Guys don't read too much into PRS Guitars response. He is either relatively new to the major airline industry or just a negative individual.

AA contract is lagging? It's was a BK carrier contract. Next round of negotiations starts in three years. Just like every carrier, who knows when we will be getting a new one but if your just starting and you have the typical 30 year horizon you will see numerous new contracts over your career.
Stick around this industry long enough and you'll see your airline on top, on bottom and everywhere in between at some point. Just ask all the guys who wanted to go to SWA in the last decade because they were on top. Things change often in this industry.

So why does Guitar say it's so negative?

Is it because our current contract pay rates lag UALs by 3-5%? Or that our pay rates exceed DAL, SWA, FedEx, UPS, JBLU, Spirit and Alaska? Or is because our profit sharing lags almost all the others?

Is it because your first year pay will be slightly higher at AA than at DAL, FedEx or UPS but slightly lower than UAL?

Is it because AA has the highest pension contribution percentage in the industry along with UAL (16%). Or because SWA has a 9.8% contribution, DAL a 15%, Alaska a 13.5% and JetBlue a 13%?

Is it because when you put together your entire compensation package (pay, profit sharing and pension) AA slightly lags DAL and UAL (for now) but exceeds everyone else of the passenger carriers.

Is it because at AA you can fly a A330, 777 or 787 internationally for $300 an hour as a Captain while SWA, JetBlue, Spirit and Alaska only fly narrow body aircraft?

Is it because AA is the largest airline in the world and along with DAL and UAL fly to most major international destinations?

Is it because as an FO at DAL and UAL pilots will make 36 cents an hour more than you on international pay (for now)?

Is it because we have very similar scope clauses yet on a percentage basis, DAL and UAL fly more regionals than AA (for now)?

Is it because at American you can sell back your vacation (for those who want to work that much) and make another 10% in pay while DAL and UAL don't have that provision? Or how about getting paid half your sick time each year for another 30 hours a year? Not advocating either, just pointing out some of the horrible things Guitar has to put up with that could improve AA take home pay by 15% a year for those that want to grind it out (not me).

Is it because AA has similar trip rigs than DAL and UAL? Or is it because DAL has a better minimum day?

Is it because AA has 9,000 pilots that retire in the next ten years? Or that DAL has 6,200, UAL 5,000, UPS 1,000 and FedEx 2,000?

You see if you dig through every airline there are good points and bad. AA went into BK in 2012. UAL went into BK in 2002 and DAL in 2005.
It's even amazing that AA would be considered by anyone given it is working under a BK contract while UAL and DAL are on their second or third post BK contract. The reason it's being considered is the contract isn't perfect but it's still one of the all around near tops in the industry and like DAL and UAL it's only going to improve with each new round just like DAL and UAL did.

There is a reason that every AA pilot who has a kid that is flying in the military or flying in a civilian job is trying to get their kid onto AA.

The reason? Because unlike Guitar, the pilots who have been around this industry long enough know that things will change. The gap amongst the legacy carriers, AA, DAL, UAL, SWA, FedEx and UPS will only decrease.
And each cycle someone else will leap frog the other to become the best.

I remember when Pan Am used to be the best. TWA. Braniff. Eastern. AA. UAL. SWA. And today some say DAL.
Stick around long enough and the order will change.

So with all due respect, I'll disagree with Guitar. I always wonder if it's that bad why guys like him don't make the leap themselves. Would you rather be more senior with a miserable carrier or junior for a period of time with a great carrier?

If any of you are making a decision on an occupation that you will be in for 30-40 years based on the details of a BK contract today and not the outlook for the prospects of tomorrow you really are looking at this shortsighted. This is one roller coaster of a career. Look to the future. Find the carrier that fits you. Bases. Aircraft. Routes. Growth. Retirements. Don't just look at today's contract it's the wrong thing to focus on. Just ask the AA pilots that were hired in 1984 under their B-scale and that checked out as 767 Captains at age 30 and 777 Captains at age 40 (was told the APA President is a perfect example). Then look at the pilots who in 1984 went to all the others. Eastern gone. Pan Am gone. TWA gone (stapled at AA). UAL failed ESOP lost pension money. UAL terminated pension. DAL terminated pension and as a result mass exodus of their pilots who were age 50 because they didn't want to lose their lump sum. Look at ourselves. Multiple BKs and terminated pensions.

So using Guitars logic, which carrier would he have been telling you to go to in 1984? AA with a b-scale? Or Eastern and Pan Am the industry leaders?

DAL, UAL, AA and SWA are all great airlines. Go for the one that is right for you and realize each will face its own set of challenges during your career.