Originally Posted by Mjm8710

If it were me I would choose a regional in this order:

-Base (commuting is horrible)..pick a regional that has a base that you could see yourself living in for a long time just in case you never get a call from a major. Some guys are surprised after being at a regional for a few years that they haven’t received a call. The commuting guys are miserable. For me, anything under a 2 hour drive I would also consider.

-Contract: Not all regionals are created equal. Work rules are better are better at some places than others. This could translate into more or less days at home, pay, or abilities for the company to do whatever they want with you. Contracts change though. Right now Republic, Skywest, Endeavor seem to have the best ones, that could easily change though with next negotiations though. Worse contracts seem to point to WO.

-Flow...if you want to go to American really really badly, I would highly consider a WO. Not guaranteed you’ll flow, but your chances of getting on with American are greatly improved there vs off the street at another regional. You will be sacrificing contract though.

Looking through everyone’s replies to your post, almost everyone is saying base or that commuting sucks. I cannot stress this enough-don’t commute. Totally different job, a million times more stressful and you’ll never be home. Pick the regional with the best base and stick to it. Contracts, pay, airframes all change at the end of the day it’s a job, try to pick a place where you can really enjoy life on your days off-not being stuck at airports trying to get home. Good luck

Originally Posted by IDrive175

I hear people at Compass really like it, but they have a bit of an uncertain future at the moment. They just lost a pretty huge chuck of their Delta flying, along with 30 or so airframes.

Originally Posted by ZeroTT

“Don’t commute” is a very different strategy than “get a job where you live”

If you want max opportunity, go to ORD or LGA

Originally Posted by ZeroTT

“Don’t commute” is a very different strategy than “get a job where you live”

If you want max opportunity, go to ORD or LGA

Originally Posted by cfi127

Hi all,

I’m a CFI in OR nearing my R-ATP requirements. Looking for advice on which regionals are better and which to avoid. My biggest factors are being able to fly a lot and short reserve time. After lurking on this site a while, it looks like they’re all kind of crappy in their own way, but which should I really avoid, and which are frowned upon by majors? Thanks for the advice in advance

Originally Posted by Mjm8710

Totally agree. Guys that are willing to be based/live in either of those cities can spend an entire career (regional or major) at either of those bases. Both have a high cost of living, but almost every airline has a hub in NYC or Chicago...

At the end of the day just be reasonable when it comes to picking a base. Commuting to reserve especially from half way across the country can be a headache, esp when you’re junior. Moving to base will greatly improve QOL.

Anyways, good luck with whatever regional you pick. Airline flying is a ton of fun for me personally, you’ll enjoy the career. I remember the feeling getting my first airline job..was one of the best days of my life. Enjoy the ride. PM if you have any more questions.

Originally Posted by fenix1

Frankly, if you’re not even aware of Compass’ current situation & CPZ is numero uno on your list, it sounds as though you’ve put absolutely no effort into identifying which regional is right for you given your personal goals & priorities. Please don’t blame anyone but yourself if you end up miserable at whatever regional you ultimately join. Are you REALLY going to pick an airline based solely on where those who respond to this post tell you to go?? There is a wealth of experience & knowledge on APC to guide you, but you have to roll up your sleeves and ask detailed, intelligent questions in order to leverage the wisdom of others, not simply ask which regionals are “better” and you should know this if your dad flew for UA. Forgive me if I sound harsh, but my intent is to be brutally honest with you for your own benefit; get after it figuring out what really matters to you and - based on that - determine which regional is the best fit for you. I wish you the best and I hope it all works out well for you!