someone did answered your question, "the one that will hire you"... in this profession no one gets to pick and choose. the "most pilot friendly" airline of today might not be here tomorrow....plan on putting in a few years at the regionals, and pray a major calls, any major... many people meet all the requirements and never get the call, several get stuck at the regionals.....that's how it works.

When you get to that stage you'll know what we're talking about

To answer your original question, "most pilot friendly" and best one to work for, probably Southwest...

he's just young, doesn't know any better, we were all there once

AAL763, I made the mistake of joining when I was still in high school and had never flown an airplane before . . . pretty much made an @$$ out of myself, so learn from me. Now it's more appropriate because I'm closing in on my commercial rating and can make semi-knowledgeable contributions to the forum (some may disagree :D) . . . and am starting the job hunt.
Just never visit this website until you're older and need to. Unless you have a character of steel, all the negativity (and the realities, too) will rot away your passion. I've managed to hold on to mine . . . god knows how. For now, it would be better to learn more about the backside of the power curve instead of which airline is most "pilot-friendly."
Enjoy every flight, take everything with a grain of salt, and if aviation is your true passion, never let anyone turn you away.

My advice:
I didn't do this, but I've learned.

1. Get qualified for regional airlines then later the major airlines. Not just the minimums they hire, but the qualifications of the people actually getting hired. This is the easy part- believe it or not.

2. Shotgun method: apply everywhere, interview everywhere, take the first job offered. You really can't choose. Don't pick by the "best" airline or a certain location (I tried to stay on the West coast). The chance of getting hired at an airline is slim, so don't be picky. I was. I just lost time/money/seniority.

Good luck.

AAL763 -

Imagine some 2nd grader coming up to you right now and asking which college they should attend, at what price, which fraternity/sorority to join, and which one has the greatest party atmosphere.

Would you not tell that 2nd grader that maybe s/he should concentrate on getting through Elementary School first?

You are putting the cart a few miles in front of the horse. First - enjoy your training, get a feeling whether flying is really for you - first as a hobby and then maybe, just maybe as a career. When you are much much closer, then take a look at the industry and decide if it is still a profession that you would like to join.

USMCFLYR

Shaky at best....I had to jump on that one.


As for most pilot friendly...maybe midwest but that ship has sailed so you can cross them off your list. In 12 years you can probably cross 1/4 of those off your list at a minimum and then add 4 more to it.

Go International! Emirates or ANA or a European Airline that hires FAA certificated pilots.

You are young enough that spending some time overseas won't hurt you.

Go to a regional airline for awhile, but then look overseas.

As for getting your hours, it may be awhile before the regionals start to hire again so look towards freight companies that have turbo props but always look for a jet job.

Look outside the envelope too. Government, i.e., Border Patrol, FBI, etc., have flying jobs.

The military is still taking some pilots too. Being well-rounded is a must. You have to know how to network and sell yourself.

As for a regional, interview with whoever is hiring but don't expect be taken care of. There are some good companies but over my six years in one of the better regional airlines, things are always changing and not for the better. Health benefits are getting expensive, stock options are disappearing, 401(k) contributions are shrinking, and upgrades are slowwwwww.

Make sure you have a backup plan, like a good education...and NOT in aviation management!

Good luck!

Well you have a couple things going for you.... you have a goal... as long-term and as subject to the tides of life it may be... it still is a goal...

The other thing you have going for you is that you can spell... it is an often overlooked thing that will benefit you in your future postings.

What you can focus on now is doing good in whatever it is that you do now. Stay out of trouble.... cannibis and hookers will only get you in trouble.... especially if the cops find a dead hooker in your trunk....
anyways.... keep your nose clean, try to stay in good health.... basically don't screw things up before you get them going.

You will no doubt change your goals at least a little... you very well could just say screw the airlines (as many have done) and find your fortune on the other side of another rainbow.

Don't get into crazy debt... honestly think of things in economic terms when you're going to college/flight training. One last thing.... research everything you think would be a good question to ask on these forums.... if you don't find the answer...research more.

Best of luck!!

I will answer it for you. The best regional to work for is, ASA. Don't consider any other regional even if they will hire you today and pay you as much as you want. Then after that, upgrade quickly and apply to Southwest if you like to have fun, or Delta if you are the best. And again, don't consider any other airline to work for.

Now that you know where to go, you have to customize your training and education to get to that goal. Start flight training. and don't stop until you get your CFI. While you are doing this, you will need to get a college degree if you want to leave the regionals. ASA, unlike any other regional, has its ups and downs, so you should get a degree in another field so that you can always find employment. ASA also hires people with a lot of flight time, so fly as much as you can until you reach their hiring minimums. It is hard to say what their minimums may be, because ASA, unlike any other regional, changes its hiring minimums and only hires at certain times.

Once you get hired, you have to fly as an FO for a while. Again, ASA has something called a seniority list, and once the industry picks up, you will climb that list and then you can move up to captain. Once you get enough time as captain, you can apply to Southwest or Delta. Unlike any other major/LCC, these companies are very selective. Even if you exceed their hiring minimums, they might not hire you. You have to do well in your interview.

Now your question is answered. I have even given you a customized training and career plan that will get you to your goal.

Alright, if you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic. You can pick any regional or major you want right now and it won't affect your training or future planning. You can definitely look into what airline you would work for now, but that is just fantasy and does not help you get there. Years from now when you are ready to work for one, this is what you do. Apply everywhere and see where you get hired. If more than one hires you, than come on here and ask which one is better. You will get an answer that will mean something because the information you get now about any airline will be very different then the information you get a year from now or more.

One more thing, don't be like this person I knew who was obsessed with Southwest before he even knew anything about flying or the airline. You are already miles ahead of him because you know that you can't go right to the majors. His plan was to get his ratings and go right to Southwest. Then he was going to ask them if he could be based out of his home town so that he could live for free with his parents.I spent 8 months with him and was not able to convince him that that would never happen.