It's not a bad thing. You just have a lot of competition who have a 4 year degree and plenty of flight hours.

Great! Now how can someone score an interview? :D

The good news is that you are almost half way to getting a bachelors degree.

Yup.

Student01, just because you keep asking the question it won't change the answer. ;)

If you want to fly for United, get the 4-year degree...and even then it will still be EXTREMELY competitive. The minimums are the minimums.

Several months ago I met a regional pilot who was about my age (late 40s) on the same commute flight. He was quite upset with UA that he could not get an interview after flying at a regional for nearly 20 years. He was particularly unhappy with the company's preference for a 4-year degree---which of course he didn't have.

I asked him point blank, "Well....hasn't that always been the case with UA?"

He mumbled something about dropping out to take the first regional job (to get "hours") and the hope that UA would have changed their preference by now.

Meanwhile, pilots 20 years younger with a tenth of his "experience" (cough) are getting hired.

Your call.

The take away: there are many paths to UA and many different ways to get an education and experience. You need to develop a strategy that works for you to achieve your goal.

Many people have asked this question before. You need a 4 year degree. There are ways to get a four year degree faster than others but you have to have it. With current FAA regulations certain schools get you 750 hours instead of 1500 so that actually saves time.

If I were you and in a hurry I'd start looki at what university you wish to attend and make sure you can get in. Some state schools have flight programs, this will be far far less expensive than Riddle. Make sure your school meets the 750 hour requirement. Then start working with an advisor at the school to find out what classes you can test out of or take at a community college RIGHT NOW.
Either way. Get a 4 year degree and don't major in aviation.

Like many have stated, it's a law of numbers. 95% plus of new hires have a bachelors degree. If you like putting your whole bank on just one number at the roulette table then you have better odds of winning than get hired by United without a four year degree.

I've had casual conversations with young RJ F/O's on the employee parking lot bus. Twice now I've been informed by these guys that they didn't need a four year degree because the "pilot shortage" is going to make that requirement obsolete. I also heard the same from a young flight instructor not too long ago.

It's a beautiful rationalization folks but reality is very different. The big three have more current and highly qualified apps on file than they could possibly need. I don't think we'll see that change in the near future. In fact I don't think we'll see that change in the next decade. If it does change you'll see the airlines go to a flight academy style hiring model like Lufthansa. When that happens all of the no degree guys will still be sitting on the sidelines rationalizing about why they never got hired.

Want work for the big airlines? GET THE DEGREE.

I believe the 750 hours is for military only. It's 1000 hours for approved part 141 University programs.

Anyone idea what the drop was like on today's new hire class? (7 Feb. 2017)

I was told by a hiring guy that 7 new hires in the last 2,000+ did NOT have a 4 year degree. Even if its 10, that's still 99.5% of all new hires have a 4 year degree.

Get the damn degree.