Hello everyone! I feel like I won the lottery, and was given CJOs for WN and AA (CJOs given in October). Both companies have domiciles in the Dallas area (where I want to be), but am having a really difficult decision picking where I want to spend the next 30 years. I really had a great time interacting with folks at the WN interview, and think the culture fits my personality a little better. I also know that WN is a more stable company than AA, and has a better contract than AA. My issue is that I’m not sure I want to give up the opportunity to fly widebody and long-haul international someday (right now it’s looking like 3-5 years for widebody FO at AA and 15 years for widebody CA). Narrowbody CA at AA is 5-6 years, where I hear it’s about 8-10 for CA upgrade at WN. In doing some seniority calculations, based on mandatory retirements, in 9 years I’d be in the top 50% of seniority at AA, and within the first 500 at 65 years old. Doing the same math for WN, it would take 15 years to be in the top 50%, and I would be within the first 1700 at 65 years old.

I’m a military guy, and the airline world is a little foreign to me. From what I understand, because WN uses line bidding, that means more opportunity for vacation conflicts (more vacation) or extra pay. Because legacies use PBS, from my understanding setting up conflicts is not possible, but I hear that legacies allow someone to drop trips (I don’t know what the advantage is to that). So in a career would a WN pilot make more and work less than a legacy carrier? I also heard that there is more premium and open time available at WN. Are there any WN guys here that came from a legacy or vice-versa? I really appreciate any input, or any info I’m missing.

Overall here are the pros and cons of each as I currently see it:

WN Pros: Culture, line bidding, work rules, company stability, better domiciles, more pay?, more time off? Open time/Premium Pay?
WN Cons: Less seniority movement than legacies, more time to upgrade, one aircraft fleet and mostly North America flying (I know there is HI and Central America).

AA Pros: Seniority movement, upgrade time, diversity of flying (widebody international and long haul)
AA Cons: Company culture, poor contract, management, company stability, more time away for less pay?

Oh, and my stats are:
Time: 2900 Total Time, 2700 Turbine, 1600 Turbine PIC, 1400 IP, Evaluator Pilot (Check Airman), 737 Type, Master’s Degree, various courses such as safety school, and volunteer work. I am a military pilot.

Thanks again!