So the majority of argument in favour of Seniority lists for command is because "it is the way it is". Notwithstanding that every other industry has a blended approach thus benefiting from free movement of resource from other companies as well as promoting talent from within.
There is regular reference to "my LHS". It is not your left hand seat until someone has granted it to you. The attitude that because you have paid for your CTC entry into one of the few growing airlines you have an automatic right to promotion once you have completed a few thousand hours is clearly incompatible with a healthy industry.
My issue is with Seniority lists for promotion being the only route to command. The behaviours it engenders are divisive and are clearly visible in many posts here. Acceptance of a blended approach would be healthy for all. It is everywhere else outside of aviation. Blind acceptance of this in the face of the overwhelming evidence from every industry outside of aviation is the root of the problem. Most telling is a comment above…..It's ridiculous, but that's the way it is in aviation. Until we get rid of seniority as a concept (and I would vote for that tomorrow) the expectation is, and has always been, that a senior captain leaving one airline will slot in at the bottom of the seniority list. For those that think that this archaic process is anything but ridiculous then I give up and there is no hope for this industry.