atpcliff

I am at Atlas. My buddy is Frontier.
Atlas will get their new contract in Aug? It will almost certainly be a minor improvement, which means the floodgates will open and many people will be leaving. If the current pay is acceptable for what you do, and you like the lifestyle, then it would be a good choice. As you pointed out, it is hard to know if you like it overall until you have done it for a while. The commuting for Atlas will be WAY easier than for Frontier.
My buddy went to Frontier BEFORE their new contract, and he loved it. He used to fly for Lynx, and liked the Frontier operation he saw as a feeder for them. After the new contract, he loves Frontier even more, and is never leaving. They have ordered a PILE of new aircraft, while Atlas is getting a small buy steady number of new aircraft, for now.
The other unknown is the future for Atlas. There is a good chance that we will get bought by Amazon, or possibly a hedge fund. If we are bought, it could be a lot better, or a lot worse. Currently, the COVID19 travel/workload situation for Atlas (747/777 side) is pretty awful. It was a LOT better before COVID.

Feel free to PM me for questions...

Rama

Rumor is Atlas will buy Kalitta.
Probably just typical hypothetical pilot conversation, but an interesting thought.

Elevation

Direct contribution to retirement is a game-changer. Whether you fly heavy, international planes or domestic stuff doesn't matter after a year on the job. Compare that to a comfortable retirement or leaving a decent nest egg to your family.

goinaround

Don’t think Kalitta is for sale..........

Broccoli Rob

Everything's for sale if someone's willing to pay enough for it.

BrazilBusDriver

Beat me to it!

Atlas Shrugged

^^^ this guy gets it! ^^^^

BUFF Flyer

Not a chance in hell.

C17B74

Ahhhh man, you shut the door on: “soooo, you’re telling there’s a chance!” - Lloyd Christmas. Well, nothing in this industry is solid as a rock anyway as history has proven. It’s all a house of cards built on a foundation of jello. No one imagined the impacts in just the last two decades. Always a roller coaster.

David Puddy

Maybe this will help you in your decision - or maybe not.... Not sure if she was on the 747 at Atlas or Kalitta:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c-g90g8Dg7E&t=256s

Regardless of what you think about the video or her opinion, the point is very clear - make sure you understand what you are getting into and the type of flying you will do! She admits in the end that she did not understand the scheduling (and potential for extending beyond 17 days).