My goal is to fly in the majors and I have a bachelor’s degree so that is one less thing to worry about. My question is in regards to how many hours or years one must log as a regional pilot (whether as an FO or captain) before being able to move on to the majors as an FO?
Also, I’ve read on these forums that some airlines (regional airlines and majors) require pilots to pay for their own training, is this still the case?
The time from Regional to Major can vary significantly. In most cases the Major wants to see some Turbine PIC (Capt Jet time) so that brings the question of upgrade time into play. I’ve know pilots who’ve gone to a Major in 2yrs and others it took over 10, finally there are some who just never get the nod. I believe a safe average is 5-7 but there are no guarantees.
As for paying for training the only airline I know that still requires that is SWA. They provide part of your training but they require they’re pilots to get their own 737 type rating.