I can tell you exactly why: to a small degree, the nightime schedules; to a much larger degree, their retirement.

None of us salivate at the thought of flying all night. Pre 9/11, that's all FX did. Post 9/11, thanks to their US Mail contract, they do tons of banker's hours flying. Having spent a number of years in a FX crashpad in MEM, I can speak with some authority on that.

FX has always paid more than the majors but their retirement plan wasn't as lucrative. Pre-9/11 (more accurately, pre-BK) you could have a very good living at the majors and a great retirement, courtesy of the airline. Today, all of us are essentially on our own to make our retirements work. The playing field has been leveled. Quite simply, in today's airline world, it all boils down to income and lifestyle.

My 5-year, 757/FO-on-reserve FX roommate made more than I did as a 12+ year DC-9 captain. He also did a fair amount of the late night stuff.

I agree with the last sentence. Pending the outcome of this contract, I think a lot of junior guys will look to bail. The real question is: Do they wait?