It doesn't matter how old you are when you get hired, it's the attrition/growth of the airline. I was 28 when I was hired at NWA in 1996, original retirement number of 12, within 200 numbers of DC-9 Captain after 5 years, etc. Now, 43, barely hanging on to DC-9 captain, retirement number of 140, won't hit 50% up the seniority list until I am about 50.

At least this year I finally made more than I did as a 320 FO in 2001.