The regional-to-major airline path
How the U.S. airline career ladder works — regionals, legacy/major carriers, seniority, and upgrade timing.
In the U.S., the airline career is usually a ladder, and the rung that matters most is seniority.
- Regional airlines (operating as connection carriers) hire low-time ATP pilots, give them a jet type rating, and provide the turbine experience the majors want. You start as a first officer (FO) and, after a year or several depending on hiring cycles, upgrade to captain.
- Major / legacy and low-cost carriers are the destination for most: higher pay, larger aircraft, and better schedules. They hire experienced pilots — often regional captains with turbine PIC time.
- Cargo majors (parcel and freight) and fractional/corporate operators are parallel destinations, each with their own pay and lifestyle trade-offs.
Seniority governs almost everything once hired: which aircraft you fly, whether you're captain or FO, your base, your schedule, vacation, and your pay step. It's based on date of hire and resets when you change companies — which is why pilots are deliberate about when they jump to a major, since they start at the bottom of that list.
Hiring is cyclical, driven by retirements (mandatory at age 65), growth and the economy. Timing the move up the ladder — and getting in early at the right carrier — has an outsized effect on a 30-year career.
*Reference and training only.*