TipTip35

Hello all,

While comparing the pay rates of different airlines on this website I noticed that both FDX and SWA start off at the same rate. Over the years FDX always stays 10-15 dollars an hour higher with the max being $190 for a 12 yr SWA Capt and $206 for a 15 yr FDX WB Capt. I realize that thats about an extra $1100 a month but other than the money what advantage would you FDX pilots say there is to flying for Fed over SWA. Plus considering the through-the-night hours FDX flies would you say that $1100 or so is still worth it when you're making $180k a yr anyway? I dont really understand the airline A/B plans so does the difference lie there or does it just come down to a matter of preference (i.e. people vs boxes, locations, plane color etc)

Thanks

RedeyeAV8r

It all depends on what you want. I have flown both PAX and cargo...........
Each has it's +'s and - s.

Both companies have offered stable employment with steady growth.

SWA offers free travel benefits for emplyees throughout the US and Hawaii........FedEx doesn't. A great benefit if you and the family can use it. That is one of the things I miss most about flying for the PAX carriers. Fly to Orlando for the weekend or to Chicago for lunch and a White Sox game.

FedEx offers the chance to see the world (usually 24 hours at a time) SWA offers you the chance to see INDY, Nashville, Spokane and Little rock.( a little sarcasm)

Fedex offers you the chance to fly a variety of Airplanes.....SWA you fly the 737 perod. Makes traing and upgrades easy.

FEDEX has a Domiclie in MEM, LAX and ANC (won't count SFS as it is in limbo)

SWA has a variety of domciles.....DAL, PHX, MDW, OAK, MCO, BWI and ??. So you have more choices of places to live without commuting.....Commuting SUX. Many of us Do it but I would rather not..........Most of us don't want to make MEM home(for good reason). So unless you plan on Living in ANC, MEM or LAX.......you will commute the rest of your life.

Both Companies have offered CPT upgrade in about 5 years + or -. FEDEX is approx 10 years to WB.........That could change for the better or worse.

At SWA you will fly more Block time and multiple legs per trip than at FedEx.........But flying multiple legs during "Normal Body clock" hours within the same duty period is often more desirable for many of us........you get paid by the flight hour. At FedEx you will sit 3 -5 hours per night in the middle of your duty period(or day if senior) for the hub sort. Not so much in the INTL system but we still do some of that in Paris and Subic.

FedEx has some choice Day domestic stuff but you need the seniority to get it.........

Fedex doesn't have Flight Attendants.........Good or Bad depending on your perspective.

FedEx doesn't have grumpy PAX's., just quiet boxes, .but as a Pilot for SWA, you don't have to deal with them that much, unless you want to or during the occasional maintenance delay making the "Announcements"that you will be fixed soon...........however you do have to listen to the FA's ***** about them on the Van ride to/from the hotel........

SWA doesn't fly much Back side clock hours.......a big plus but that could change.
FedEX you will fly alot of backside stuff.........and for me that is the biggest Negative.

There is my 2 cents worth.
Where do you want to live?
Can you be happy fling 737's for the rest of your career.....( I would be happy flying cessna caravans if it paid well)
Will you and family par-take of the travel bennies at SWA?
Do you really want to fly INTL?
FedEX currently has a better retirement package than SWA but that could change in a new york second as we have all witnessed.

Only you can make the call.......assuming you have offers from both.
Bottom line Take your earliest class date with whoever offers it.
If you get a class date at the other carrier, then make your decision then.

Good Luck

Overnitefr8

Wow, a very thorough and good comparison with little sarcasm. Very rare for this forum. Nice post. I would add that FedEx does a whole lot more day flying than most people realize. I myself prefer the night flying. Cleared direct almost immediately after talking to the first Center frequencey. Fewer convective thunderstorms. Except for in Memphis, no hour taxi delays because of congestion, like I had in Newark on Wednesday afternoon. The day hub turns are too long, unless you live in Memphis and can go home.

Nowadays, with load factors up so high, the free travel benefits isn't worth as much as it used to be.

FX Bone Guy

Great post Red Eye Just a couple more things... Commuting with FedEx works better than with most companies. If you're flying SWA, it is most common to fly three or four days a week, for three or four weeks during the month. FedEx has some lines like that, so if you live in MEM your line can be a "normal" airline schedule. But especially if you want to live outside of a major metro area, being able to commute to work only once or twice a month has great advantages. FedEx also has many deadhead parings, where the company will buy a ticket for you to get to/from the location of the revenue flying. There are provisions where they can pay for your ticket to get to work from your home without ever going to your domicile. Last I heard, 60 to 70% of the pilots at FedEx commute. We've even got guys that commute to work from Europe and Asia.

