Originally Posted by RJSAviator76

I don't think you quite understand, and please bear in mind, I am in no way disparaging United or the WB opportunities there. I am merely throwing out information for prospective applicants fortunate enough to have to choose between the two for the sole purpose of presenting an accurate picture for those folks...

As a reserve pilot at United, you're paid a monthly guarantee. You get extra money when they convert long call to short call. Am I right?

The biggest fundamental difference between Southwest reserve and United reserve is that at Southwest, the only time you'll make "monthly guarantee" is if you do absolutely ZERO flying that month. Our reserve pay is actually calculated per day which is 6 TFP per day if you're sitting at home. Once you're called in to work, the minimum you'll make for that day is 6.5 TFP, or if the trip pays more, you'll get the rigs, whichever is greater. Once you're on a reserve trip and something changes and you're reassigned ending back at domicile later than originally scheduled, that segment and any subsequent segments that day will pay time and a half, or your show gets moved up the next day, that entire day now gets paid at time and a half.

To demonstrate how it works in real life... in a 30 day month, our reserve pilot will be on the hook for 15 days and he'll have 15 days off. At the start of the month, his "guarantee" is 90 TFP (15 days x 6 TFP per day unused). Now he gets called in to fly a trip... it's a crapshoot on reassignment or if it's a regular trip. Let's say the trip flown pays 25 TFP which is fairly common for reserves. Unlike at United or pretty much anywhere else, our reserve pilot doesn't "credit" this towards the monthly guarantee. If this is the only trip this reserve pilot flies that month, he will now make 97 TFP.

I've had reserve assignments that paid as high as 38 TFP simply because our reserve pilots are also protected by rigs and daily reassignment pay and all other rigs and extras given to lineholders. A 3-day reserve trip paying 28-33 is not uncommon at all simply due to the above. So let's say this reserve pilot gets jacked around like this and ends up with 30 TFP 3-day. Now his total for the month is 109 TFP, and he's flown 6 days that month. He's got 3 more reserve blocks to go. Now let's say this reserve gets another 3 day trip onto his block, but it ends up paying 22 TFP. This reserve's total is now 113 TFP. He flew 9 days total on reserve. Let's assume he sits out the remaining 2 blocks. Notice that there's no picking up any additional flying in this example. You're exclusively being Scheduling's whipping boy.

5th year pay SWA FO who bids reserve:

113 TFP x $135/TFP = $15,255

5th year United WB reserve:

75 hours x $200/hour = $15,000

Work rules really matter.

I am not familiar with United widebody rules and how one can pad their line in the month or make extra cash or pick up extra. That's why I was asking. At Southwest, you can always pick up extra flying either from the company or from other pilots.

The fundamental difference between the two really boils down to what you want to do, what type of flying you want to do, where you want to live and do you want to commute or not. Personally, I wanted either United or Southwest since both have pilot domiciles where I live. However, I have absolutely ZERO desire to fly long haul dealing with multiple time zones or deal with jet lag or flying the backside of the clock as I've been doing all this for the better part of the decade prior to coming here. Had I successfully passed Hogan and the rest of the interview and ended up at United instead of Southwest, I would still be staying away from any widebody simply due to personal choices which United has plenty.

The places truly seem like apples and oranges and really boils down to personal preferences, but in either case, this is a multimillion-dollar career at both airlines.

Again, my point isn't to disparage or persuade or dissuade anyone. I just want the correct info out there.