Southwest is the most completely unionized airline in the world. There isn't a workgroup on the property without union representation. Their pilots are among the most highly compensated in the world. According to a brochure distributed by their pilots, an AVERAGE 737 captain earns $260,000 per year in pay alone, with no overtime included in that figure. A generous retirement plan, paid vacation, and health benefits that are the envy of the industry.
For those who seek to find what ails AA, the truth is found not in the usual, tired old anti-union and anti-pilot platitudes.
AA has major financial problems. Employee pay is not currently one of them. Underfunded pensions, huge debt obligations, exorbitant lease agreements and a corporate tax structure that amounts to extortion to name a few. For those who understand, there is no need to say anything more. For those who don't, I suggest a more in depth examination of the current state of airline economics.