Originally Posted by
KnockKnock
This same sentiment has played out at every airline in existence. There are still UAL guys that are so embittered by the companies past dealings that they advise against going there. I know a few. As I read through different airlines threads, there are at least a handful of folks who say their contract is the worst in the industry. Look at the JB, HAL and AA threads. This is a strange career. Our experience means nothing when moving company to company. We’re forever starting over. Mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies can make ones decisions moot. One day your company is on top and the next it’s on the bottom. I don’t think it’s a mistake to come here. This company will be what we make it. I say get your number wherever you can, buckle up and ride the ride. There will be more mergers. Companies will swap paint and “culture”. The cycle will continue as long as air travel exists. I find that living at home and driving to work while navigating this maze of an industry makes the whole thing a little more palatable.
There will always be a group of pilots in any airline who no matter the circumstances, will still complain about how terrible their company is; and sometimes it is understandable because it came from a rough patch they experienced during their career there, but if you look at it objectively, from say ALPA's Contract Comparison publication, it is clear how the airlines stack up.
Intangibles such as company culture, management/worker relationship, commuting/living in base, etc - if it's important to a pilot - are all factors that will round out the ultimate picture, but usually over time, a consensus will build about the desirability about working for one airline vs another.