And here I thought this was going to be an interesting thread about the future business prospects for the only 2 Q400 operators in the US..

If you go to Colgan you'll work in miserable conidtions, receive barely any compensation, and add a questionable employer to your resume. On the other hand you will be able to build some PIC time eventually - if you survive - and Colgan has some of the best opportunities for expansion among US subcontractor (regional) airlines over the next 5-10 years. Colgan is the ONLY US based independent operator of the Q400.

Horizon is a place you go to retire. Not that they are hiring now anyway, but if they were it would only be worth your while if you planned on just staying there until you retired.

I'm not here to contradict what anyone is saying, but Colgan will become Mesaba, which is a pretty respectable company in the Regional world...they are the longest standing regional airline in the US and has never killed a passenger, or had a hull loss...unless you want to count the MX guys(didn't die) running the AVRO into the jetbridge in MEM, and is now a airport fire trainer...

I'm betting when everything is said and done in a 1-2 years, Colgan/Mesaba guys will have a pretty good contract, and it will be a descent place to work.

The only downfall may be the upgrade time...and there really is no way to understand what that will be but i think 2.5 years would be a little premature on the upgrade side, 2.5 years at XJ gets you on reserve as an FO

All bets are off after the merger is done. This is the current upgrade time at Colgan. Once we are merged it will be anyones guess.