Harry-
It's got nothing to do with technical qualification and experience. It's that seniority with one company does not translate into another, especially when it's not a merger. TWA has been on a downward spiral for YEARS. Why would anyone take a job or keep a job with them unless they couldn't get hired by the other successful majors. With all the pay cuts, even senior TWA guys make less than junior AAL pilots. All of the majors have many TWA guys who jumped ship over to a successful major -- and were happy to give up their seniority at TWA to do it. Financially, TWA's boat went to Davy Jones' locker at the end of January. AAL has thrown the the lifelines into the water and is in the process of saving the crews, but to be sure, they're swimming right now. But have no doubt, TWA as a company is history. Most of the TWA guys I have talked to are overjoyed that they're going to get jobs at all, and especially with American.
I wasn't aware that a pilot's license was a guarantee of equal pay, working conditions, and ability to get hired by the most best companies. Licenses are only your entry level ticket-- sort of like a college diploma. Don't complain, when you choose to work for a dying company, that you're owed a job with fully transferable seniority to someplace else that you couldn't even get an interview!! The profession doesn't work like that, in the U.S. as least.
BTW, don't UK airlines have seniority rules?
[This message has been edited by Roadtrip (edited 19 February 2001).]