MACDO : Excellent post. Puts it into perspective. Tough call for Management and tougher experience for those who feel they have much to protect. I joined a company at the start with 3 aircraft. They quickly expanded to 6 and I rode the wave of good career choice and situation by getting a Command in two years of service. The owner took advantage of the market & sold 3 aircraft, going back to 3. LIFO didn't really protect. I went from SFO to Junior Captain back to SFO. I saw the Management point but boy did I hollar ! Junior DE Captains with less Company time than me retained Commands but me, with more company time went back to RHS.
Not a fair world, I later served a Company that protected LIFO to debatable conclusion. This time, DEC with loads of F/Os behind me with joining dates, preceding mine by donks. As soon as they got Commands, they remained behind me on the Captain List but went ahead by virtue of joining date for lots of other goodies. I asked my CP if we were to get a couple of Concords, would he select on the basis of Joining Date or Seniority. Joining date was the sharp response. Always a fighter, I further asked if he would put Junior Captain (name) with very little Command experience but 30 years as a FO on the Concord fleet ahead of me. "Yes" was the nasty retort & I felt it better to leave the Office & chat up the Sec instead. (Don't worry, true to form, got nowhere ).
BA & Virgin & the rest are soon to discover very little fairness as seen by individuals .And, on the dole queue, there is no Seniority list. Sickening times for a once glorious industry and I view with a very heavy heart.