Seniority and earnings are not necessarily correlated. For example many many FOs at DAL make more than the majority of Captains at AA. Our biggest failing as a pilot group has been comparing our hourly rates and assuming we are in the same ballpark as UAL DAL SWA FEDEX etc. Even JetBlue pilots have the option of dropping their lines and picking up at 200%.
Hopefully this all changes with the new contract. But I doubt it. Haven’t seen a single survey question cover double dipping, trip buys for OE, or 200% premium.