Never is a pretty big word to throw around. Southwest grew through smart business decisions in a free market. The legacies may not have the power to prevent the growth of the ulcc model. Like it or not. Kmart, who was huge years ago, tried to stop a pesky little retailer in Bentonville AR from growing too much. I forget how that played out. Kmart came out on top right?

You missed the original posters point I think. One that drives me nuts lately. This "you should leave " rhetoric. Following that logic, every Southwest pilot should have quit anytime prior to 9/11. Some did. I wonder how many who stayed would admit to feeling stupid in 2010 when everyone else was furloughing and they were making more, much more than there (Mr Grammar nazi I did that for you, the barney fife of message boards. Come get me ) legacy counterparts. Following that logic, every united, us airways, and maybe others should have quit and ran to Southwest around that time. They were hiring. While they were increasing pay and raising the bar, I believe the legacies were in a downward spiral of steady concessions. Ie lowering the bar. In current discussions, everyone seems to forget where this industry was 6 years or so ago. Remember when united was hiring in 2008? I passed up an interview simply because narrow body year 2 pay at guarantee was about 48k a year. Just couldn't do it at the time. That after a year of McDonald's wages. Wish I could have that decision back, but as my not so sharp hair dresser sister says, hindsight is 50/50.

I'm not full of hate like most seem to be on here. After two furloughs, a year of unemployment, and six years of going backwards, I'm just happy to see the industry moving in the right direction for all of us. Our pay sucks at F9. 98% of the people I fly with are ready for the fight to fix it. It will happen. So relax everyone, and give us time to improve this place.