The other biggest difference between FedEx and most carriers: the number of places we fly to. We blanket the world and nearly every state in the country. Variety is the spice of life - and FedEx has variety. Here's just some of today's destinations:

ABE, ABQ, ALA, ALB, ANC, ATL, ATW, AUS, BDL, BFM, BIL, BOI, BOS, BQN, BTR, BUF, BUR, BUR, BWI, CAE, CDG, CDG, CHS, CHS, CID, CLE, CLT, COS, CPR, CVG, DAY, DEL, DEN, DFW, DSM, DTW, DXB, ELP, EVV, EWR, FLL, FNT, FRA, FSD, FWA, GDL, GEG, GFK, GRR, GSO, GSP, GTF, HNL, HRL, HTS, IAD, IAH, ICT, IND, JAX, JFK, KUL, LAS, LAX, LBB, LCK, LFT, LRD, MCI, MCO, MDT, MHT, MIA, MKE, MSN, MSP, MSY, MTY, NAN, NRT, OKC, OMA, ONT, ORD, ORF, PDX, PEN, PHL, PHX, PIA, PIT, PVD, PVG, PWM, RDU, RIC, RNO, ROA, ROC, RST, RSW, SAN, SAT, SAV, SDF, SEA, SFO, SGF, SHV, SJC, SJU, SLC, SMF, SNA, STL, STN, STN, SWF, SYD, SYR, SZX, SZX, TLC, TLH, TPA, TPE, TUL, TUS, TYS, VCP, VLN, YMX, YOW, YWG, YWG, YYC, YYZ, YYZ, YYZ and there's probably more than this list of 139 places... like MEM!

My word of advice: Chase the kind of flying you'd like to do, not the money.

remlap

Assuming you are given the choice between the two, you just won't know until you are ready for retirement. Those of us who were hired 20 years ago selected our respective carriers based on the best available current information. External and internal forces entirely out of your control will determine whether your decision is the right one.

20 Years ago, FDX and SWA were not the "golden" choices. In many cases, UAL, AA, DAL were the preferred jobs. Now times have changed. You are being asked to make a decision that you won't know the ultimate results until 20 years from now.

My advice if you are given the choice would be FDX. The captial cost of entry into the cargo/box business is prohibitive. Fedex seems to be able to pass along it's costs with great success and the growth potential is huge. Because the cost of entry into the passenger business is so low, every Tom, Dick and Harry with an airplane is a potential drag on the bottom line. While SWA may be successful for the next few years, given the uncertainties of the passenger side, it may change suddenly.

That's my 2 cents.

I made my decision 20 years ago. Go figure.

mike734

Ha, spoken like a true neophyte. (Although you're probably not) Both FedEx and SW have done their major growth. And, no job is stable in this industry. Other than that, your post is very helpful.

Sorry for sounding condescending, I'm just jaded.

RedeyeAV8r

Mike.........your're correct, I am no Neophyte..........22 year veteran.

While there are NO certainties in this industry, (Actually the one certainty is there is no certainty) I was speaking from a historical point of view. Both Southwest and FedEx have both "historically" offered a stable work environment. Both carriers have had both Boom hiring and trickle hiring, but continuous. FedEx went through a stagnation for a couple years after the Tiger's merger. Both company's have avg'd 5 years to CAPT. That has pretty much held true for the last 12 years. Neither has seen Bad times (so far, Knock on wood) but as you said that certainly could change. Prey tell it doesn't.

As far as growth being over......Fedex Intl growth is just starting. We can't carry all the stuff that is out there. We don't have enough lift. Many countries of the Worlds economies depend on FedEx as well as UPS for their commerce. China and India and Indonesia just to name a few. The growth opportunities are endless. Many of the World's factories carry no inventory at all and depend on FedEx and UPS to deliver on a daily on-time basis. From the Pilot's standpoint we would like to secure better SCOPE language to guarantee we share in that growth.

From the SWA side..........time will tell. They have very a good product and have been very successful in their Niche and in how they run their business. Airlines are running record load factors and I don't see that changing , barring some Major castrophy either Financial or Natural disaster.........
You can't argue with SWA's success.
They have extremely low costs due to their high productivity. Their Pilots are now some of the highest paid (by default due to the industry devistation). Now that the Legacies have dramatically lowered their costs, this could certainly put some pressure on SWA........but in my opinion, unless the BIG boys go to a NO frills point to point service........they will never compete with SW on a leg per leg basis.

The Legacies INTL service is what is going to keep them prosperous, shown by the current expansion in international service at all the Legacies.

Nope there are no guarantees (are there ever in anything except death and taxes??).......but the Gist of this Thread was "Which carrier should I go to.......SWA or FedEx"..................
Given the opportunity, I don't think one could make a wrong choice. It just depends on ones priorities and desires............

OldAg84

Everybody makes the choices based on what they know today, based on what is available or offered to them. Things have sure changed though.

hatetobreakit2u

SWA has a contract

RedeyeAV8r

What does this Link have to do with the subject of the Thread.
BTW the article has several flaws and asuumptions.