All of this ^^

 

This is the greatest part of working for Delta. So many options with the varied fleet; pay rates, QOL, layovers...pick what you want. Another thing I have seen over the years is that desire for the 4th stripe is very strong in the 30s to about mid 40s, then QOL becomes the driver until retirement. Go figure

 

Just one guy's perspective on the Sr NB B to Jr NB B equation. Just to set the assumptions: in my case approx 25% NB B to 85% A, upgraded just less than a year ago, live in base, usually sit reserve. 6+ yrs with Delta. Kids grown and out now. QOL has always been the goal and to minimize the work to days off ratio. GS when they fall in my lap but don't chase them anymore. Work less, get paid more is my metric.

1. The trips I get assigned have pretty much sucked either seat over the past 3 yrs. /Neutral/
2. I have worked about the same days per month against res guarantee either seat. /Neutral/
3. More GS as an FO but at least one still falls in my lap most months as a Capt. As an FO I was more willing to say yes, as a Capt, I'm more comfortable saying no thanks due to Capt reserve guarantee. /Good QOL win as Capt, solid $$ bump/

So in summary, FOR ME, the Sr B to Jr A comparison is both an overall QOL and $$ win. I'm not arguing that my case should apply to everyone or even anyone else but I throw my experience out there for consideration.

Also, I'm not one of those "commuting is a choice" trolls, but being fortunate enough to live in base and sitting reserve makes a difference that is difficult to overstate in this context. I would not have taken the upgrade had it required a commute.

 

Historically, in base Reserve could be a pretty good gig. I’m close to the airport, so long call and short call look almost identical. Reserves might be on the hook for more days than a lineholder, but actually work/fly quite a bit less.

Fast forward to present day in the post-optimizer and perpetually undermanned world, and I’m not sure that’s all true anymore. For someone without flexibility to improve efficiency via green slips, does in base Reserve really offer much qol anymore? Perhaps it does on WB but not NB? I’d be interested to hear some anecdotes of those navigating the in-base junior NB A reserves…

 

44% in category. On reserve because PBS can’t build a line that doesn’t touch weekends. When you are stuck with 4-5 day trips throughout the bid packages this happens

 

In base reserve 7ERA at 85%. Able to get weekends off, which is night & day vs weekend reserve.

I’ve flown 2 legs this month, both fly out DH back the following day (I would rather fly back than DH incidentally). CQ did allow me to conflict with quite a few reserve days, so I should mention that. 3 short calls, all unused - this would really start beating up a commuter.

Most months able to get at least one GS, which adds pay and more importantly PB days, which introduces an element of choosing your trips (which ARCOS call to accept) vs being assigned on RES days. Strategic use of banked PB days when able improves QOL also but most roll to supp vacation days.

I wouldn’t have taken the upgrade either as a commuter, but even in the worst month its been fine as a local. I think this is the key: flying mostly pieces of broken trips vs some of the hard charging regular rotations with short layovers/dayovers.

330B looks much more appealing than 737/320/220A if/when this ride ends, weighing QOL vs $.

 

Yeah great synopsis. I’ll be plugish when I train this summer and hopefully I get the same kind of deal as you living local, though I’m gonna bid to have week days off. The ER doesn’t pay much more than the other jets but the trips seem to be way more civil.

 

Which only serves to bolster my argument. Thank you.

 

eggggggggggsactly

 

That's the beautiful thing about working for an international carrier. There are LOTS of options. The other thing is that you don't know what you don't know. I was a narrowbody captain (737 DEX) before I was an international FO. When I got to the -ER as an FO, I realized what I had been missing. Yeah being the king was cool and all, but the international part of this company is a different lifestyle. And then there is a subset of that and that is the ULH international flying. Sure you don't get takeoffs and landings, but the living is easy. When I think of those really really really junior guys getting 737 CA in NY, I kind of pity them actually because they are never going to know how good this part of the airline is. Domestic narrowbody flying will always be hectic. Always. International will always be one leg to a nice layover with EXTREMELY rare exceptions, and to be honest, those multiple leg days I think are dead forever. So back to your point.... once someone gets used to that lifestyle, and THEY know what domestic narrowbody captain is like... why leave? Domestic narrowbody rotations can only get marginally better, and international rotations can only get marginally worse. Change my mind on that if you can.