172skychicken

BNE will be starting next winter. PVG will likely be on the 350 whenever that restarts. The 777 flew to both CDG and HND, so I wouldn't be surprised to see either of those switch to the 350 once we have more frames.

Ripinpeace

Late 23’ hire, and I agree that’s it not the same, but if you’re talking a couple years for a 24 yr old, who could have a 43 year career when 67 does happen, is irrelevant.
While DL hired more, there will be more growth, orders, and expansion of pilot group, and that’s further offset by his age. Too many others things to worry about since he’s young, WB will easily happen for vast majority of his career at both, next 2-3 years don’t matter. Also, 7ER LAX has plenty of intl. for him to chill on until bigger metal

FNiner

I agree with this. You could get LAX7ER and potentially be flying trips to HND or Europe on reserve. You need to be around 50% or better in the category to hold it on a line.

Meme In Command

Yeah I hate this "oh well you missed the seniority rocket so don't come here, it sucks" attitude .Yes, OP's movement will be slower but will still have potential for a great career here. If I had to make the choice again today I'd still take DL over UA. It's a no brainier if I'm already from a DL base.

Sidenote, my upgrade FO was a mid 20's 757/767 EWR UAL guy doing Europe flying and he left to come to DL. He also is from a DL base and is much happier with his decision.

myrkridia

You're misrepresenting my point. OP has two offers, with a stated goal of WB flying as a high priority. I love working for Delta, and would recommend it to plenty of people, but everyone has different situations and goals so it's important to give realistic expectations.

NerdBoi

This. I am a June 23 hire; just hit a whopping 91% in base on the LAXER. I've had a line since December, virtually every day off I've asked for, and I have yet to see a three leg day on this airplane out west. On top of that, I've had Hawaii, El Salvador, and Costa Rica on my lines...not just FL but lets be honest, you're not going to be on the ER without getting cozy with FL and ATL

As a lifetime commuter, it's been alright considering I live in an outstation. This month and next month I have to get 2-3 hotels but that's about it; how you prioritize your needs in your bid is critical and allows you punch above your weight even if you're junior but have a killer bid strategy.

Meme In Command

Oh I was agreeing with you, I think the wait for a WB at DL will be longer but he'll still get on one.

Yourrid

I flew for UA for a short time before getting a class date at DL. If you're planning on staying in L.A., and widebody is your dream... go to UA. Yea you might be the 8ball and get stuck as a 737 CA for 2 years, but United has more widebodies than DL and AA combined. Your overall QOL, pay, training, culture are all about the same between the 2. But UA does a ton of Westcoast widebody flying whereas DL does *some*. Go to UA - feel free to pm me if you have any specific questions.

Gooner

Something to ponder that someone touched on, what you think you may want may not be what you thought. Always some really great discussions on NB vs WB. I did the WB thing on the ER (757/767) and while it was fun and the easiest money I’ve ever done, it did not like me, long term fatigue was a real thing and it even started effecting my health, and waistline. So I am glad I didn’t pick my airline based on WB flying. Try to find the right fit for you based on what you know and experiences from your trusted friends.

UA does have a better west coast overall network but Deltas isn’t small we are head to head in SEA with AS and #1 in LAX, domestically very strong and gotten much heavier on mainline vs OO. I can say that on the NB in LAX our trips are more efficient than east coast as our legs are generally longer to connect hubs so a nice perk out here. Also it can be nice being a bit forgotten on the west coast from a pilot management perspective.

tripled

no need to grovel to a bunch of strangers about your ‘pririvlege’ - you worked hard and earned your own way into the struggle. Good job. Keep working hard and the risk of this decision will become irrelevant very quickly.

To try and provide helpful info related to the questions above may I suggest to keep in mind that 24yo coffee is different from 34yo coffee which will be even more different from 44yo coffee. It only takes about 6 months to recognize that WB has its drawbacks and then ‘the goal’ might change, so give yourself permission to do so and try to imagine what it may morph into: $$? A family? Teaching? Community service? Those are possible while maintaining a good professional airline career.

Flying a jet from A-B will be about the same at both places so consider which company will be a more viable employer in the future. Looking at financials like market cap and debt alone dal is in pretty good shape and has been for a while. Indeed, dal’s decision to slow hiring is a source of financial comfort when contrasted w ual’s stated wish to reach 30k pilots, which seems aggressive and needlessly sensational (for example). You’re young enough that qol will likely be a wash since you can wait out most of the sr guys ahead of you so consider how you define qol since it’s different for everyone. It is true that you probably won’t end up in the top 25 at dal but most don’t and they all seem to look back with satisfaction on a very good career. Welcome to the business and congrats on the early start.