I am a retiring military pilot and I am fortunate to have CJOs to both AA and UAL. I don't think I can go wrong with either option, but I'd really appreciate inputs to help me make my final decision.

I'm currently living in Las Vegas and plan to remain in the southwest US but not necessarily Vegas over the long haul. For family reasons, I think the LAX domicile is the best fit, but we'd also be willing to potentially relocate to DC down the road.

As an outsider, here's how I see the pros and cons:

United:
- Pros - bigger percentage of widebodies mean quicker upgrade to widebody FO. (Under the current retirement rules, I only have about an 18-year career left, so I'm not sure I'd ever see widebody Capt.) United seems to have a slightly better business plan, is currently making a larger profit, currently has better profit sharing. This might even out when new contracts are signed, but from my perspective, it seems more likely United can withstand the next downturn.
-Cons - I'll likely start in SFO and commute to SFO over my career if I want to progress quickly. LAX is a more desirable domicile due to my family situation, but it's United's smallest domicile and I'm not sure how quickly I can progress there.

American:
-Pros - overall quicker progression due to the massive wave of retirements coming. This likely means a quicker narrow body Capt upgrade than United, but due to the lower percentage of widebody aircraft, it will probably take longer to get to widebody FO, and with only 18 years left, I figure it's low probability to get to widebody Capt. Another pro is I can get to LAX immediately, and probably progress more quickly there than at United due to the size of the domicile and its junior status. I can also reserve a jump seat in advance so the commute will be more predictable if I have to fly from LAS.

-Cons - I'm a little concerned with American's debt and long-term business plan. Can it weather the next downturn without massive furloughs? It also seems like American has work rules that don't measure up to United's but these might even out in the long run.


I guess what I'm saying is both are good companies, neither one is perfect, and I'm sure I'd have a great career with either option. Just wondering if there are major things I'm overlooking. Thanks in advance!