You'd need to nationalize the airline aviation system first.

Only other remotely possible path would require the establishment of a very powerful national union with a monopoly on airline pilots (so SWAPA, APA, and teamsters units would have to all join ALPA. Then you'd probably have to restructure the RLA in favor of said union (while A4A looks the other way). Good Luck.

It's not in the interest of the airlines or 90% of major airline pilots.... very few think there's a realistic chance of losing their job permanently (although we might get to press-to-test that theory in about 8 months if things don't start recovering). And there would have to be a regional fence, no major group is going to allow a bunch of regional lifers to go to the front of the line in their seniority system.

right? The seniority system is the biggest scam ever put on the working class. It only protects the airline not the pilots. It locks the pilot into bad company’s. If we got rid of the seniority system pilots could leave bad airlines for good ones without having to start careers over with.

why is it every other industry gets this except aviation?

How does this make a 20 year senior captain on a wide body unhireable?

I'd say it's benefited me greatly. No corporate ladder-climbing. No politics. Predictable progression (as predictable as possible.) The vast majority of my colleagues over the years agree.

If you think an FO at a major about to upgrade to captain would think kindly of an outsider stealing his upgrade, you'd be mistaken.

But by all means, fight the good fight.

Or pursue a career in corporate aviation.

sure, it’s worked well for you but how about the 1000s displaced by bankruptcy or furloughs? It’s a gaping hole in the industry and woe to those who get caught in it. And come Oct lots more will be.

1) that captain’s company goes out of business
2)that captain applies at a new carrier
3)that captain’s wage is vastly higher than other applicants
4)that captain doesn’t get hired.

I'd wager more people have benefited than lost. There would also be a lot of downward pressure on wages. "Hello FO Jones, we'll give you your upgrade but only pay you $x/hour, because the unemployed pilot from brand y will work for less."

Compare corporate pilot compensation to major airline pilot compensation and then get back to us.

Don't worry about October. No airline in the world will be hiring then either.

That is ONE broad paint brush. Please give some of us credit...we do understand inflation!

while I agree with the principle longevity for pay and benefits should transfer, I think Oofff is right. why hire the guy who would come in on year 12 pay when you can get the guy with 2 years industry experience for cheaper.

I personally dont think senority for bidding purposes should transfer, but if we did go to a national list that would be wildly difficult. depending on the date used to join the list would create winners and losers. if you used DOH at first 121 carrier that would mainly benefit civilian track regional pilots, same with total flight time. if you use DOH at first non FFD carrier that could create many other issues. what happens to the guy who goes Regional-corporate-legacy, does all that time count or just the time at an airline?

The closest thing to fair I can think of is Date of ATP issue (seems to apply to many different backgrounds equally) but even that has challenges when accounting for people who left the profession for extended periods of time.

Such a system would have to have a national list, and the airlines don't get to cherry pick who they hire. They get the next person available in seniority order. Equipment, base and seat upgrades would be the same. Basically everybody works for the union, and gets farmed to industry in seniority order. Other unionized professions have utilized this sort of system (ex longshoremen).

Obviously airlines wouldn't like it, and unions would have to maintain standards internally.

But this is all hypothetical, no way it's going to happen (unless ALL of the airlines fail and get nationalized). There is precedent though, North Korea has a national airline, and the USSR did as well.