As a second year FO also looking at a 19 year upgrade, I will add that I like my job from the standpoint that - I work 12 to 15 days per month and I will make close to $110,000 this year alone. Life could be worse. If I want to see Australia, I will take my family there on vacation. I would rather go with my wife than with a bunch of cranky grandmothers.

And until you work for a carrier that outsources its mainline flying to regional airlines, you don't really know what "eating their young" means.

Delta pilots have a chance right now to take a stand regarding their "outsourcing". It will be interested to see how they decide to vote. My guess? They cave once management waves a little bit of money in the face of the senior pilots.

The AirTran baloney is nothing but a distraction. If they don't like SWA, fine. I hope they leave for Delta. The old school SWA culture may be gone, I don't really care. I never experienced it to begin with. But the current SWA culture is 110% heads and shoulders above the United or Delta culture I experienced while flying RJ's painted with their name on the fuselage.

(Note: before somebody accuses me of being a regional pilot hypocrite, all I can say is Delta/United thanks for the job! But I would have gotten to where I am all the same even if I had to do in a B1900.)