Prowler,

I'll give you some advice worth what you paid for it here...

Before you bail on Delta, use your ID and go jumpseat on a couple of FedEx flights. There are a lot of things to like about working here, and a quick search will give you a long list. It has certainly been good to me and my family.

That said, there are some trips and pairings that simply aren't much fun. As in "God, I wish I was doing about anything else right now..." kind of miserable. Doing a hub turn, leaving the hotel at 7-9 PM for and arriving in at midnight-1, then going outbound again 3-6 AM is something you need to experience. Doing them back to back is tough. Doing them after a 24 hour layover and a swap from day flying (which I did this week....3 day legs followed by a night turn) is just very very tough.

We have new hires going to the 777. Long haul international was never a problem for me, and I rather enjoyed it. Of all the flying we do--am and pm out and backs, day turns, night turns, day and night international....I still find the plain old hub turn the most miserable and soul crushing.

Lest I look like a complainer, I will point out there is a variety of flying here, and 1000 little niches you can find that will work for you....with some seniority. If you are a bottom guy, however, expect to do some hub turning now and then for a while. It can be managed....hell some guys prefer them to day turns and other flying...but since you already have a real BRASS RING type job you owe yourself a good look before you leap.

Do I tell guys this at SWA? No. Jetblue....no. But a pilot who is at Delta, in domcile, or at AA, AK, UAL and likes their job should probably do some solid due diligence.

Now--FedEx allowed me to see the globe, and at a point in my career much earlier than I could have done at a legacy. It has paid me well, and I have certainly worked with some great people.

But--this is important--there is some serious SUCK hidden in all that good stuff at times. Maybe a 4-5 leg MD trip with 4 gate changes is equally bad to you. I know the legacies still have their share of red-eyes too. I just suggest you do a mid-length hub turn on one of our jumpseats before you give up what you have. If you say "yeah...its tough...but I can hang and will eventually do something else..." I'll be the first to buy beers and dinner on the layover. If you are completely shell-shocked, however, you might want to take a closer look at our bidpacks and the life you friends here live before you walk away.

Yes--I can show you how you will probably make more money at FedEx. You will fly bigger planes in an industry that historically has been much more stable. All that, however, still doesn't make it automatic. Get some data.

And good luck--whatever you decide....