Just to compare apples to apples, the biggest difference that I’ve seen between Southwest and United 737 is trip construction. Trips at Southwest are efficient but you’ll earn every dollar. Those guys hustle with quick turns and generally more legs per day than we fly. Here the lines are not built like that. We typically have fewer legs per day and longer layovers, meaning less productive trips.

When the merger happened I thought that the LUAL guys were nuts wanting longer layovers and a more “gentlemanly” pace. I wanted to work hard and then go home. Now that I’ve gotten older, I get it. My current bid is avoid red eyes and no more than 2 legs per day. That go hard domestic grind will wear you out.