PearlPilot

I have been a member of this board for more than an year and from what I have been reading so far I have heard a lot of really good things about fractionals such as Netjets and Avantair. At the same time many negative comments about majors and how many pilots have left their 121 job for a fractional. Places like UPS and Fedex and SWA seems to be out of the question. Although I haven't yet started my flying (waiting till I graduate from college), Besides UPS and Fedex I am very much attracted places like Delta and Continental because they fly internationally and seems to be pretty good companies to work for (good pay, nice equipment, etc.). Is it just one of the attributes of a message forum where there will always be that 5% that will complain or can working for say Delta or Continental be a similarly rewarding experience as working for a fractional or one of the cargo giants?

POPA

Airline pilots will ALWAYS complain. It's in our blood; it's part of the personality that attracts people to 121 flying. However, at the end of the day, I think most of us really do like it. If we didn't, we'd go find other jobs.

HercDriver130

What POPA said.

contrails

Bad?

I've got 17 days off this month. Right now, I'm just starting a 40+ hour layover in a fun city and a good crew on a Saturday night. Not flying tomorrow (sleeping in until whenever I want) but still getting several hours pay for it on top of per diem.

I went to Australia and Europe in business/first class for free on my days off this month.

Oh, it's real bad.

Illini

People can say what they want and hide behind a screenname here. This lets them complain about even the smallest things. In the end, if they were unhappy then they would change their job. CFI'ing is a different story....

FlyerJosh

There are ups and downs to ANY type of flying. POPA is right on that pilots will complain about anything (and not just airline pilots). We'll always want it better.

I had 32 overnights last year, worked one day for every two off (including office work and non-flying duties), and made a decent salary plus bonus and great retirement. Yet I can still find things that I wish "were better."

The trick is to find something that you enjoy, and something that pays the bills and allows the quality of life and standard of living that you can accept. We always desire more, but at some point you might trade one variable for another. (For instance I'll never make the big bucks that major airline pilots make, but I live comfortably and have great QOL.)

mcartier713

for a typical line holder, regional or major, what is the avg amount of overnights per month/year?

POPA

There's really no way to figure that. It all depends on what you bid for.
I don't mind being on the road for three nights a week, and I don't want to drive to/from the airport more than I have to (too much like a real job). My preference is to bid for three- and four-day trips.
I know other pilots who want to be home every night, so they bid for day trips. Per diem goes down the train because the little that you do make is taxable, but if you've got a wife and kids at home that may be a secondary consideration.

Ottopilot

I just did 7 days straight (not normal) LAX-HNL-HNL-LAX-MAD. 31.5 hour layover in Honolulu and 24 hours in Madrid. 12 time zones in one week wasn't fun though. I wouldn't trade my job for anything.

kalyx522

well REGIONAL 121 sucks for sure, and the thing about getting to the point where you could work for the companies you mentioned and fly intl trips like the guys above described is you almost always have to endure the regionals.
I think in my unscientific opinion, the percentage that complain is actually higher than 5%. But people from diff companies have diff things to complain about. for example when I jumpseated on Delta once the captain was getting worked up about the company not utilizing their pilots efficiently (or something like that). on US Airways they are just BITTEr in general, esp about the whole seniority integration deal and ALPA. ME, I am bitter about having 7 days off this month (with only 60 hr block) and having crew scheduling trying to manipulate me into doing illegal things.
I'm not naive enough to think it will be puppies and roses when (if) I make it to a major, but I do hope that it will be a lot better than now, and I think that hope is what keeps me going.