Originally Posted by
serce
Unfortunately I can't agree. In my experience Delta pilots tend to be a different breed. I realize that my experience is anecdotal but through out the years I have never met a more arrogant and unpleasant group of pilots than Delta pilots. Not to say that it's the majority but the percentage of "sky gods" is certainly higher at Delta. I have observed more than a few friends change into "world's best pilots" after less than a year at the Mothership.
Having said that... Pick the airline that will allow you to live in base. Also, the industry is so dynamic that you just never know what the right choice is untill you retire. I remember people leaving Legacies to go to Southwest after 9/11 because that really was the right choice at the time and now the opposite is happening.
By "right choice" you mean they were furloughed without a job from the legacies and SWA was hiring with an actual paycheck?
That choice is an easy "right" when you have no job or health insurance.
Post 9-11 was a huge transition as the legacies all parked their three piloted 727's, shrank gauge down to RJ's to hold slots/marketshare, prepping for consolidation with additional parkings, raising retirement age from 60-65, and eventually started the process of restructuring PWA's to more match SWA's, IE no more pensions. The only way to get that done was a trip through BK court which they all did eventually.
All the legacies went from hiring gangbusters in 2000 to furloughs by 2001.