Here is the UAL vs DAL Widebody Fleet Comparision.

For UAL I used an ALPA Council 05 blastmail earlier in the year that showed the year end UAL Fleet count - includes 747’s parked and the 3 additional 787’s and 4 777-300’s UAL takes delivery in 2018. DAL’s info comes from the DAL airline profile fleet count on APC and includes 747’s parked.

This only compares 767-400’s and larger aircraft (true widebodies pay wise) - no 767-300’s.

UAL
144

DAL
81

Percentage of Widebody aircraft per total airline fleet

UAL
19.2%

DAL
8.7%

 

AA’s 124 of 966?? 12.8%

 

That’s exactly what I calculate.

 

UA vs AA - at the end of your career, if you’re sub #2000(?), and you have an offer from both, 300 @ AA = 450 @ UA, 1000 @ AA = 1500 @ UA.

Anyone have a super computer to figure this stuff out? First code line - ‘live in base’.

 

A better comparison would be how long to right seat of a widebody in IAH at UA and at DFW at AA for those who want to live in the South.

IAD and PHL for East Coast

SFO and LAX or PHX for West coast


Left seat of WB at a large base like DFW or CLT probably aint happening unless you want to fly for 35 years.

 

While UAL has a larger Widebody fleet count vs AA & DAL. Something else to consider when one is evaluating all three legacies is the potiential for long term mainline fleet growth. The total mainline numbers below illustrate how far behind in narrow bodies and total mainline aircraft UAL is vs AA and DAL.

We’ve heard rumors from management for years at UAL that we could see 1000 mainline aircraft and 16,000 pilots. Obviously to date with the lack of hiring the past few years at UAL. Most specifically, the fact that UAL has actually hired a third to a half of their own hiring yearly projections. I am in no way predicting that UAL will grow to 1000 mainline aircraft and a pilot count of 16,000 in the medium to long term.

What does look somewhat plausible at some point in the long term. Due to UAL’s large hub structure and network, compared to the current mainline fleet size vs DAL & AA. There is the potiential for significant growth.

UAL mainline fleet - 749
(included 4 777-300’s and 3 787-900’s to be delivered in 18)

AA & DAL fleet count from APC

DAL - 931 (182 more then UAL)

AA - 966 (217 more then UAL)

In summary, my point is IF (big if) UAL grows from its current size to that of current AA or DAL mainline fleet size that’s a lot of potiential growth at UAL that has already occurred at AA & DAL. That could easily offset and surpass the larger retirement numbers at AA.

One final point. A pilot which chooses any of the three legacies, appears to be a great career path. A lot can change over a 20, 30 or 40 year career. Just look backwards to see how much this industry has changed. A lot of great airlines that existed 31 years ago when I was hired are no longer in existence. It’s definately a crap shoot. Once you pull the trigger youvreally can’t look back just move forward.

Like others have said, I can’t say enough about living in base. We are very fortunate for those of us based in EWR and living in base at UAL to have the very best flying in the system on the 757/767 & 777.

 

[QUOTE=BeechPilot33

Left seat of WB at a large base like DFW or CLT probably aint happening unless you want to fly for 35 years.[/QUOTE]

15-18 yrs at AA. The retirements numbers are stupefying.

 

Boeing Aviator - for UA to experience that fleet growth, via domestic growth, would require SW, AA, and DL to just sit back and let UA effectively take all 9-12% of the upcoming domestic growth. Or if the other Big 3 grew by roughly 5% domestically UA would grow by 14-17% domestically.

If anything I’d think it might be more likely that DL increases its large w/b percentage.

 

Well if we Based it purely on this most recent scheduling screwup that allowed everyone to drop Christmas? The answer is...

AA!

 

Exactly what other company is so generous that it allows junior pilots to drop xmas after pbs bids close and offer 200% pay to have them come in to work trips they would otherwise been assigned?