Originally Posted by
Chewie135
I consider myself very fortune, yet I am on the horns of a dilemma.
AirTran on 18 Sep or jetBlue (E-190) on 13 Sep.
I am trying to make the right decision for short-term and term.
I have the raw numbers, but looking for anything that may help me make the decision.
I don't know much about AirTran, but here's the good and bad about JetBlue:
The bad:
Consider this: if you are senority #1700 at JetBlue, it will be decades before you can hold Captain on the 320 so take a good, hard, look at the JetBlue 190 pay rates and then look at Airtran's 717/737 rate. And also consider that about the time you
should be able to hold Captain on the 190, the freeze/fence will expire for 320 F/O's and many of them will move to the left seat on the 190 ahead of you.
Here's the math: JetBlue has ~100 A320's and ~15 190's today, so if we can grow to 400 aircraft in the next several years with 200 of each type, that means every future 320 Captain is
already on the propery and senior to you
and with minimal expected retirements in the next several years.
Also take a good look at Airtran's 10.5% b-fund and JetBlue's 3% 401K match and where that will leave you at retirement..
The good:
Setting pay and benefits aside, JetBlue is a fun place to work and if you live in JFK or BOS a career on the 190 could be attractive.
