Originally Posted by WarpSpeed

If you hire a guy that's 45 as 1st year FO and it takes him 8 years to upgrade...then another 12 years to max out in pay, he's got to retire and they can replace him with another pilot starting out year 1 pay. If you hire a 25 yo and it takes him the same time (8+12=20) to max out, he's only 45 and got another 20 years at max seniority pay before they can put a cheaper pilot in his place sooner to do the very same job. How is the first guy less productive because he's got to retire sooner? This is what the regionals have done for years, shut down and furlough so they can hire new pilots at low seniority rates. It's not what I want to see happen but when people say only the young guys will get hired it just doesn't make sense economically to an airline trying to squeeze pennies.