You caught the leading edge of a wave with contacts improving and a very real opportunity to advance your career. You are considering giving that up to go chase the very best place to be hired in 1994. I think you are overlooking the fact many scoffed at SWA in 94, just as you are scoffing US Air/AA in 2014. The simple fact is if you stay at AA, you may be stuck at the bottom for a while. You probably won't. If you go to SWA, you will be stuck at the bottom, and it will be decades before you see significant advancement. At US Air, you will have a choice in the type of flying you do. At SWA, your choice is AMs or PMs. Got a Vegas buddy there for 7 -8 years...holds a line and flys Sun-Tues most weeks. Works for him, but a little variety--especially when facing working for another 15-22 years--goes a long way.