Leave FedEx
 

Anyone out there leave FedEx to go to AA? Happy with decision? Any regrets? I am an 8 year wide body FO and am thinking of leaving. Things have consistently deteriorated to the point I am thinking of jumping ship. If able to interview and get a job offer, would look at moving to CLT or DFW. How long to hold either base? Hate that things have gotten so rough, but the future here looks grim. Thanks for any advice/feedback,etc.

I think the last few years have shown that no matter where you are, get to one of the three Legacies because they seem to be the most stable right now. Every place else seems to be a **** show with the exception maybe being UPS, for now.

Your career expectation will be Narrowbody captain.

Current plugs and hire dates:

DFW 737 - Jan ‘25
DFW 320 - Nov ‘23

CLT 737 - Jan ‘24
CLT 320 - May ‘24 (last month of hiring in ‘24 before restarting in Jan ‘25)

Can’t help with the rest, good luck. It seems like the current pool should get hired by the end of the year, I’m guessing anyone who gets a CJO now is looking at Nov-Jan.

JD is a cancer for aviation, I was at Atlas and he made our lives impossible. So I have no reason to think he may change at some point and be a normal human being. He just hates pilots as much as he loves money, same level.
Once you adapt to PAX va Boxes, this is really chill. Seniority is everything of course, but once you have some, schedule flexibility and earning potential is unique.
Bunch of things to to be improved and hopefully we’ll get there at some point.
If you are moving to CLT or DFW, then it’s a no brainer.

If youre serious, get the app in and get the interview. Nothing matters unless you have a CJO.

Id honestly say, if you're not in the fAAmily within the next 3 yrs, you'll be on the backside of our wave; getting here within a year, all the better of course.

I have 2 personal friends who left Purple for AA within the last year, both had 4 yrs seniority. They both love their decision and both are ****ed at themselves they didn't leave sooner. They both commute to reserve FWIW.

You'll make NB CA for sure and can ride that nicely with the variety of flying our system has. DFW being much better than CLT. IMO and from buds in CLT, it has the worst flying in our system.

You can get back to a WB if you want.

Current plugs in your interested bases:

DFW
777: Dec '19 hire
787: Nov '16 hire

CLT
777: May '18 hire
* Very small bid status so movement crawls

Good luck.

Flown with a few peeps that left Purple for AA within the last year and were extremely happy with their decision. Maybe you can reach out to some of them and get an honest perspective?

Definitely a personal choice to leave that much seniority behind.

Wish you the best in your choice.

I left FDX for AA two years ago. My biggest regret is staying at that dumpster fire in MEM for as long as I did. As a lineholder living in base, my QOL is the best I’ve had in my career.

DFW and CLT are the most senior bases so will take the longest to hold, most likely, but how long is anyone’s guess.

There are several others on this forum that have or are preparing to make the same move. I personally know a few others including a classmate of mine.

I’ve written quite a bit on the subject so if you have any specific questions I’d be happy to answer here or in a PM.

PHX 320 is pretty senior also, at least on the CA side.

Wonder how the AA guys who left to FedEx 6-7 years ago are doing… one was a future #1 before he bailed

Was he the 7ish year FO in CLT that left right before FedEx stopped hiring? Oooffff!

there were a few. One i believe left as a 190CA, but had been a CLT guy most of the time. Another was a DFW guy.

Ugh. If that were me I’d never get a good night’s sleep for the rest of my life.

FedEx has got to be near the worst airline to be junior at in the entire industry.

I think Spirit takes that spot.

And American. Thankfully there is movement right now.

There's a guy on the SWA board that was hired at Airtran in like '98, went to US Air at age 24 a year or two later. Furloughed during 9/11 and went to fly for Walmart, then hired back on at SWA circa 2016 or so IIRC. Had he just stayed at Airtran he'd be much higher up the list @ SWA or gone back to US Air he'd be #1 for several years and a wb CA for like 15+. He's a good guy and is not bitter at all, just unfortunate timing and decisions.

During the lost decade I saw a lot of guys jumping around from regional to regional, I ended up just staying put and making one move here. You just never know in this industry. You also never know until you retire really.

FedEx/UPS looked to be the place to be for a long time, basically any time after 9/11 until about now.

I’m a 6 year 76 fo, soon to be 7. I interviewed at AA in January and my class date is in sept. I’d been looking for a reason to stay since January but at every turn i keep getting pushed to leave. I have heard of guys with 10 years under their belt looking to leave. Everyone I talked to who left said it was a great decision and everyone I have spoken with still here says if they were in my shoes they would be on their way out. Even been told this by a union rep.
We are going to be in 4a2c for at least another 9 months and wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a year. With the 20% pay cut this year that I’m taking 1st year pay at AA wouldn’t even be that big of a reduction and I’ll be taking home as much or more on 2nd year pay than I will at fedex on 8 year pay. Seniority is supposed to get you a better schedule and more money. Both of those things have been taken from us. I sent you a PM, give me a shout. That also goes to anyone else with this issue. I have 2 kids so I understand how hard a decision it is. I’ll write anyone a letter a rec if you want as well.

