Originally Posted by dracir1

You mind if I PM you w/ a few questions?

Originally Posted by TOGALOCK

Trust me, that fear/concern of the bottom of a new list goes away very, very quickly after you make the move. Keep in mind that every week you wait and worry, that’s another 50 seniority numbers you give up.

The only regret I have for making the move is that I didn’t do it a year sooner, but didn’t because of the same fears. I’d already have over 20% of the seniority list below me. Now I only have about 10%.

That said, 8 months in and already have an upgrade award in base, and Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day off as an FO. I used to think that people who went to a legacy from F9 would just talk about how much better life is to justify their decision to leave. But, now that I’m finally on the other side I realize that it’s all true.

Believe me. I was a massive pro-frontier guys. If I was typing on here you better believe my lips were koolaid powered. I made spooldup look like a suicidal person looking over the edge of a skyscraper. But after 6 years at F9 and in both seats, I’ve come to realize that Stockholm syndrome and the “maybe/but if only” justification is real. If you live in a legacy domicile and won’t have to commute for long, if at all… The time to leave is now.

My wife stopped working shortly before I made the switch and went from the F9 left seat to the right seat of a legacy. My own paycut was around 200k/year. That doesn’t include the loss of my wife leaving a career job. Three kiddos at home too. Trust me, I know the fear and the first year pain. But it’s doable and in about 4 more months when my upgrade gets activated I’ll be making at least 300k while sitting on my butt at home on reserve without ever moving a muscle.

If you have any thoughts don’t delay. You’ll get through the first year pain too. Everyone does and nobody regrets it. It’s like getting over a breakup with a long term partner. Eventually you’ll feel just fine and just look back and laugh while wondering why you stayed in it for so long.

I won’t lie and admit that it stung a bit when I found out that they were reopening Chicago, but mostly it just made me mad and reaffirmed how QOL at F9 will always be all over the place. Especially after so many pilots already uprooted their families for their new domicile. It only solidified the belief in my decision to leave.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some blue koolaid to go drink (or whatever is in our “colour palette” these days 🙄 ).

Originally Posted by 303BusDriver

This guy gets it. My only regret also is not doing when I first saw the writing on the wall in early 2022. I'd have 2000 more numbers below me. If you're on the fence, get off. Sometimes the grass really is greener.

Originally Posted by CrayonEater

I did it when I started to see the writing on the wall (for me); eg., the section 19’s, things management was saying vs what was actually happening, evaluating my QOL. I made the jump, and I couldn’t be happier. The Grass is def greener. I don’t think a lot of people realize just how much the QOL & way you’re treated at another carrier is different. And the swap/drop ability, long since touted as being unique to F9, actually isn’t. I have so much more freedom to move my schedule around at my present carrier. In fact, it’s so easy I get lazy with my bid knowing that I’ll just fix it when the schedule comes out. Everybody’s mileage will vary, I can’t deny that, but if people are on the fence and live in a legacy base, pull the trigger yesterday.