden ticket and escape this mess. This isn't pre-911, might as well play the lotto because you're going to have to get real lucky to land at a legacy.

A trueism for sure. Unfortunately, when airlines hire everybody gets a job. When not hiring nobody gets hired. Your career is all about timing. I have a 4 year degree, no violations, etc. Hasn't done me any good as airlines haven't hired in 10 years.

Now they are hiring. Take the job now with a regional and school part time for the degree. Lots of online degree options at major schools are available.

Reminds me of the old joke "By the time I got out of college all the good jobs were taken".

Yes, you'll need the 4-year degree for the majors.

No, the regionals are not a viable career choice (unless you got hired in 1983 at somewhere other than COMAIR/ACA and will retire before 2020).

You can however finish the degree while flying for a regional IF you are single/childless and can stay that way, and are willing to focus all your energy to get 'er done.

standby for some of the APC membership to post something like:

College is not needed. Your time is spent better learning to master flying, improving your stick and rudder skills, and building total time, over the four years you would be in college earning a degree

I am a (insert) 777/747/A340/787 Captain and frankly, made Captain at age 29, all without college. As a matter of fact, I didn't even intend to become a (insert above aircraft) Captain nor even an airline pilot, it just kinda worked out that way and the job was offered to me.

Oh, and networking is not important.

Amen brother

Not directed at you satpak - but all of the above MAY be true.
It will even happen for someone on this board; BUT, some people will win the lottery too. It doesn't mean that you should plan your retirement around that long shot. Telling someone that they don't need a degree for the better paying jobs IS TRUE TO SOME EXTENT.
Telling someone they don't need to invest for retirement IS ALSO TRUE TO SOME EXTENT. Neither are the smart move and at least MOST everyone should agree with that. ;) If you like to play the longest odds possible at Roulette in Vegas - then don't get a degree and see if you can make it. Winner, winner, chicken diner - but most go home hungry.

Yes I agree.

May not be viable but they're the ONLY choice if you want to fly for an airline. The chances of going to a legacy are far too small to hope for a career there. Time to face the facts, 90% of us in the regionals will retire there.

When was the last time majors hired? I fly with 10-15 year captains all the time who have been trying to leave the whole time and are now getting to an age where that's impossible. I don't think most people who have made a career out of the regionals ever intended to actually do that.

I'm lucky because I'm still young, but I've been flying for 12 years and with our current upgrade time it will be at least another 8 before I can leave the regionals. Anyone 10 years older than me probably isn't going anywhere if they're hired today at a regional. This IS the career now.

The contracts negotiated due to industry status at the time have caused many of the problems at the regional level.

Get the degree. Its worth the experience and will get you to the middle of the pile instead of the bottom.