Originally Posted by RJSAviator76

This anti-737 mindset is really interesting and I can relate in some ways, and in other ways, I'm content with it. I've been flying it for 18 years with some short breaks and in both seats prior to coming to Southwest. I really don't get excited about it, and flying the MAX is about as exciting as having your wife of almost two decades put on a different shade of lipstick.

This airplane provides a very nice living for me and my family, and that's really all that matters. I love flying, but after 18 years, it's kinda hard to get excited about a 737. Even still, I still get a kick out of being cleared for a visual while high on downwind or high on base and needing to do that pilot sh*t to get down. I still get a kick out of doing crosswind landings. In other words, I still enjoy flying. I don't like some of the drama that comes with it, but in essence, it pays the bills, it enables me to have my toys and it still gives me some challenge. But the part that really makes or breaks the whole thing is the guy/gal sitting next to you. I'd rather fly with someone I really enjoy flying with in a 737, than some no-personality wretch in a 777/787/A350. This is where I think Southwest shines as the overwhelming majority of the guys and gals I fly with are fantastic people. I've come to expect that be the case with everyone I fly with, and that's my default presumption when I see a new name on the release.

Bottom line... I wouldn't leave an airline based on airplane type. My considerations would be commuting vs. not commuting, balancing the overall seniority list movement, the current and historical health of the airline, contractual and compensation comparisons (see the 'End of 2021 compensation' thread under Majors), and the type of flying that you really enjoy - do you like long haul or short haul, passenger vs. cargo, night vs. day, multiple time zones vs. staying within a couple of time zones. Now, having said that... upgrade time is and should be a consideration. While it is true that you can make really good coin at Southwest and that you can make captain wage as an FO, it does come at the expense of your quality of life and lifestyle because you'll be working a lot more than your counterparts for a lot longer, but then again, this is where we come back to commuting vs. not commuting. A junior captain a legacy may be based in NYC or SFO or LAX and you may be living in the middle of the country. Would you commute to be on reserve for 18 days a month on the east or west coast as a junior captain? How does the long call reserve mitigate the fact that you're on the hook for 18-19 days/month as a junior reserve captain vs. being an FO at Southwest and picking up around the times YOU want to work and making similar money? It's a highly individual question, but one thing for certain, at Southwest, they get their 10 lbs of flesh out of you in order to pay you well.

Just another perspective.