machz990

Next month is my 22nd year at FedEx. My friends/peers flying at AA are either widebody FO’s or recent narrowbody Captains. Their upgrade path was significantly longer. That affects career earnings.

crewdawg

2 of my AAL classmates left for FDX after 14+ months on property at AAL. I know for sure that one left for home basing options and fairly certain the other did as well. I too left AAL for DAL for basing options (I now sit short call at home), and I would have left AAL for FDX in a heartbeat if I had had the time to apply at FDX. If I was going to have to commute it seems that FDX was a much better option for commuting.

Past performance don't equal future success. Based on retirements alone people should move up very quickly at AAL, though I'm guessing the same at FDX (as always subject to change). Either way, I would go with the one that allowed home basing. Career earnings is great and all, but we all make some damn good money and more than enough to have a great life. Go where you can actually have time off/at home to spend that money/time with your family.

iHateAMR

What’s the current upgrade time at AA into a non regional jet? What’s FedEx’s? What’s the time to widebody at AA? FDX? Widebody Capt? Which company just bought more widebodies and which company bought more RJs? Which is saddled in debt, and which has a horrid company culture with a 2 bit bankruptcy era work rules?

FXLAX

It sounds like you hate AMR.

crewdawg

LOL, screen name checks!

viper548

5 year upgrade to the A-320/B-737. B-777 FO is also around 5 years. I was hired in 2014 and projecting 15 years for widebody captain. It might be about 12 for someone hired today.

viper548

The best thing AA has going for it right now is the retirements. We are starting to hit the wave right now, the peak is in 2023. I've been here 4.5 years and am at 83% on the seniority list. In 5 years I'll be at 56% (9.5 years seniority), and in 10 years I'll be at 28%(14.5 years seniority). The wave pretty much ends around 2033 where I'll be 12%. Anyone hired in the next few years will advance very quickly and be senior for a long time.

Shaman

At FDX upgrade to Narrowbody captain is going at Less than 2 years. Widebody captain is about 8 but some say it could go as quick as 5 or 6 years. All of this is of course ceteris paribus.

Retirements here will peak at in the mid 2020's and by all measures we will turnover about 50% of the total workforce by then. Recent announcements of new markets that have never been accessed before makes it feel like significant growth is happening.

Low oil prices mean less pressure to retire aging but functional fleet aircraft.

Hacker15e

Yes, seniority progression at FX today is much faster than in the past.

redbaronahp

I am 37 and live in Germantown, TN. I started at AA in August and was just informed that I passed the 2 day interview process at FedEx. I don’t have a class date yet but expect one in the next couple weeks. Leaving AA is a tough decision when upgrade times are currently 5-6 years on a narrow body and decreasing. I’m projected to be 3% when I retire and know I’ll have s great career.
Fedex has hired 1000 pilots in the past 2.5 years out of 5000 total pilots. There are still tons of retirements coming though. Lots of factors in my decision but not having to commute is pretty huge.