Originally Posted by
milehighskyline
This has gotten real interesting for many of the FO's here including myself. I have been running the numbers and I just don't see more than 6 upgrades a month for a long time. That being said I am on my second year and sill 80 some peeps ahead of me. So that begs the question continue to starve for a while till upgrade or jump it over to envoy. Many of the FO's in my initial class have been scratching their heads with the same question.
Yes every one is applying with LCCs but unless you have boobs and blond hair or military expirence it seems few are getting calls. (FO's specifically) So what to do, what to do.
Had a few extra moments to write...
There is an argument for leaving or staying, your life goals and situation become big factors very quickly.
Lots of factors to consider: (retorical, I'm not looking for your answers)
How old am I?, What are my goals?, Is a flow important?,
If something happens and I get stuck, Where do I want to get stuck at?
Do I need decent medical coverage for me and my family or am I covered somewhere else? If I upgrade here, how long do I plan on staying and will I be happy if circumstances leave me as a Captain here until I retire? Am I adding anything needed to the resume if I stay to be hired somewhere else? Can I go somewhere else and not have a negative impact on my future or current QOL?
Retire?, is anything offered for retiree benifits? I know you get retiree travel benifits at Envoy if you stay long enough.. is that important to you? Is it offered where you currently work?
Do I neeed $$? Sounds silly, but there are lots of people out there who have spouses or live off their families and $$ is just not a factor. And they are on some else's health care benifits too.
Do any of the places offer things that might add up and add to a higher QOL while I'm there? They pay for KCM, Global offer better commuter clause, commuter hotels, any other perks that need to be weighed in....? a little more per diem..? Big Bonuses?
Bases.. location... commute or not, pages and pages on that little subject on this board.
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Talk to people who have a lot of time there and in this industry.. take in all you can from every source you can and start filtering thru what you believe to be factors important to you... Sometimes those grumpy old (or young) Capt's can give you insight on a factor you have not thought about.
I know I talked to many many 10+ year Capts at Big M, who said life just stuck them there, it was not their plan and then you can tell they start trying to rationalize to you why they stayed.. they really don't need to though.. life happens sometimes. Then you don't want to go somewhere else and start at the bottom of the list. Senority is everything... Period point blank.
Are you building Senority in a Company that if circumstances leave you there till you retire, that you will be happiest at?
If not you are wasting time. You need to be somewhere building Senority at a place that is offering you what you need. It's all just that simple.
I made the decision to leave, I couldn't see any more time there improving my situation in life and getting me where I want to go. Luckily for me, I did not waste too much time at Big M before I made my move, so I could start building Senority at the new pit (they are all Regionals BTW, they will all have a certain suck)..
$$ and benifits are a big factor to me... I've been given almost as much $$ now at the new gig, with the bonus and first paycheck than I made at Big M in my first year. I've not been here a month yet.
That other bar coming a little earlier ain't worth all that to me.
The question is, "Is it worth it to You?"