I have heard both sides to this...thought I would throw it out there. I am a retiring USAF guy, 2600TT (heavies IP/EP), no ATP and have not flown in quite a few years (zero in the last year). Recently hired at a regional with ATP course on the front end...will begin in June of this year. I have received a few messages from folks asking me if I had already applied to the majors. My plan is to hold off until I get my ATP and a few 121 hours under my belt. A few have dinged me on that for not already having my apps in...but with no ATP, it didn't make sense on my end to apply without that box checked. I can see this both ways...but wanted to hold off until I was indeed "qualified" with all the boxes checked. Anybody out there in my boat that applied earlier with good results? Thanks...I'm sure this has been asked before, but the hiring environment continues to accelerate and change. Thoughts?

No real point that I can see in applying to majors which all require an ATP in-hand to my knowledge. The filter would screen you out anyway without the ATP box checked.

Remotely possible that your app might benefit from "sustained interest" by being on file longer. Not sure if they would notice or care that you didn't have an ATP when the app was submitted.

Some companies....SWA and FDX come to mind...have had "windows" for applications. I always advocate getting your app in when a window is open, then update update update...

Next--like Rick I think is shows interest. My apps to AAL, DAL, FDX, and others went in 2-3 years before I was available. Geeky? Yeah. But in 2001 I got called 10 months before I could separate by FedEx, and was in class on terminal leave. It was a different era then, but I still see no harm in getting the stuff in the first chance you can and actively updating it along the way.