Would You Leave ABX for a Legacy?
 

My situation: CVG based and I live close enough to CVG to easily pull reserve for the rest of my career here. I am junior enough to be included in any furlough the company puts out right now. Average pilot age here is mid-50's so advancement will come soon. Will we be bought by another carrier? Who knows!

Any Legacy carrier means I will commute. CLE (Unical) is a 4 hour drive. Delta will likely close the CVG domicile at some point (probably soomer than later), so that means a commute to ATL or MSP or DTW. Sure, a 4 hour drive to DTW is not bad, but that doesn't beat a short drive to CVG that is well within the 2-hour reserve callout I must comply with now. Right now, I have no crash pad. No call from scheduling = free day off.

So, what do you think? Stay at ABX with no commute and the hope of advancing, or make the jump to Delta, Unical or American with a commute?

Seeing as how Delta, United or American isn't hiring right now, it's a moot question.

Now, when they do hire, I'd throw my hat in the ring. FedEx isn't hiring either, but why not think about them as well?

How fast do you drive? CVG to Toledo is about four hours and then its another 35 minutes to DTW. So maybe more like 4:30-4:40.

I only push around paperwork for the time being but if I were in the same situation, I would really have to think long and hard. True catch 22. ABX has a "neater" feel to it then most of the legacies (i.e. you're less of "just a number") and the flying can be more fun too. With that said, a lot of legacies are somewhat more stable. I really think ATI/ABX is just around the corner myself.

I would stay at ABX if it was me unless..... a) I was hired in at the front end of a legacy hiring boom b) The writing for a merger and/or closure of ABX was clearly on the wall. There is a lot of movement to be had at ABX in the next few years like you said.

US Airways is though.... I know a guy who just got on with them this week. So American is hiring by default and there is a good rumor going around of L-CAL hiring by summer.

United hiring off the street next month.

Right now at Delta you can be converted to a 3 hour call out only 6 times per month. Soon that will increase to 7, but only in months where reserve guarantee is 75:00-80:00. Basically, that's only the busy months. (June, July, August) Reserve guarantee fluctuates at Delta, but is never less then 72 hours and never more then 80 hours. Basically, it averages out to roughly 75.5 hours per month.

So if you're DTW based(which wouldn't be difficult)you could easily sit long call(12 hour min notice for assignment)at home. Some guys who live outside 2 hours from Detroit will drive half way and spend their short call at a coffee house. It's not as good as sitting at home, but it beats a crashpad.

Obviously there is massive attrition scheduled at the legacy carriers, so movement is close. I don't know anything about ABX, so I can't really help you weigh your pros and cons. Just wanted to give you some Delta info. Good luck with your decision.

How much leeway is there in the two hour requirement on short call? How far away is "too far", particularly in an area such as NYC?

My intel says that I will upgrade to Captain at ABX within 7 years.

Thank you for your insight. I welcome PM's if you have more info that you don't want to pu ton the general board.

Right now, I assume the way to the good trips at Delta is via ATL. IMO, being ATL-based will bring the best advancement and the best trips and aircraft, etc.

Of course, I have not yet brought up the likely (IMO) consolidation in the ACMI end of the business. How this will affect ABX is anyone's guess.

NYC is really a "reasonable amount of time" as opposed to 3 hours from notification to departure. I'm on reserve in NYC, and in my experience the schedulers are very flexible.

The potential to upgrade after 7 years is tempting. But IMO, you should base your decision on where you think you'd be more happy as an FO. Where do you feel there is more stability?

WRT the best path to good trips, that would really depend on your definition of good trips. Keep in mind Delta has trips that are range from regional/commuter type flying to 14 day widebody trips, and everything in between. As a NYC 757/767 reserve FO, I could be assigned a 7 day 6 leg Western Africa trip, a 4 day 13 leg domestic trip, or a 3 day 2 leg Europe trip. Every now and then we see a 9-13 day Asia or Europe trip.

So as you can see, there is a wide variety of trips. Advancement in ATL has been slow as of late, mainly because it continues to become more senior.