On the topic of upgrades at various regionals I've been doing a lot of research but going around in circles. I'm getting back into flying after an absence so I have plenty of part 121 time and looking at a regional with good 1st year pay and a chance to upgrade fast (since I already have the time).
TSA is looking good with the CQFO so i'll make 50k as a FO first year and upgrade is 1-1.5years from what I see.
I have ruled out MESA due to 1 year contract and aprox 20-22K first year pay although upgrade could be 1-1.5years.
PSA?? i'm lost. Some people are saying you sit reserve for 6 months and others saying upgrade in 1 year?? whats the go?

These regionals seem to be hit or miss. today what is good is bad tomorrow and what is bad today good tomorrow. Go figure

thanks,
any thoughts..

I think I remember reading somewhere that the CQFO program was no more?

And as for Mesa's 12-month contract, with 45 days notice, any remaining time is cut by 50%. So if you work 4.5 months, drop your notice, and leave at the 6 month point, you'll only owe $3,000. And your next job will likely come with a bonus, so that should more than cover the $3K. On top of that, I suspect you'll get more hours at Mesa than at several other regionals on those first 6 months (or up to 2 years, depending on which rumors you believe).

I'd say where you currently live should be the deciding factor. With your 121 time, you could essentially put your captain bid in ASAP. While I'm not sure if Trans States is still running the CQFO program, the company is continuing to grow steadily. I honestly can't see any reason to go to Mesa (maybe if you live in one of their bases...maybe). Everyone else in this industry is improving pay and benefits, while Mesa clings to the bottom. I'm not sure about PSA. I heard their hiring has slowed to a crawl.

There's your answer. It's hard to know. I'm at Horizon and we have a TA coming out in a week. This could be a good place to go or not even an option worth considering in a few months. Same goes for many other places.

It's like picking a line at the grocery store. Hard to know which one is the quickest, but the worst choice is to keep switching because a different one looks better.

Is there an airline with a base in driving distance of home? If so and it isn't one of the ultra-garbage regionals, that's probably the best option.

+1 . That is pretty good advice right there .

I personally did two months of reserve then got a line.