I hear a lot about how poor the QOL is for UPS folks. Putting commuting aside, how does the typical month look like for a junior FO (considering you're not on the street). I'm assuming the junior guys are typically ANC based? How do the trips usually look?

 

I am actually curious too, especially of how the domestic pairings and lines look at UPS, considering that FDX is looking for improvements in efficiency.

How many legs in and out of the hubs do you fly a night? Also curious of layover times.

 

The average month for the junior at UPS is sit at home and collect $385 per week in unemployment. Once that runs out, hope you don't lose your house and your spouse.

 

Point noted, Thanks.

 

If you're not furloughed, you're commuting to Anchorage and sitting in a crashpad away from your family for 17-18 days a month- unless you decided to move there, which is insane because you should've learned your lesson to never move anywhere for UPS because they will furlough your butt in Alaska.

Being junior (10 years) at UPS is nowhere you want to be.

 

I'm pretty junior on the whale, and I don't sit in my crashpad for 17-18 days a month. I always bid VTOs, and usually end up with a couple of 12 day trips in a bid period (2 months). Sometimes I'll get a 8-9 day trip, with an out and back to PVG or HKG thrown in there during a month. It depends on what's left over, and how many senior to me go on vacation during that bid period.

Back when I chose to stand reserve in ANC, I would usually opt for two seven day reserve periods in a month. That's 14 days away from home.

During this next bid period, I have two 1 week vacation periods. I managed to conflict almost the entire VTO line I was awarded. I'm flying a total of (2) four day trips in the entire bid period (2 months), and they both start with a commercial deadhead to HNL from my home. Not too shabby for a junior guy.

 

I know things like reality can be annoying, but...

I was furloughed from USAir for eight (8) years, and had I gone back, I would now be making $85/hour with nearly 24 years seniority instead of your $172/hour.

Cry me a river little girl. You sniveling little....

 

Liar! You're making that up!

Maybe these miserable little girls need to go to the bottom of the list at the glorious legacy carriers so that their true value is appreciated...oh wait...there are thousands still on furlough there and those still on property are making well over $50K less than they are with far lesser benefits and prospects. Nevermind....they're SPECIAL.

Spare me.

 

Junior ANC FO here...I just counted up the days I spent away from home this year so far...Through the use of trip carry-in and vacation conflict, along with a few schedule displacements by management, I've spent just over 8 days away from home each 28-day bid period...live in SDF so that helps the commute up to ANC. I don't pick up open time, so that helps keep me home.

 

I know Archie isn't that Junior ... being in the bottom half doesn't make you really junior. Junior is down where there are just 2 lines and RSV left to bid on. So your example may be true for you, but not quite "average" ...

Same for B2pilot, if you were REALLY junior, you wouldn't even know the meaning of conflict ... I don't yet.

But its not all bad. A real junior puke like myself sitting mostly 2 week blocks of RSV and an occasional line can be home 50% of the time. That will take creative use of "personal time" and vacation. But it can be done.

Archie also screwed up his math on RSV days too ... it is 15 days in a 28 day period, usually 8 + 7 so that's 13 days off. How he got 14 at home while commuting is beyond my math skills, whatever. There will be times when 15 days of RSV will require 18 days away from home due to commuting. And quite possibly it may work out to only 13 days away if you get a long trip early and get released early ... but it is rare.

But honestly bassfishr, by the time UPS hires again, this will most likely change ...

The trips are varied in ANC. Some just go to SDF or PVG and back. Some go around the world and return in 2 weeks. Being really junior means you will see mostly short trips.

But if you are really junior and live in ANC, certain RSV shifts would be the way to stay home a lot !