Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

The problem with the lengthy upgrade time here is reflected over on the 2019 earnings thread. Even places like Spirit, Frontier with 3-6 year Captains earn more - sometimes substantially more - than a 6 year FO here. So while the forum warriors that bleed Canyon Blue would say “they’re hiring, don’t let the door hit you on the way out”, the reality is that the delta (no pun intended) just grows year over year. So even if the WN Captain pay is higher it will take a substantial number of years for the WN pilot to catch up in total earnings with those Spirit, Frontier young captains, and during that period the time value of their money has a multiplier effect.

Lacking the glamour of the big 3, I can see potential recruits seeking out those airlines with quicker upgrade opportunities simply because of that math. During the run up to the 2016 contract SWAPA pointed to attrition from the bottom. I hope that this time they’ll draw attention to the recruiting challenge resulting from the comparatively young pilot group with modest growth.

Not being negative, just making sure applicants are comparing apples to apples and not relying on decades old mythos about the airline.