Having more years of service doesn't mean a whole lot if, after all those years of service, you were still junior.

If a pilot with 16 or even 18 years longevity was around the same relative seniority as a 3-5 year pilot, I say sure, give the guy who has been around longer the higher spot between the two.

But if they guy with 16 or 18 years is sitting below 75% seniority at his airline and the guy with 3-5 is between 50-75% at his, then I absolutely think it would be a windfall to place a more junior pilot substantially above the more senior pilot. If both pilots are placed in an integrated list at the same percentage they were pre-merger, then neither pilot "loses" anything. But if you place a junior pilot above a more senior pilot, then the junior pilot gains seniority that they did not have at the expense of the more senior pilot.

What I am hearing you say is that you would like the company to give you SENIORITY that you did not earn, despite all those years of service.

Also, not that it particularly matters, but how many pilots at AAA have 18 years of continuous service? My uncle who was an early 89 Piedmont hire wasn't anywhere close to that at AAA thanks to at least two, if not three, furloughs.

I don't think I'll ever be able to wrap my head around pilots who spent a majority of their career as reserve FOs and on furlough thinking they are somehow entitled to seniority higher than captains at the airline they are merging with...