frddrvr:
I left a national pax airline with almost two years of seniority to come here. In general there are a few good reasons and they have so far been proven to be sound.
1: block vs. paid hours is unmatched against any passenger operation (unless you live on rsv) I blocked 900 hours in a year, that’s too much when your average stage length is 2:32.
2: wide body pay/pay in general. We only operate about 100 airplanes that don’t pay wide body rates. Ask your UAL/DAL/AA friends, how many are getting wide body assignments on their first day, within a year?
2a: Options. You can fly what you want to fly. Domestic line, international single departure, hub turns, days, reserve. Pick something that fits your lifestyle. Hint, that’s going to change eventually. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck somewhere after 20 years flying the same old plane/route/system I’ve been on and nowhere to go. At FX I have variety.
3: FLEXIBLE: this would have been number one if I realized how much I needed it and appreciate it now that I’m settling in. I can recycle my whole schedule if I’m willing to put in the work in OT. Or I can take most of the month off. Either way, it’s my decision.
4. The vacation system. It’s unmatched in our industry. The same 2 weeks of vacation I got at my last company was worth 1/2 as much and couldn’t expand/shrink or slide.
5: no passengers.
6: DH commuting. I’m west coast, so having some commuting architecture to ease the pain was paramount. This was more of a requirement for me, but I’ve seen how much of a benefit it is since having a chance to live it.
I encourage you to do what you want, but if you’re willing to leave because some know-it-all writer decided they want to further their earnings (shorts on FDX) by writing an inflammatory article meant to target FDX and captivate thirsty investors with pro-amazon garbage, that just means your skin is too thin.
Trust me and others on this thread when we say the grass is grass is not always greener. Prepare to lose earnings, days of your life, patience, and flexibility in exchange for a double-breasted coat and hat. And have fun working every holiday, having no time off in the summer, and flying 3 times more block for your money.
Now, there are benifits to working at a pax carrier. Non rev for you and your family is notably the best. But let me tell you about that too. Load factors on average are 85%. There often aren’t enough seats on a plane to plan any kind of family trip and if you do, you’re at the mercy of one cancelled flight (even at another airline) that can ruin your whole plan. Buyer beware. Compare apples to apples.
And if you’re on the 757, the 777 and 767 training from 19-01 will pull about 15-20 per month for the next few months. Your stock is going up, even if there are no new bodies in our seat, the people above you are moving up.
Having done it before, I only ask that you seriously evaluate your decision before turning in your safety Vest.