If he wanted a wide spectrum of opinions, why didn't he ask this on the WN forum?

 

Getting stuck at WN would 100x better than getting stuck at a regional. WN stopped hiring probably two months after I got hired there. I’m gone now but if the whole industry slowed, I would’ve been filled with regret not taking the best opportunity in front of me waiting for my #1.

 

All of these dozens of "should I" posts read like cringey singles ads. There needs to be some kind of acronym sytem here, like there are on single ads.

"DWM, 50, ISO financially secure, fit S/M/DWF, 25-30..."

some kind of shorthand like that would help.

 

how many more of these are we going to have before pilots understand you can’t predict the future 30 years out.

 

I gotta say, I really don't understand the need to dump on someone. And how ironic to say he's "seeking validation" in posting... Look at the OP's post count. It's 3. Maybe he forgot he created an account in the last year. Who knows? Does it even matter? I was today years old when I found out a reddit subforum existed, mainly because I have never once been on reddit. So maybe he asked there, and then somehow remembered APC was a thing, and thought there were some knowlegable folks that might have some additional insight he had not yet thought of. And, the horror of not knowing how to search with only 2 prior posts!

I mean, that's ultimately half of what this place is for. Learning. And spreading deeper knowlege. So stop crapping on people who are just trying to learn. And if you don't like it, don't read the thread.

 

I made his decision 28 years ago (sort of) and so did one of my classmates at NW. Let me give a top ten list of the reasons I look back with zero regrets for shunning the LUV:

1) Not having to fly a 737 forever.
2) Pension (this is not a duplicable for you); it is a crap pension, messed up by bankruptcy, but it's more than 3000 times greater than the WN pension and it will help. The 401K rocks also.
3) Average 450 annual block hours per year - try that at WN. Paid for more than 2x that number of hours.
4) Many more hours/years as an international widebody pilot than in the narrowbody grind.
5) Enough cycles back into NB flying to remind me of how much better WB flying is. It's like working for an entirely different airline; mostly hassle-free with rare forced sked changes.
6) Variety of route structures and destinatinations.
7) Ability to choose relative seniority not just by domicile, but by seat and aircraft also.
8) We've had PBS for a long, long time. Yes, it's better.
9) I got to fly every model of 747 except the SP and -8. Our current fleet of WB aircraft are better in many ways, but if we brought the 747 back, I'd leap on it.
10) It's a distinction from #1, sort of: I had the option to fly the 737, but chose not to. My ears, cranium and spine thank me.

Many of the points I listed are still applicable today. However I do believe the Southwest Koolaid was more potent back in the day. The culture was more enticing. I think Koolaid has been diluted as the company grew over the years and with major management changes. Many of the reasons I might have had to stick with Southwest have faded, while the pros for DL are still pretty solid. It's not perfect, and there are things that I despise (very few).

Not sure whether a historical viewpoint is of any benefit to you .... but the WN/DL swap suited me very well.

 

Yes but the other half is for dumping on people so you can see the predicament.

 

Make the jump my friend. Yes it’s not 6 month upgrades anymore, but even at 5-7 years that’s the same I had as a front of the wave hire. Like Fangs said I don’t see 15 yr upgrades barring some extreme event.

 

I have answered this before in other threads so I invite you to search for those, but I know how difficult and even emotional the choice process can be. Only you will know the right answer for you. I did the same thing back in the summer of '23 and not for a second regret it. Yes, I took a paycut in the beginning but my QOL is higher by a much greater magnitude. I have become a happier person which in turn makes my family happier which in the end let's face it, is the only thing that really matters. I write this while sitting on days off in Europe with my family enjoying Christmas markets and thru the same type of swapping (think ELITT) and one Personal Drop (P/D) am off from 21 Nov to 12 Dec (no vacation days used for this). Yes we have PBS, let it not scare you, the flying I am awarded, even on the 737 is again of greater quality, basically all the Carribean and Mexico I want. In the mood for tacos and windsurfing? Bid some Cancun and Aruba. Want some Pura Vida? How about a Liberia bid. You get my point, the flying Widget does is just different than LUV. I enjoy longer layovers to listen to music in Nashville, visit family and friends in Times Square, sit on South Beach, and get some windsurfing in down in Aruba. I used to live so I could work, hunt those TFP and say thank you to the SMF hotel. Now, I actually enjoy going to work and have really changed my views to future WB flying and getting that experience. For reference, I have about 20 years left, so my time horizon is different, read worse than yours. As others have said, it is a different airline. Biggest takeaway, the money is also here like SWA, but what we have that I did not before, are choices and it is hard to place a value on choices. Only you can. Wishing you success regardless what decisions you make. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out.

Fly safe!

 

When I got hired 60 years ago, everybody wanted to go to TWA and PanAm, just sayin'.