If there is attrition outside the flow, it is minimal, certainly among captains. I’ve only flown with a handful of captains who even say they maintain a log book. Yes, they could have one printed from Envoy records if need be, but these are guys who have given up on anything besides the flow. One guy said he had a few friends hired outside the flow. Not positive they were both to AA, but they had been vigorously pursuing job fairs for a while AND they both have what we can refer to as “additional attributes” that most in the industry weren’t born with.

I think the reality is if you can’t significantly stand out from the crowd, whether with Space Shuttle command time or the ability to add “diversity” to a company, you are just another resume and it will take a while for your number to come up to even interview.

YMMV, just my .02 and that is probably all it is worth.