Stay where you are.

Same boat. 2000TT, 500 121 time. I’d have to commute since the family and I live in Columbus, OH (you can probably guess the regional) and we don’t plan on moving anytime soon. An interview with JetBlue next month and an app in at Spirit (only because of DTW). Economy scares me to be honest, so there’s that too.

Stay as a regional FO? That’s questionable advice…

It’s APC….at least it’s free advice.

Depends. Are you getting 121 block hours? Because at a lot of regionals they have lost so many CAs that they are CA limited. If you aren’t actually getting block hours you are gradually being left behind. Being at a ULCC where they are actually hurting for FOs and where they’ll let you fly to the 117 limits might actually be a faster course to your career destination than eking out 30 hours a month on reserve as a junior FO.

The economy is going to get bad. Airlines are going to furlough. If he stays where he is, he will be insulated a bit and have the prospects to upgrade and then go to the carrier of his choice. I doubt with the merger that JB will follow its tradition of no furloughs. I just want to help him from being a perma-FO if that isn’t what he wants.

OP, ignore everything said above. Sure it’s possible you might get furloughed at some point. But It’s also proven that we are in a severe pilot shortage. If you have a chance to get to a good job that you would be happy to retire from. Don’t hesitate. Keep applying to where your dream is, but also keep climbing the ladder.

Great advice. Do what you want. Ignore the signs all around you as long as it feels good

At what point do you think it’d be safe for people to risk changing airlines? It sounds like you’re saying no one should be considering going anywhere at the moment.

Not at all. When I was in his shoes, I was at a regional, traded up to a better job and got furloughed in training (mid oral to be exact) I wound up with no job at all in an abysmal economy. I was lucky to get a charter job. Just like my buddy that lost his buttocks trading stocks into this economy, this is storm shutter time, not risk it all. The OP does not have a significant flying resume to fall back on. He doesn’t even want the job at JB, just the stepping stone to his desired position.

But what do I know, I’ve only been doing this 24 yrs.