Make sense. Thanks.

 

To be more specific...you are covered commuting on any DHL/AMZ flight (obviously including those operated by ABX). Still a pain to commute for any job, regional, mainline, FDX, UPS, or whoever. The coverage just means you aren't in any trouble and will be required to makeup the lost work day. Any airline where you live in base or primary point of ops will provide a advantage in schedule and QOL.

Reasons to choose ABX over others...that's difficult to articulate and mileage will vary between individuals. ABX has a financial advantage over others in retirement matching, that is where the cost structure was placed in lieu of home-basing tickets and local (domicile) hotels. Arguments can be made - pro/con for coming to ABX or going somewhere else. Regardless, every one of the ACMI airlines are very similar in lower work rules, pay, stability (lack of), type of flying, issues and concerns.

 

Does ABX still have the culture where all captains try to provide as consistent a set of expectations from their FO as possible, one to the next? I always thought that was smart and somewhat unique.

 

If home basing is the most important requirement..then you wouldn't. If a much better contract overall regarding scheduling rules, retirement matching, disability pay, vacation slides, reassignment pay, and basically equal pay, etc, etc,, then you would. There are numerous items that make a good contract....few ACMI carrier's have them. ABX does.

 

I disagree with the need for a crashpad. For the number of days I spent in CVG when I was on reserve, it was a break-even proposition at best, especially after considering the cost of transportation you'll need if you have one.

 

I would say so, yes. There are differences in style around the edges, but at the core, you can expect that if you do everything the way you were trained, your captain will be happy.

 

Do you like days off? ABX works 11 fewer days per year (197, with one possible exception where it might be 198) than ATI (208).
Do you like your vacation days? At ABX, if your vacation days end up falling on scheduled days off, they will slide to cover work days. At ATI, if your vacation days fall on scheduled days off, well, that's nice.
Home basing is overrated. Sure, it's nice to have somebody else worry about how you're going to get to work and back home, but how much is it worth to you? And as ATI gets all hot over their new Amazon uniforms, especially now that the CVG hub is open, I am convinced that home basing will be on the table if ATI wants anything more than what they have now.

 

You've made a good comparison to ATI, what about GTI and Omni?

 

‘Do not discount the price of homebasing.... Commuting is stressful already especially with how full flights have been also constantly checking loads, and have to play crash pad dog and pony show. Not everyone has the option of ABX or ATI metal into CVG. Pass, I’ll take my ticket and arranged hotel and transportation and enjoy a beach day this weekend not having to think about how am I going to get to work.

 

Doesn't have to be "ABX or ATI metal" into CVG....ABX contract says trip protection on the Amazon or DHL "system" you've got like 70-80 flts a night just DHL to use to get to CVG. Drive to the airport sit on the plane sleep, get to CVG at 1:30 report at 4:30. Been doing it for 30 yrs. Pretty easy. I'll take the higher retirement match, vacation slides, better disability, schedule protection and a better contract overall. You can take a ticket to get to the same place... while overall getting less.