Originally Posted by BeatNavy

Retirements (way more at legacies and FDX/UPS), widebodies, and bases are the main reasons, which, combined, equates to much better career expectations. More bases and bigger/higher paying equipment, more varied types of flying, better route networks, etc. How does it compare to legacies? Pay is probably a wash. I know a 190CA who broke $500k this year. I know a 190FO who broke $300k. I know of bus guys who did a lot more…those guys hustle. I’m sure legacies have similar stories (as do f9/NK I’d imagine). For us average guys not hustling, I’d bet our W2 and days off is similar to legacy narrowbody guys.

Circling back to retirements…it takes twice as much growth as each retirement for the same movement. Not a lot of retirements at blue. Retirements are guaranteed. Growth isn’t. Sure, retirements could not all be backfilled, legacies could shrink, mergers could happen, etc. We will all know when we are 65 what the right choice was. But right now, it’s hard to argue with the appeal of legacies and their massive hiring, better bases, and bigger equipment. United is slated to grow by almost a whole JetBlue’s worth of planes and pilots by 2025. Especially true for guys getting to jetblue from regionals flying the 190 doing more regional flying and the new guys junior on the bus doing a bunch of redeye island turns and other not ideal flying…the blue wears off quickly. Couple that with the company blatantly violating the CBA, doing stuff like this (withholding pay for newhires awaiting paperwork to get resolved), sending guys home on 2k/mo training pay for 14+ months during covid even though PSP would have covered it, wiping their ass with scope, and an impotent MEC that’s either corrupt or incompetent (not sure which). But, some people like it enough to stay, or at least like it enough where staying is better than starting over at the bottom. After a few years the math gets harder to justify (or comfort/risk aversion with starting over sets in), which is why it’s mostly 0-3 year guys leaving.