Applying with an A320/737 type rating?
 

Has anyone had any personal experience or heard stories about any negative drawbacks of applying to a regional with a type rating such as the a320, 737 or other common major equipment? Anyone known to be more reluctant to hire for obvious reasons?

I don't think it matters with regionals. They only care if you have the experience (1000+ turbine, esp 1000+ TPIC) for the majors...if you do, they may be leery unless they get a sense that you'll stick around long enough to make their investment worthwhile.

A type without turbine experience is useless (except for SWA, and then only with 1000+ TPIC).

Majors on the other hand have been suspicious of anyone with a 737 type and no operating experience...they assume your real goal is to bail for SWA ASAP. Airline apps actually asks if you have a 73 type...and I don't think a yes answer is a good thing.

There was a new hire a couple years ago at ASA who had a 737 type, and had tried to get to SWA. Ended up at a legacy after about 2 years.

I have been asked about my 737 type on multiple interviews with majors, I have also been told my interview at VX hinged on my answer to that question. I ended up with the job. So its not the end of the world.

You're going to get one of two questions...

1) Why aren't you flying this jet any more? If your answer isn't stupid and doesn't involve getting yourself fired, you should be fine.

2) Why do you have this type if you haven't flown the jet before? Regionals understand career progression. They're not a place you make your last stop. Come up with a logical rational answer and you should be fine here too.

If anything, I know XJT couldn't care less. We have plenty of people here with type ratings in airplanes only the majors fly. To give you an even better perspective, our company does a monthly 9 page graphs and pie chart document of our attrition and where these people are going. If they cared, this wouldn't be a normal publication.

I got hired at XJT with A320 time and the type, not an issue at all.

Would "I used WIA, VA, Insert free program here to get my type rating in XYZ because it was paid for and no cost to me so I took advantage of the opportunity" be a good enough reason? Especially if said type came with an ATP ride?

Sounds like a pretty good reason to me. If a person or organization offered me a free type rating and checkride I probably wouldn't turn it down. I would expect an interviewer to understand that.

Sounds like a great reason as far as a regional is concerned, might even alleviate SWA suspicions at a major.