Houston is the largest base and is the most senior. Many of the pilots out of IAH live locally because the cost of living is so cheap.

Newark is the second largest and has a lot of interesting flying. Most of the transatlantic 75/76 trips are out of Newark and are really great.

Cleveland is relatively senior because the base used to be larger. When it shrank only the more senior pilots who wanted to live there could keep their lines. The flying is predominantly domestic.

Guam is a 73NG base. There is a stipend for pilots in guam and the payscale shifts. If assigned Guam as a newhire you will get second year pay, which is almost twice that of normal first year. The flying is mostly island hopping and some longer stuff to Northern Australia and a few other spots.


The pay overall at CAL is competitive with most other Legacy Carriers. If you can't enjoy life at CAL right now, then the Airlines probably aren't for you. Good Luck!