I've been happily employed at my airline since 2013. I have been a Captain since 2015, but after some soul-searching, I decided to pursue a legacy and fly 'The Friendly Skies' of United. The airline industry is very cyclical, and since the pandemic, market forces have put significant pressure on ULCC/LCC airlines. The changing market, RTX engine issues, and oversaturated markets are making it tough for some airlines. I had hoped for a successful JetBlue/Spirit merger; however, the Department of Justice and Judge Young have enjoined the merger, so that is no longer a possibility. The choice is simple yet not an easy one: stay or go? Give up more than a decade of seniority as a Senior Captain at a small airline and start over again, or stick it out and see what happens and "hope" for the best. I decided that rather than have decisions made for me, I would do something that I have always wanted to do-go to United Airlines. It was humbling to log back into the application after all these years and update the old resume, but the more I got my "stuff" together, the more I realized that this is really something I have always wanted to do, and what better time than now? It will be tough giving up over a decade of seniority, but the trade-off is flying for a larger, more stable (hopefully), Global airline. I can bid on Narrowbody or Widebody aircraft, travel all over the world, etc. There are a lot more opportunities for myself and my family, and although I'm afraid of the unknown, I'm also excited for the future.