Yes, the schedule at FedEx is amazingly flexible in comparison, as long as your seat is appropriately staffed (and not right around Thanksgiving or Christmas, though I have never worked either of those holidays). It’s kind of tough to drop now, though. Work every day of your life, fine. Get rid of all your trips for two months, fine. Much harder on reserve, but a little bit of seniority, creativity, computer time and you have a ton of flexibility as far as what trips you fly and when. I flew half a schedule for many years when the kids lived at home. No pilot furloughs in our entire history.

I’m retiring at 58, with almost two million miles flown on Delta, and a solid pension of 147K to start. Rarely jumpseat, FedEx usually pays for my tickets to work, sometimes I start/end a trip from home.

I gave up recall at a major after six months at FedEx. Sure, there’s some cargo specific hazards, but it is fantastic to have no flight attendants, and NO PAX. Great people to fly with, easy commuting, never had a single decision as a captain ever questioned, once. No pax with their cellphone cameras. Yes, we are prima donnas and we whine with the best of them, but I wouldn’t trade being a freight dog for any other flying job.👍