Originally Posted by PotatoChip

Thread bump.
Lots of great info in here. Seems almost like a no-brainer, just looking for more perspective.
2nd year JB bus FO. Decent schedule, love the layovers, good hotels, get mostly what I want as far destinations and am generally happy. With a lot of schedule manipulation I can swap out of redeyes. Live basically in domicile, can sit short call at home, but it's a two hour drive to JFK (barring Verrazano problems etc), and our rsv rules are industry trailing.
That said, insurance is awful, no retirements, all movement based on growth, I'll be 56 by the time I'm top 2000, retire at around number 700. Pay rates are below peers, only on first contract with a LOT of room for improvement.
UPS... My app recently "locked", have several internal recs, and a couple thousand hours flying international freight. Live in PHL, so eventually commute would be very easy, and hopefully could drop commercials and start/end in PHL sometimes. Would love to bid 75/76z. Not sure how long it would take to do that, and then how long to hold decent trips. (For reference, I've seen the bid packs, and would prefer the 6-10 day European trips.) I realize I'd be doing a lot of less desirable flying for a while first, I'm fine with that. Pay rates blow JB out of the water. Second year FO with the TA is better than 190 Captain at JB, which I'm still two years from holding. GREAT insurance, LTD, pension, etc. And from everyone I know who speaks of it, the IPA is amazing. And retirements. The movement at UPS is going to start getting quick sooner than later.

Maybe I just needed to type it all out, because like I said, it seems like a no brainer. I do like the good JB layovers, though. Hoping I can eventually find some at UPS.