Just to rebut some of this at my shop, Forgot to Bid



Now, I no longer have to ask for holidays off,

Got me there

I didn't have to have a type to apply (that's not a shot at SWA though, the only reason I got my Part 135/91 job is because I was already typed and when I tried to hire for the job the boss' basic requirement was that he didn't have to pay for a type and they needed to have had their Part 135 line check in the last 12 months? I can't remember the rule),

We type our guys, most actually don't have a type. Several did, however.

I no longer have to ask off for any day in advance and listen to someone balk at the request and say "look at all of the days you didn't fly last month"...

We can ask for hard off days, in advance, but you'll get what seviority buys you. We get 13 "hard off" each 30 days and fly some, but not all if the 17 others. I did about 12 last 17.

I can make plans in advance with certainty for the following month around the 15th of this month, We can, too, but have 5 pilots per plane.

Even with my current seniority even around 80% on the 88 in ATL, I can make plans in advance with certainty for any month and know I'll get what I want but I might bid reserve to get it,

My absence no longer means an airplane is grounded, 5-6 per plane solves that problem.

It's okay to be sick. See manning above

It's okay to attend a family members funeral with pay and no airplane is grounded, I've had two deaths in the family, both times, a text message and all the time I needed was granted. Took 4 weeks in one case

I write something up and I leave and am no longer on the phone into the wee hours of the morning because an important charter is at 9am the next morning and I need a tire. OR, the tire went low sitting in the hangar (thanks Goodyear, great stuff) and it's thanksgiving day and the airplane is booked for lucrative part 135 charters for the next 5 days) and I can't find someone to put the tire on nor convince someone to ship it counter-to-counter. Like I said, I leave. Our specific instructions is to give the problem to our techs and walk away. Phones off during crew rest periods

I schmooze the customers if and when I want, Got me beat, sometimes the job is to schmooze

Someone fuels the airplane, without me saying a word. Usually before I get there. I don't have to come in early to get it fueled. I just show up, see what they gave me and go, and if turns out not to be enough, I divert before it's a problem. And fill up and go again. Carry what I want, order it thru the techs or handler, do have to fuel during pre-flight

I don't have to order catering and teach the contract FA where everything is and pray she doesn't spill red something or other on the expensive carpet like the last FA did, On staff F/As do a great job, mostly ex-airline of yacht stewardesses

If we're going to go out of business I'll have a big warning and it'd take years to get there, Same here

My airplanes are used heavily on the holidays just like they were before, but I don't have to stay wherever the customers are going for their holiday. I can drop them off and go home. Every leg is a drop off in that sense. Got me again

Long layovers are 32 hours. Sometimes 48 but that's on the international side. Depends on your tastes, I like long layovers usually; my wife isn't a traveler so it works for me.

If I buy a vaccum, it's for my house and not an airplane and nobody is going to call me and ask why I bought it since I bought a $45 one two years ago. Same here

My wife never questions whether we needed a rental car, which is the only time I ever rent one. Never a question and cars solve the transportation to dinner problem. Full expense reimbursement.

They put 15% into my 401k, without me doing anything. Have pension, plus 5% 401k match

If I come in on a day off, 2x pay which puts a day trip around 10 hours of pay, a 2 day at 20, and so on - at a minimum. If I'm on reserve and say being paid 78 hours for the month, whatever hours I flew on my day off are on top of the 78 and I get those days back immediately. So if I took up overtime flying on the first days of the month and had those off I'd get those hours paid above guarantee and the days off back which I could then go out and fly overtime on again and so on and by the time it's said and done the lucky guy who pulls that off made 140 hours to 200 hours on 70-80 hours of flying. Straight salary, so no overtime, boo. But not bidding around 300 permutations of rules, keeps it simple

If the boss gets a divorce, I don't care, I won't even know. Same here

Tax write off? I'm good, I have lots of them... oh MACRS? Yeah, I don't care any more. Nor do I care about A008. And nobody here knows what the heck an 8130 form is. I don't, either.

You know how many people call me on Saturday morning at 9am to run over the numbers on how the jet is doing? ZERO. ZERO, here

Sure I work for the same company but if you moved around airplanes or bases it's like working at different companies. So you get a change of pace.

If the boss' nephew becomes a pilot, I don't care. It doesn't mean I'll have to fly with him as soon as he passes his commercial. Same here, don't fly with anyone that exclusively a pilot

If the guy you're flying with sucks, just know you won't see him after your 2-day, 3-day or 4-day trip ends (international is 6, 9 and occasionally 12 days). Then put him on your no-fly list. True and great, we do get to pick who we hire, tho

I don't have to call the maintenance shop and lie that the check is in the mail when it isn't because the boss doesn't pay up on time. Same here, the mgr if mx dies that.

When you refer to something as a wide-body, you mean Boeing 767 or larger, not Canadair Challengers. Give you that one and I fly Challengers and Globals. 4,000 hours of C-5 cured me of big jet syndrome.

2 weeks of vacation becomes 3 and then 4 and then 5 in a decent amount of time. That's what I get, except for 5 years. Points gets me a free hotel and sometimes airline ticket, too

Did I mention I have days off in advance? On reserve its 12 days wherever your seniority allows you to have them. Flying a line is generally around 14-18 off. I've seen in the 20s before. If you're in need of cash, you can fly more.

Don't get me wrong, majors are the BEST flying career, however, please don't compare the best airline job with the worst charter job. Believe me, in my job, I've seen bad ones that might make regionals look good except for the six-figure paycheck.

As I said, lots of good guys aren't going to make the majors or will stagnant at one. A friend at UPS with 12 years is resigned to permanent F/O, works most holidays, has little control and commutes, he hates it. I loved EAL, loved the people, loved the schedule, but, like so many airline careers, it didn't work out.

Respectfully, GF