Are there guys in the pool that are still waiting to be called?

 

My advice, pick a healthy mix of PAX and Cargo companies and aggressively do everything you can to get an interview and hired. Then love the one your with and hope for the best. That being said, I'd limit my PAX choices to SWA and then FedEx/UPS on the cargo side. Anyone else is a real crap shoot in my opinion. Me being a previous fighter guy and now a cargo puke, I'm sort of partial.

When I was a new hire at FedEx a senior VP came in and threw some numbers on the board on a PAX flight verse a Cargo MD-11 going from Narita to Memphis.

PAX MD-11 --- $400K of revenue
Cargo MD-11 --- $3 to 5 Million in revenue

The numbers may not be exact, but the point is Boxes pay way more then screaming grumpy passengers. Additionally, we don't have to ask those crabby 65 year old flight attendants for a cup of Joe. That's what RFO's are for!

Jolly

 

Shack ! +1......been on both sides of this particular fence.

 

Pancake,
I was fortunate to be in a guard unit as a youngster and have every major airline represented. I haven't ever flown pax so I am just basing it on what other in my unit have told me and my observations of their schedules. Here's my take:

If you want to walk through the terminal with your uniform on and be admired, don't go cargo

If you want pass privileges or want to meet your spouse at work, don't go cargo.

If you mind your neighbors thinking you fly a caravan to destinations all over the world and ask if you get enough flight time could you fly commercially, don't go cargo.

If you only want to fly with the giant bright orb in the sky, don't go cargo.

OK, here's why I am really happy at purple. My schedule is very flexible and has something for everyone. Every airplane basically operates as a different airline with options, i.e. international, day domestic, night domestic, fly only out of your home town, chase the almighty coin, it is all there for you to choose . You may have to become senior to do some of this but that is your choice to do instead of upgrading. Some trips have deadheads, meaning that you have airline tickets to and or from a trip and it is on company time. This definitely benefits commuters. Layovers vary from 10 hours to over 80 hours(getting paid the entire time). A four day layover in Sydney or a weekend layover while you are laying over in your home down, doesn't stink. We have some of the best trips in the industry!! However, we have some of the worst! Then again, get senior and choose. Very quickly you can be a wide body f/o and have international options. The pay hasn't always been some of the best but it has been respectable.

My best advice is to find a bud you have flown with that flies cargo and see how his schedule/ QOL/pay is compared to what you want. Hearing it here helps but faceless inputs sometimes aren't exactly true to form. It is easier for some to embellish or think they are sitting better than others or that their opinion should be used as fact. Hope this info helps!
Pakage

 

I had it explained to me. SWA charges $100 bucks for a one way ticket and makes money. Take 10 overnight letters and stack them on each seat. We make money. all of the extra space is "lots of extra money"!!!!

 

Apparently, yes. Guard bud of mine was called last week for May.

 

Was he call for interview or class date?

 

Just clarified with him - for interview. He tested in Feb.

 

Regarding domestic flying, what is the smallest city or population center mainline FedEx flies to?

 

I think it's Huntington, WV.