Ah, gotcha. TSA was originally low on my list because STL isn't a good commute for me (I can't avoid commuting right now, unfortunately) However, if I have a chance of getting ORD or DEN as a new hire, I may have to reconsider. My goal is a major so movement's a factor. I'm a year older than OP but I'm good to go on hiring minimums already.

As to the age thing - never give up. I was talking to a pilot at the airport the other day as we were waiting for our hotel shuttles to arrive. He told me he was in the middle of the pack as far as age/seniority goes in his class last year. When I asked his age, he told me... 58.

Do not let your age deter you. There are a LOT of people quite older than you guys just starting out in the 121 arena.

But will PIC time really matter in 2-3 years?:)

Since it matter little today, I doubt it will matter in 2-3 years.

So why have the guy chase the quick upgrade?

I never said that. Nor would I. The only thing I think is worth chasing is getting off reserve ASAP and getting the "magic" 1000 hours of 121 TSIC.

Sorry, didn't mean to imply that's what you said. Just saying many on this thread are telling OP to chase because his old and quick way to major is PIC time.

If you think having 121 PIC time doesn't at least give you a leg up then i truly hope you end up on a legacy hiring board for all our sakes. Is it less important than years past? Absolutely. But doesn't mean its not valuable resume fodder. Also idk about OP's financial status but the extra 30k per year that comes with the upgrade goes a hell of a long way towards QOL. At least for me it would. Not that i'm advising anyone to just chase the upgrade. But to say its not a factor at all would be poor advice.

Agreed that PIC makes a pilot more competitive. But PIC is becoming less important as time goes on. I think it will be much less important in a year or 2 than it is now. No one will deny that the game is changing daily and that the changes are in the pilots favor.

I also agree that flow isn't all that important. By the time your number comes up in a flow, most pilots could have been hired on their own at other airlines. Remember the Big 3 aren't the only games in town. FedEx, UPS, Alaska, Southwest, and all the LLCs, etc. Flow is a management tool to make you get in line and be metered to their major at managements chosen pace. It's a marketing tool to get pilots to their airline. I'm not saying it's not nice to have in your back pocket in case other options don't work out. I'm just saying it's not that important with the retirement numbers coming up. All airlines are going to be hiring at unprecedented numbers.

Do it! If you're family life can handle the schedule and if your finances can handle low pay for a couple of years, just do it.

Your age is not working against you. You had a successful career and now you can get reinvigorated and have another successful career. If you are burned out in your current position, imagine how you will feel if you are still in that position in 5 years. 8 years. 10 years. You still have 20+ years to give to a flying career.

You will be surprised in your new hire class that you won't be the 'old guy'. You will be right in the middle of the pack with a bunch of other guys that have been waiting for this opportunity.

Yes, the major airlines are on the verge of major hiring. And there is no end in sight.

I am a career changer and this job rocks (despite its well documented challenges - pay, schedules, commuting).

Just do it. Live your life with no regrets.