Does the regional you build hours with have any impact on how the majors will view your application? Do they care?

Would love to hear the opinion of any pilots currently flying for a major airline.

There is always so much talk about which regional is best. But does it actually matter on the chances of getting hired?

I have seen many guys who have flown the regional feed for Delta for 20 years, serving their passengers, representing their brand, etc...only to be given the "thanks but no thanks" when their interview came up with Delta. So you can make a case that flying for the regional that serves a mainline master will help, but ive seen the evidence of the contrary as well.

So target a regional that will provide the best quality of life and a decent pathway to the left seat if possible...other things are too much of a variable to weigh that heavily on a regional.

Listen to this man. He is omniscient.

Makes no difference at all. Unless you have a formal flow program with defined eligibility and gauranted class slots.

So it should not be a factor in your decision making, unless it's an AA regional with flow.

When you say that you fly for Skywest, Compass, Gojet, etc... The reaction you will get from most at the majors most likely will be "Who?"

And realize that even that AA regional flow, like a Delta pension plan, is a contract written in smoke which can go away instantly with a little legal maneuvering at the major. Or like Republic’s 50 seat flying contracts when the company decided to do a bankruptcy to dump them.

There are extremely high powered legal departments well paid to keep the obligations pretty much going one way. Nor does the RLA realistically help much. Anyone not understanding this needs to talk to people who do. Forewarned is forearmed.

A little outdated, but here are some numbers:

Thanks for the replies. That data of actual hiring is interesting.

That data will be skewed based on several factors, you would want to be consider it in light of all the details...

Size of regional (ie bigger pool should produce more hires, all else being equal).

Flow programs. For example the CZ=>DL numbers may include flow for those who were grandfathered after the NWA/DL merger, ie that will not apply to YOU.

Preferential interviews. Understand the requirements.

Bottom line, again... there is no general preference that influences hiring. Only specific programs, and you need to understand the details.

The United stats seem to be missing a handful of carriers after Piedmont.