At Sw schedules are either AM (0400-0600) show or PM (0000-0200) release. Very few commutable trips, and commutable means different things for different people. You will not get bankers hours trips at sw. They are too rare. I'm under 10% in base and I dont get them.
we need to put the idea it's easy to drop trips at sw to pasture. There is no mechanism to straight drop trips to the company. You can try your hand at ELLIT down a trip( usually 1 day at a time) or giving it away or trading with another crewman.
in slow months like February it's easier to give away flying to others as there isnt much extra flying to be had, but in the summer months... fogetaboutit.
Also it is possible to move trips around for your schedule but it takes the ability to trade with others as after about 7 min of opening all that's left to trade with the company is weekend flying.
So if by flexibility you mean the ability to work more? Sw definitely has that. To work fewer days? Not so much.
The average line holder get 17 days off a month. Max seems to be 19. Reserve only works 15 a month.
all you'll get with senority at SW is weekends of and better chance at vacation bidding. That's it. The trips are all the same regardless of senority and there is nothing different to fly and no where new to go after about a yr.
5 legs days exist and its usually California flying. Super easy. But I'd saying fewer than 10% have this. Average is 3 / day.
You'll work harder at sw but you'll make more per day.
in your situation I'd fo to Sw. It's a drive, your guard job is there, and you're family is already there and planted.
Get in a SW and find someone to teach you the game and you'll do just fine and work fewer days with more time at home.