Airline Pilots Learn Difference Between Seniority and Longevity Quickly

It’s important to understand both metrics when considering a career with a carrier.

VATH Publishing

Friday, June 06, 2025 at 07:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Inside the cockpit of an Airbus A220. [Credit: AirlineGeeks | Fabian Behr]

Key Takeaways:

The article distinguishes between "longevity," a fixed measure of time employed by an airline that determines pay and basic benefits like vacation, and "seniority," which is a relative ranking among all pilots at a given carrier.
Seniority is a critical factor dictating a pilot's career trajectory and quality of life, influencing assignments to desirable bases, aircraft fleets, and eligibility for captain upgrades.
Higher seniority provides pilots greater control over their schedules, including preferred flying bids, becoming a lineholder (versus reserve), and better commuting options.
Conversely, junior pilots are more likely to be assigned less desirable routes, bases, or schedules, and are the first to be furloughed in the event of airline downsizing.

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Seniority in and of itself is a simple concept that greatly complicates the personal and professional life of an airline pilot. Unlike longevity, which is a fixed number, seniority is a relative number.

Longevity is the amount of time you have been employed by an airline—two years, five years, 10 years, etc. Longevity is tied directly to pay and certain benefits such as length of vacation periods. If you are a new-hire pilot, you are in your first year of longevity and are therefore on year one pay (according to the pay scale typically found in the pilot contract or working agreement). In year two of longevity, your pay typically goes up and generally continues doing so annually until a stated year of longevity is reached—typically in year 10 or 12, where pay advances are often capped.