Money IS important - no doubt. Prior to our concessions I was making more than a UAL 75/76 Captain for a couple of years. It didn't make me feel any better, work harder, or look at them differently.

SWA pay has been the brass ring for a number of years, but they were the laughing stock of the industry when they first began (our original Capts made $50K/year when F9 was a startup so it is what it is). Now the Legacies have caught and passed SWA. SWAPA did some negotiating while SWA was raking in the dough, but, to the best of my knowledge, most of their "gain" was due to their position relative to the other airlines' pilots who were working under contracts that had been rejected and gutted under 1113, not because SWAPA got huge raises for them. I'll be corrected shortly, so thanks in advance.

Nobody could have predicted what the industry would look like five years ago and I have no idea what it will look like five years from now. I've gotten calls from friends who took recall from their Legacy airlines, and to a man regard it as a worse job than F9's - that pays better.

Collect the best info you can, and make your best attempt at getting to the place that info sends you. I know people who make millions more than me. They have nicer stuff, but aren't necessarily happier. Do what makes you happy, but please don't rag on those who don't share your priorities. This industry is FUBARed enough without infighting (that I've taken part in- but was wasting my time in doing so).