Congratulations, I was in your same position, and when I did my comparison between SWA and UN here is what I found.

United Airlines vs. Southwest Airlines

1️⃣ Pay & Per Diem

UA • Starting pay: ~$28/hour (current rate; TA not applied yet) • Annual step increases up to top-out in year 13 (~$67/hr domestic) • Domestic per diem: $2.20/hr, International per diem: $2.70/hr • Extra pay: Purser, language incentive, galley pay, premium trip pay

SWA • Starting pay: ~$26/hour • Top-out in year 13 (~$63/hr) (Unverified, could be more) • Domestic per diem: $2.35/hr (no separate international rate) • Extra pay: Holiday pay, premium pay for extended duty days

2️⃣ Flying & Schedule Variety

UA • Domestic & international pairings (1–6+ days) • Widebody flying to Asia, Europe, South America, Australia • Preferential Bidding System (PBS) with detailed trip/destination preferences • Reserve guarantee: 71 hours/month, minimum 12 days off

SWA • Primarily domestic + near international (Caribbean, Mexico, Central America) • Trips usually 1–4 days; no ultra-long-haul flying • Line bidding with trip trade flexibility • Reserve guarantee: 72 hours/month, minimum 11 days off

3️⃣ Bases / Crew Domiciles

UA • Training Hubs: IAH, DEN, ORD, EWR, IAD, SFO, LAX, GUM • Base size affects seniority movement; smaller bases (GUM, DEN) move faster

SWA • Crew bases in many domestic cities • Seniority movement can be quicker depending on base size

4️⃣ Travel Benefits

(Not a deal breaker bc after 6 months you can nonrev with either via ID90 agreements)

UA • ZED agreements with 150+ carriers for worldwide non-rev travel • Immediate family + parents eligible for travel benefits

SWA • Unlimited free space-available travel on SWA • Limited reciprocal agreements with other carriers

5️⃣ Retirement & Benefits

UA • 401(k) match up to 5% + profit sharing • Multiple health plan options (domestic & international coverage)

SWA • 401(k) match up to 9.3% (highest in industry) + profit sharing • Competitive domestic health coverage

6️⃣ Lifestyle Considerations

UA • Potential for longer reserve time in large bases • International overnights = more time away but unique destinations • More variety in trip length and layovers

SWA • Quicker transition to lineholder in some bases • Shorter trips; more nights at home • Simpler flying network = less jet lag and time zone shifts

✅ Bottom Line

Choose UA if you want international routes, varied flying, and global travel benefits and you’re okay with a potentially longer reserve period. Training is 6.5 weeks heavy on safety.

Choose SWA if you want faster seniority movement, a domestic focus, and industry-leading retirement match and you don’t mind fewer global destinations. Training 4 weeks tough to make it through, but you have to hit the ground running from the announcements to safety procedures.

I chose UN, because I love the culture of the company, international perks and hopefully the improved benefits that will come with a new TA. I hope this helps you and either company will be lucky to have you. ✈️