Originally Posted by Freds Ex

Weak pilot group, incompetent/dysfunctional/toxic corporate culture that makes any given regional look good, maintenance being outsourced and deferrals adding up, flying outsourced, FDA closures, minimal day-flying, over-optimized international pairings, archaic work rules and scheduling practices, the shift towards an ACMI-type operation where you only bid for line value and days off - make sure you plan for the 3.5 day involuntary extension and don't plan to see the layovers you bid for, and so-on.

FedEx is quickly going back to their stepping-stone airline era of the 1970s-1990s, where the only people that stay are the ones that can't get hired elsewhere, and the ones who want to try to make the place better get NOQed by other pilots and run out of town. It worked out really well for the ones who couldn't get hired elsewhere in the 90s, but only because dotcom, 9/11, age 65, the great recession, and the death of the Flight Engineer position at the passenger carriers all happened within in such a short window. FedEx may be the cat's meow again when the AI bubble bursts, but only if the TEMU shipments continue to keep the planes out of China full.

If you're in a storm, the FedEx port isn't the worst of sketchy ports to ride it out, but as soon as the storm clears, don't wait a second to go back out to sea. I thought FedEx was going to be my career job when I got hired and I am grateful that I found out that it wasn't before I hit V1.