Originally Posted by
RJSAviator76
From SWA perspective, if QOL is your goal:
You can hold MDW right out of training.
SWA reserve = 15 days off minimum. MDW is heavily staffed and chances are you won't fly much during your days on.
SWA line holder = 17-18 days off assuming no overlap.
As a reserve, you can trade with line holders and vice versa.
Downside: 737 is all you'll fly for the rest of your career. The flipside is, your plane won't call you names every leg.
Money aspect has been hashed and rehashed, but at SWA if you live in base, you control your W-2 and as such, your retirement contributions and profit sharing.
Upgrade will likely take longer at SWA than the legacies. It's currently at 10 years, it'll likely drop to 5-6 year mark in the near future.
If you want to fly long-haul international, forget SWA.
If you care about the airline's financial health and who's probably best positioned for the next economic downturn, I'd say SWA has UAL and AA beat by a country mile.
My advice... go with the first one to call you.
You are way off on your rosy projection of upgrade dropping to 5-6 year mark in the near future. I agree that it will come down from the current 10 yrs that it has been for the last 7 years but it will not come down to 5-6 for anyone. It will slowly come down to 8.5 over the next two years and then may come down to 7-7.5 but you're wearing a very dark shade of rose colored glasses if you think anyone on the current seniority list will upgrade in 5-6 years from date of hire.