Das Auto

NetJets now has agreements with United and Delta for priority boarding and we can sign up for A list on Southwest. Also, after you've been here for a year or more you'll likely have status on your preferred airline. I'm platinum on American and can choose my own extra legroom seat and occasionally get upgraded to first class.

To suggest that commuting is preferable to having a seat purchased and confirmed is beyond ridiculous, but considering you still hold a grudge for NetJets it's not surprising that you'd post such nonsense.

Flyfalcons

Just a couple easy steps and a year or so on property is enough to get priority boarding on nearly every airline, as well as occasional upgrades. My last airline home was in first class.

hawkerpilot05

Since Covid, NetJets has gotten much better booking on my preferred airline, which is Delta. This is good, as being this is usually a direct flight, it tends to cost more. I have Platinum status and quite often get first class. The airlne travel has gotten better in some ways. The terminals though, still stink and are overcrowded. When a flight cancels and people start looking or asking me what is going on, I just tell them I don't work for the airline and fly private jets.

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FNGFO

It’s the same in the fractionals. You get to look some multimillionaire in the eye and explain why things went pear shaped with some regularity.

hawkerpilot05

Not so much for me. I tend to do the recoveries and haven't had to deal with a broke airplane for quite some time. NetJets has gotten better relaying to owners about why the airplane is delayed and our recoveries are usually pretty quick. I haven't had an upset owner in quite some time. The biggest difference between us and the ailines is that we tend to keep the owners informed unlike the airlines that leave you hanging. I have yet to do a recovery that was longer then catching another airline flight due to it canceling. Even worse is when the airlines say, sorry buy no flight until tomorrow or days later. Of course, the pay out is worth it then for us.

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FNGFO

I wasn’t just speaking to mx issues. There’s plenty of opportunities to tell Mr. Warbucks that he can’t get into Aspen in a blizzard, or Ms. Deville that she can’t in fact take the kitchen sink out of East Hampton.

The larger point being that frac pilots get plenty of FaceTime with owners explaining why things are going sideways for their trips. Some are understanding. Some are not. I’ve been on the airline side for 5 years now and the “having to answer questions of passengers on a canceled or delayed flight” concerns are overblown.

To each their own.

ZebraSpots

I’m sitting in the back of an airliner right now on the ramp in LAS. We’ve been here sitting for a gate probably but the crew is afraid of the PA I guess??

Weird.

It’s customer service… yes, we need to talk to customers (we call them Owners) once in a while.

It’s part of the deal.

Insofar as giving customers a NO when they’re expecting a YES, it is what it is. That’s what they have paid for… and SAFE isn’t always a YES.

FNGFO

I did it for 11 years. I’m more than familiar.

Flyslow13

I’ve seen posts of legacy to fracs, how about the frac guys turned legacy or mainline 121? I am in the boat of jumping ship from fracs over to legacy carrier, and would like to hear an honest opinion on how they like it, QOL, family life ETC ad compared to fractionals.

I understand money and retirements at 121 vs frac, so no need to bark up that tree, I’m looking at the day to day, both at work and at home, and how it’s compared to frac life.

I live in a major domicile for UAL, so I understand that plays in, to those who don’t, but just any and all feedback is helpful.

TIA

MinRest

I will start off by saying that everyone thinks the grass is always greener somewhere else, so take this all with a grain...

I went to NJA in 2015, left in 2017. I knew I wanted to go 121 but didn't want to go to the regionals so my career was all 91/91k/135 prior to going to a legacy. NJA was a soul crushing company IMHO. I am sure it has changed and those who have always sang NJAs praises will jump on me for saying it, but the weeks on the road were awful. Short overnights, long duty days, constant changes etc etc.. Coming from outfits where I would fly to fun destinations and stay there for days on end, to NJA where I was doing 5 legs a day with an 11 hour overnight in a trucker hotel, and doing it for 7 days non stop, was a stark change to what I was used to. I didn't fit the mold to enjoy fractionals and that is totally ok, I moved on so somebody who really wanted to be there, could get hired. I figured that if I was going to go to work to work hard, that I need to go somewhere where I can make as much money as possible with as much time off as possible. NJA did not fit into that plan when compared to all the major airlines really. Again this was all decided several years ago and I know the landscape at NJA has changed.

In hind sight, am I happy with the move? 100%, it isn't even a question. Of my class at NJA, 75% left with in 3 years, there are a few left but the majority have moved on to majors, and they are all happy with the decision. I don't commute but if I had to commute that would play a factor in the decision making, however I have several NJA classmates that left, and commute at their current airlines and they have no regrets leaving. If I had a short commute I would still be ok with it, but if I had to do a really long commute, that would certainly weigh in against QOL and start to favor NJA in that department. I make more money, have more time off, and work easier when I do go to work, than I ever did at NJA. I watched tons of people work 18-20 days a month at NJA and some work even more days, just to feel like they were making a competitive salary to the airlines, I knew I didn't want to do that.

I am much happier wheeling my bag onto the plane, turning left and sitting down than I ever was loading and unloading bags, cleaning up after rich people and running around like a chicken with his head cut off while on a 7 day tour. But your mileage may vary, I can't speak to other fractionals from personal experience, only NJA. But I have friends that came from Citation Shares, XO, Flex, NJA and other fractionals and none of them are actively trying to go back to a fractional jet company. Are there problems at the airlines? Absolutely. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But I make so much more money than my 2015 classmates at NJA, enjoy my layovers more, and work less so I can spend more time at home. I can choose where and where not to go, I have a ton more schedule flexibility, and my median stress level is significantly lower than it was at NJA.

I will also add that career wise, there has never been a better time to get on at major airline. Industry wise, there are tons of retirements and even if all the airlines actually shrink (which is not happening, they are expanding) the job security is there. I think most fractionals are probably pretty secure too but less so. The government won't step in to save NJA (not that they need to) where as the airlines have already proven that they are too big to fail. Career wise it is a great bet to move to 121. Hope that helps!