I'm only repeating what a BCP said a few days ago.
A Base Chief at Alaska is barely one step above a line pilot on intel. They only parrot what they are told and that can change as quickly as BM can change out of his undies.
But seriously - to all you younglings out there - he who has an ear, let him hear!
20 plus years ago, flying for AK was the only thing that mattered in my life. Now, as I approach geezerville, I realize that it hasn't been a bad ride so far, but it could have been a lot better somewhere else (at least financially).
The only reason I would recommend a young pilot coming here is if they are firmly rooted in the PNW and have zero desire to try living in another part of the country and refuse (wisely in my opinion) to commute. I get that, I'm one of those guys. I'm also going to make a metric f@#k ton less money than my Delta neighbor because of that decision which I made over 20 years ago. Just think about that - choose wisely, don't sell yourself short. The pilot market is only going to get better and better over the next 20 years, so go big!
My career will be spent getting in the truck and driving to work. That's a blessing to me. My career will also be spent making a lot less money for my family, while doing the same work and being away from home just as much as my Delta neighbor. I don't commute, he does. I don't cross many time zones, he does. I only pull an all nighter once or twice a year, he does it monthly. Pro's and Con's. I'm just suggesting that you all think about it. With this pilot market, there is no reason why a good pilot can't accomplish anything he / she chooses.
As to those of us committed to sticking it out here - Let's do this! Let us finally put our management in it's place and say no to employees subsidizing the business model. Let us make it so that all my rambling above become obsolete and young pilots desire to spend their careers here because it's the best airline in the industry to work for.