JM,
With all due respect, and I mean it sincerely, do you feel that anyone joining a legacy carrier today and the next few years will have to go through the hardships you did? It's purely a numbers game isn't it? I'm not trying to act like I know, because I don't, but on paper with all the retirements its possible (with my math) to be halfway up UAL's seniority list in 9 years if everyone who wants to work till 65 does.
UAL, DAL, AMR/US are all going to be retiring 500+ in the next few years. I would think with that kind of movement rsv and seniority accrual would come fast. Also the numbers are without expansion, and I doubt the airlines are going to shrink anymore IMHO.
I'd like to work at a company where I can build seniority, have work rules, and MINIMUM days off, not maximum days off.
CC