Originally Posted by
Flightcap
The fundamental problem with any tinkering to a seniority system is that you always have the guys at the very top who would be negatively impacted by any sort of benefits / compensation flattening. They have a strong incentive to stonewall any effort to take away the benefits they enjoy, especially when they had to endure being at the bottom of the seniority list to get there.
You're absolutely right.
They'd have to be grandfathered, no other way. So this sort of reform can only be pulled off in the best of times, when pilots have leverage and airlines can afford it.