The "program"

[stillaboo]

Actuality and perception are two different things though, so how accurate is it to assume my name will end up on a list somewhere flying for either of these airlines?

A list?! Man, you took the ball and ran with it on this one! Nobody at either Mesa or Skywest is on any kind of list (b/c of their employment there, at least - what they might have done in the past is 'listable'). At Freedom, if you went before the ALPA contract, you ARE on a list, guaranteed. Even flying a Freedom jet now forces you to wear the Freedom ID and wings, and for some guys, they don't reference a list, they just deny the badge outright, regardless of whether you supported Freedom or not.

Good news for those going to Mesa on the 'Freedom front'. Freedom is not currently planning any new-hire classes (Mesa is starting about 40 guys per week in GS right now, and Air Midwest is keeping their training dept. full too), and Mesa just took delivery of its first 900 and 2 former F8 -700's have been transfered over to the Mesa certificate from Freedom (UAX flying looks like it will be YV only, no F8). While -700's and -900's are both a bit too big for a regional IMO, at least they're not at Freedom or Republic (any other alter-ego contract end-arounds out there?)!