Originally Posted by Tumbleweed (Post 1521606)

Whoa Nelly... this thread is starting to spiral. I like the idea of staying at a regional long term. The bases are usually smaller, crews are certainly smaller and you fly together for the whole trip. You fly to small towns and get to know the gate agents and even the hotel van drivers. The hotels aren't always as nice but it seems like they give you more, like beater bikes to explore around town. That's what I miss the most about regional flying. What I can't tolerate is that first officer pay is not sustainable. Never has been and everyone knows it. It's the gorilla in the corner of the room. We pretend to ignore it because we convince our selves that an upgrade is just a short wait away. We're our own worst enemy. The bright eyes of young new pilots reflect the same public misperception that airline pay is based on the staggering salaries of wide body captains. The painful truth is that even if you're fortunate enough to get there, when you average out the long years the pay is far less. This explains why an airline pilot can track down a happy hour, free breakfast or USA Today from miles away.
Another point dully noted is that regional flying (although at one time its own brand) is now a subsidiary of a larger carrier. So the flying done today by one regional could be taken away when the contract ends to the next lowest bidder.
But where do you draw the line? Midwest Express was an airline with a great product and loyal customers and it was not a regional. Is it a risk to pursue a boutique airline because you want to live in a certain region or you prefer a smaller airline culture? Is it safer to work for a giant legacy... to have power in numbers? What about the giants of yesterday such as Pan Am, Eastern, TWA? How much impact does a CEO or board of directors have on your career?
I think the answer is, you're never safe. We are all free agents and even the best of intentions could be dashed away by bankruptcy, a bad merger or another Lorenzo-type spin off taking command of your company.

Originally Posted by flyingmau5 (Post 1520794)

With the hiring picking up both in majors and regionals .........................

I Do larger regionals command a more reputable credential for future interviews with the legacy airlines?

Originally Posted by viper548 (Post 1520840)

I'm a 9 year SkyWest Captain, 33, married with 3 kids. I'm based at home, senior on reserve and don't get called a lot most months of the year. If I want some extra money I can fly on my days off. My wife has a very good job, so the extra money I would make working for a major isn't that big of a deal........ most likely be trying to leave.

Originally Posted by flyingmau5 (Post 1523004)

Are there any regionals that are growing as opposed to shrinking?

Originally Posted by flyingmau5 (Post 1523004)

Are there any regionals that are growing as opposed to shrinking?

Originally Posted by Tumbleweed (Post 1521606)

Whoa Nelly... this thread is starting to spiral. I like the idea of staying at a regional long term. The bases are usually smaller, crews are certainly smaller and you fly together for the whole trip. You fly to small towns and get to know the gate agents and even the hotel van drivers. The hotels aren't always as nice but it seems like they give you more, like beater bikes to explore around town. That's what I miss the most about regional flying. What I can't tolerate is that first officer pay is not sustainable. Never has been and everyone knows it. It's the gorilla in the corner of the room. We pretend to ignore it because we convince our selves that an upgrade is just a short wait away. We're our own worst enemy. The bright eyes of young new pilots reflect the same public misperception that airline pay is based on the staggering salaries of wide body captains. The painful truth is that even if you're fortunate enough to get there, when you average out the long years the pay is far less. This explains why an airline pilot can track down a happy hour, free breakfast or USA Today from miles away.
Another point dully noted is that regional flying (although at one time its own brand) is now a subsidiary of a larger carrier. So the flying done today by one regional could be taken away when the contract ends to the next lowest bidder.
But where do you draw the line? Midwest Express was an airline with a great product and loyal customers and it was not a regional. Is it a risk to pursue a boutique airline because you want to live in a certain region or you prefer a smaller airline culture? Is it safer to work for a giant legacy... to have power in numbers? What about the giants of yesterday such as Pan Am, Eastern, TWA? How much impact does a CEO or board of directors have on your career?
I think the answer is, you're never safe. We are all free agents and even the best of intentions could be dashed away by bankruptcy, a bad merger or another Lorenzo-type spin off taking command of your company.

Originally Posted by viper548 (Post 1521174)

With 30+ years left in my career it would be hard to say I'm committing to being a lifer here. I have no desire to leave in the near future but I am constantly evaluating that decision. There's always change in this industry, who knows what SkyWest will look like in 5, 10, 20 years. Up until a year or so ago I was trying to leave. It was the increase in QOL that made me want to stay.

Originally Posted by DLpilot (Post 1523503)

Get out while you are still relatively young. If you wait a few years to finally make the move then you will be wishing that you had done it sooner. Delta is gearing up to hire 600 a year. Most legacies have significant retirements in the next decade. The longer you wait, the more people get ahead of you. I was a decent line holding captain at a regional when i left. I do not regret leaving for a second.