That's right now. In December 2025, April 2025 hires will be in CLT on the 320.

Is FedEx that bad?

This might be helpful to some of you. Separated USAF 1973, interviewed AA Oct that year a week before the oil embargo started, everything shut down, I used my BE working at Turkey Point for 5 years. Had a visit from a UPT classmate, hired by Air Cal, sometime in those five years who said I'll get you in to Air Cal. I thought not doable due to us having a house to sell and wife with a job so I thanked him. After about five years things picked up and all were hiring and I interviewed with EAL and UA. I think AA also started but still had the age 26 cutoff which I had passed by a year or two. EAL hired me and I was a happy camper although progression was slow due to Poli's ATC strike and other economic glitches. Some years later my Mom told me UA called her ( the only phone number I had at the time) asking where I was and she told them I already had a job with EAL. She never told me till much later in casual conversation. 10 years pass, long stories abound, and we EAL pilots honor Charlie Bryan's strike. You all know how that ended up. I ended up at AA where my UPT Air Cal merged friend was now a Captain. But I digress. AA trip we have an Alaska pilot on jumpseat. AA at the time was not a fun place but Alaska was flying high and we told him we envied him. Then he told us his story. Got in on the ground floor with Fedex flying Falcons. Fred Smith was bouncing paychecks and our JS quit Fedex and went to Braniff. You all know how that worked out. My moniker was engendered by a guy I was flying with who said you will be in better shape with one wife and as many airlines as it will take. He was not a happy camper with one airline and I don't know how many exes.

Yup. Know of two guys that left at the beginning of the wave for FEDEX. Over 1/3 of our list has been hired since they left just a few years ago😮

what an industry! I remember flying at northwest with some guy who was hired Southern (DC9 operator… not the other southern 747) he said he was a bit slow, so when all his friends left for Braniff he just stayed at southern. Which mergerd with republic which merged with northwest. He ended up being a 747 capt when his buddies eventually worked their way post braniff to the bottom of the list at northwest.

I was at TWA, then Northwest… and now at UPS for the last 19 years. Enjoy the rollercoaster!

I was at Northwest 10 years when I left for UPS. Either path would have been just fine. It’s hard to have the long view when you’re at a company that is suffering. What’s unique about FedEx is that the pilots are suffering, but the company made $1.65 billion profit last quarter. Having been through SARS, 9/11, GFC, etc it’s like everyone says… you don’t know until the end of the career and look back.

so I never gloat or see joy in others suffering… realizing how quickly things can change. Best of luck in your decision!

I flew with a FO at PSA who has quit Northwest in the mid 2000s he had been a dc9 Cap when he left. He actually got hired by Delta pretty quickly after that.

Eastern 727 Captain. Junior and young. Going to be senior in the end. Mid 1980's. Eastern sucks. Tons of AA new hires jumpseating on his flights. He'd say "I was I was in your shoes. if I was your age I'd do exactly what you're doing." He thought about it and realized he was just afraid of jumping ship but he had no expectation of Eastern surviving under Lorenzo. He quit and went to AA following his own advice. Had a 20+(?) year career at AA.

Thank you all for the replies. FedEx has been a great company to work for. They are highly profitable, etc. The main issue is how the company and new leadership are directing the mission. They are 100% focused on the shareholder/wall st and not giving 1% of appreciation and respect to the labor (pilots, mechanics, ramp, everyone). We have been in negations over 4 years and they are not budging. We are not asking for anything outrageous. We are simply asking for comparable pay, benefits, quality of life. The reason why people are leaving, jumping ship, etc, is because of the lack of trust in leadership from the top down. Scary times.

Just ran into a new hire, left Fedex after 3 years. Looked happy with his decision

Unfortunately, I think this describes every airline. They are just all at different points of the contract cycle. You guys (FedEx) are in the segment when it feels like the bus is just rolling back and forth over you. Fortunately, your company can afford to compensate you at industry leading rates. Not every company can (sorry Spirit folks). Stick together and pull in roughly the same direction and you will get where you want to go.

Knew at last least 2 at NWA that went to UPS in the mid 00s. One wound up in ANC, which was outside his anticipations, and the other went, but as I understand it, ultimately quit because he had a very successful real estate side gig.