There may not be 11,000 qualified applicants but to think that there isn't a horde of people fighting for a slot at a legacy is just insane. Going to a career fair was eye opening and very humbling for me. There was a line before and after me filled with great candidates. Every LCC, regional, and military branch was there networking to get hired. There are thousands of others that couldn't make it with similar qualifications. I think you are referring to competitive minimums and not the posted minimums because those are already low. The competitive minimums are pretty high right now. Avg age of 37, 5500TT avg (weighted down by fighter guys), 4 yrs college, and 50/50 split mil vs 121.

Optimistically if you are 121 and want United there are 350 spots a year (Last number was 650-700 total for 2017) and the rest are military. There are a ton of regional guys who are motivated, flying 800 hrs a yr, and upgrading within a year at some places. Add in a volunteer position, networking along the way, and in 4 years you have a solid applicant who will be standing in line like the rest of us. You have stiffer competition than you think.