Originally Posted by
Proximity
This is a pretty sad thread. Lots of minformation from people that don't work here. The OP can't scroll down a few lines and find a long thread where this was already discussed? Who cares about upgrade anyways? I don't need my ego stroked. I'm a "mid-level" FO now (according to SWAPA) and with NEC, stock purchase, and PS I'll probably do $200k total this year. Probably going to block less then 550 for the year. Just turned a week of vacation into a month off, plus also have xmas and new years off. A senior FO with the same yearly TFP as me would be nearer to $300k. The pay delta between senior FO pay and junior CA pay is smaller then you might think due to seniority having a large effect on being able to increase your TFP.
Pilots asking about upgrade time at a destination airline don't get it. It's about total earnings, QQL, stability, and growth. SWA does well in all of these areas. Other airlines do well also. Choosing one airline over another means making tradeoffs. Assuming you have multiple offers, a pilot should consider the above factors and not worry about upgrade.
This.
Chasing a quick upgrade is short-sighted unless you're close to retirement age. Too many variables can change that forecast, both good and bad. One way to look at SWA's long upgrade times of late is this: odds are it will get better before it gets worse. I'm a mid-2016 hire and my money is on a 7-8 year upgrade for myself. (i live near a Jr base so commuting isn't a concern).
Side note: 3rd year FO here, block time in 365 is 680 but trending down as i work smarter, not harder, and I only need profit sharing to come in at 6% to get any cash back. This means I'll reach my $55k 415c limits having only been on 3rd year pay for half of the year. Not too shabby...