Any way you slice it, it's more financially lucrative to upgrade. There's no way around it. The retention bonuses make the FO salary actually livable though. The big thing is, the huge QOL hit and time away from home isn't worth it for many to bite the bullet. So take the QOL hit with the upgrade and couple it with the fact that you can make a decent living as an FO now, it's attractive for some guys to just sit in the right seat and enjoy good schedules and being home.