Originally Posted by
Bizkit
I’m well aware of the major differences that are usually discussed, but wondering if there is something out there that I’m missing as I make my decision. Any UAL or SWA folks care to share anything they wished they had known about before they started at either company?
UAL here. Personally, I think it comes down to your tolerance for risk. I admittedly don’t pay attention to the financial projections for either carrier, but my impression is that SWA is practically indestructible, UAL not so much. I don’t mean UAL will ever go away, just that it won’t weather the inevitable downturn as well as SWA. Having said that, with a mil retirement in my pocket, I’d take the (perceived) greater reward of UAL over the (perceived) lower risk of SWA. To keep productivity in perspective, I’ve had months at UAL with 19 days off (70 hours, but you can pick up trips averaging close to six hours a day for more pay if you want) on a narrow body or 21 days off (90 hours, pre FAR 117) on a wide body. I doubt you’d regret choosing either company.