Andy, how far down are you? I need to get some info on how to garner all th data you get!
I'm #8004, 6/18/00. Currently have 651 below me. The number will probably be less than 400 after they go through the list the second time.
I get the info from multiple sites, plus google, etc. I'm addicted to the airline industry.
When I racked and stacked airlines back in '99, Northwest, Delta, and Continental were at the top of my list due to upcoming retirements. Since then, Delta's senior pilots have bailed to save whatever was left of their pensions. While United has decent retirement numbers, Continental has a much larger percentage of their pilots hitting retirement within the next 10 years. Northwest still has a decent percentage of pilots retiring over the next 10 years. Depending on how many United pilots who have bypassed opt to return, I could see my seniority number jump by up to 1000 spots (I'd expect to move up ~600 places) on the next seniority list - but that's a one time shot.
You'll see a lot of people saying that growth is more important for advancement than retirements. That depends on the maturity of the company. A mature legacy will have low growth rates (1-2%/yr) compared to retirement rates. Southwest has been experiencing a robust growth rate, much like United did during the 90s, but I anticipate them to hit a brick wall with growth eventually. You already see JetBlue hitting a brick wall. AirTran is currently taking advantage of the retreats by Delta and USAirways, but that also won't last forever. Shortly, I expect to see the newly minted Virgin America pilots say that advancement occurs from growth rather than retirements.