By expensive, I mean EXPENSIVE! The ASA program is $25,000 if you got your commercial instrument multi-engine at FSI. I you come in from outside, it will be $30,000, and if you only have a commercial single you will need to get the multi-commercial add-on, which is another $6000.
Regarding ASA's slow in hiring - I just went on a tour of ASA and FlightSafety in Atlanta. They have slowed hiring right now because the Delta contract negotiations have dramatically slowed attrition from ASA to Delta. Once the contract is hammered out, it will pick up again. ASA has also said that for any hiring needs, they will look to FSI first to fill those needs. The reason for this is that FSI has worked very closely with ASA to create this fast track program. The people in the program have already begun learning the "ASA way" of doing things. They have already proven that they can handle ASA's training program. So what they get from FSI is a "known quantity." They told us that ASA new-hire training has about an 85% pass rate, but that 100% of the new-hires from FSI have been successful. That speaks volumes. I could tell that the training I am getting now will definitely ease my transition into ASA.
We were told that new-hire training classes will pick up again in April, and that once completed with the program we could probably expect a 6-week wait before starting new-hire training at ASA. I won't mind having a 6-week vacation!
There are no guarantees with the ASA fast track program, but to get into it, you have to interview as if it were a job with ASA - which it ultimately will be. They may have stopped hiring from outside, but they are still conducting interviews here - there was one last week, and I believe 6 of 7 got the letter of acceptance (conditional offer of employment).
The point is that yes, it's expensive, but ASA is still looking to FSI (and I never heard mention of ATA, by the way) to fill slots. There is no better, faster way to the airlines.
By the way, all of ASA's training in Atlanta is done by FlightSafety, which is right across the street from ASA. FlightSafety has 3 CRJ sims, an ATR sim, an EMB-120 sim, along with several others. All the CRJ sims are dedicated to ASA. We got to check one out - it's pretty awesome!