AA or UA or SW
09-22-2018, 11:56 AM
#11
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Sep 2018
Posts: 11
Originally Posted by sherpster
You arent getting to Ord anytime soon with AA. I was at UAL for a very short period but it looked like a few months to get to Ord.
Is it over a year to get there?
Numbers floating around apc AA has most retirees coming next few years...
Would this affect the current wait time to hold ord...
09-22-2018, 12:18 PM
#12
Gets Weekend Reserve
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,614
From SWA perspective, if QOL is your goal:
You can hold MDW right out of training.
SWA reserve = 15 days off minimum. MDW is heavily staffed and chances are you won't fly much during your days on.
SWA line holder = 17-18 days off assuming no overlap.
As a reserve, you can trade with line holders and vice versa.
Downside: 737 is all you'll fly for the rest of your career. The flipside is, your plane won't call you names every leg.
Money aspect has been hashed and rehashed, but at SWA if you live in base, you control your W-2 and as such, your retirement contributions and profit sharing.
Upgrade will likely take longer at SWA than the legacies. It's currently at 10 years, it'll likely drop to 5-6 year mark in the near future.
If you want to fly long-haul international, forget SWA.
If you care about the airline's financial health and who's probably best positioned for the next economic downturn, I'd say SWA has UAL and AA beat by a country mile.
My advice... go with the first one to call you.
You can hold MDW right out of training.
SWA reserve = 15 days off minimum. MDW is heavily staffed and chances are you won't fly much during your days on.
SWA line holder = 17-18 days off assuming no overlap.
As a reserve, you can trade with line holders and vice versa.
Downside: 737 is all you'll fly for the rest of your career. The flipside is, your plane won't call you names every leg.
Money aspect has been hashed and rehashed, but at SWA if you live in base, you control your W-2 and as such, your retirement contributions and profit sharing.
Upgrade will likely take longer at SWA than the legacies. It's currently at 10 years, it'll likely drop to 5-6 year mark in the near future.
If you want to fly long-haul international, forget SWA.
If you care about the airline's financial health and who's probably best positioned for the next economic downturn, I'd say SWA has UAL and AA beat by a country mile.
My advice... go with the first one to call you.
09-22-2018, 01:13 PM
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2017
Posts: 588
I had a CJO at UAL and SWA. I did a lot of research and a ton of homework. I chose SW, and I couldn’t be happier. A FedEX interview came my way shortly after, and I simply wasn’t interested. I have so much flexibilty with my schedule. I’m still a newbie but averaged about 18 days off a month through the summer. You want to have 14 days off but make a lot of money? No problem. You want 21 days off with easy? No problem.
As a newhire, Sw will give you IOE close to where you live (MDW). They give you a hard line the next month in the base that you can hold. Then, it’s typicially about 4-5 mo on reserve, but I was able to trade almost all of my reserve for trips as a new guy. I would have had 17 days off a month or more since I’ve been here except for the times I chose to add a trip for the pay.
Everyone is on the same airplane + you can trade across all 10 (soon to be 11) bases = a lot of trading options and flexibility.
Some other pros of SW: Trips that touch vaction get dropped if you want, so 2 weeks vac in a month = the month off, they can’t call you on a day off, you get paid more everytime they call you on reserve, 98% friendly people, holiday pay, HARD LINES BEAT PBS (I’ve experienced both)
Some view the lack of widebodies and long haul flying as a negative of SW, but not me. I have no desire to be in an airplane 10+ hours at one time and across an ocean from home. Pretty sure if SW ever gets WBs, I won’t bid it.
My personal experience is that I’m very happy at SW, and I won’t leave for anywhere. There’ll be other opinions, but that is mine. Good luck!
As a newhire, Sw will give you IOE close to where you live (MDW). They give you a hard line the next month in the base that you can hold. Then, it’s typicially about 4-5 mo on reserve, but I was able to trade almost all of my reserve for trips as a new guy. I would have had 17 days off a month or more since I’ve been here except for the times I chose to add a trip for the pay.
Everyone is on the same airplane + you can trade across all 10 (soon to be 11) bases = a lot of trading options and flexibility.
Some other pros of SW: Trips that touch vaction get dropped if you want, so 2 weeks vac in a month = the month off, they can’t call you on a day off, you get paid more everytime they call you on reserve, 98% friendly people, holiday pay, HARD LINES BEAT PBS (I’ve experienced both)
Some view the lack of widebodies and long haul flying as a negative of SW, but not me. I have no desire to be in an airplane 10+ hours at one time and across an ocean from home. Pretty sure if SW ever gets WBs, I won’t bid it.
My personal experience is that I’m very happy at SW, and I won’t leave for anywhere. There’ll be other opinions, but that is mine. Good luck!
Last edited by Skyward; 09-22-2018 at 01:23 PM.
09-22-2018, 02:01 PM
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Posts: 3,094
United, bid a big plane and sit short reserve from home, work a few days a month, never look back.
SWA close second mostly because of the QOL and schedule flexibility combined with their financial health.
AA last, they are downsizing Chicago significantly on the widebody side and the base overall has echoes of Boston. IMO.
SWA close second mostly because of the QOL and schedule flexibility combined with their financial health.
AA last, they are downsizing Chicago significantly on the widebody side and the base overall has echoes of Boston. IMO.
09-22-2018, 02:15 PM
#16
On Reserve
Joined APC: Apr 2016
Posts: 22
Doesn’t matter.
SWA you can drop down to zero if you want to. Can’t do that at UA and AA.
You could go to UA and pick up shortcall all the time and never leave -and make extra in SC assignments.
AA and UA will have better seniority no doubt.
Flip a coin
SWA you can drop down to zero if you want to. Can’t do that at UA and AA.
You could go to UA and pick up shortcall all the time and never leave -and make extra in SC assignments.
AA and UA will have better seniority no doubt.
Flip a coin
09-22-2018, 03:04 PM
#18
Strike averted!
Joined APC: Mar 2015
Position: B737
Posts: 3,643
I’m a third year SWA noob. I have a week of vacation this month with a total of 24 days off and a credit of 92 trips.
Next month I have a week of vacation with 22 days off so far and 89 trips.
I can hold any base, can bid weekends off, and average about 105 trips a month with about 15-18 days off.
Our company is solid. Lots of money in the bank, huge investments in new infastructure, low debt, new airplanes coming every month, etc.
Good place to be if you get the offer.
Next month I have a week of vacation with 22 days off so far and 89 trips.
I can hold any base, can bid weekends off, and average about 105 trips a month with about 15-18 days off.
Our company is solid. Lots of money in the bank, huge investments in new infastructure, low debt, new airplanes coming every month, etc.
Good place to be if you get the offer.
09-22-2018, 06:22 PM
#19
On Reserve
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Sep 2018
Posts: 11
Thanks for the details guys, truly appreciated
It's much easier formulating a picture from these types of discussions than it is from reading through contract comparison tables.
I'm doing my due diligence with the tables, but as most of you older fellows know , the devil is in the details.
Sharing your personal observations and experiences sure fill in the blanks for those of us on the outside.
Once I make my decision on the best fit for me, I will eventually appy to all 3 but start with my 1st choice, focusing my energy proportionally.
Once again
Thanks to all
It's much easier formulating a picture from these types of discussions than it is from reading through contract comparison tables.
I'm doing my due diligence with the tables, but as most of you older fellows know , the devil is in the details.
Sharing your personal observations and experiences sure fill in the blanks for those of us on the outside.
Once I make my decision on the best fit for me, I will eventually appy to all 3 but start with my 1st choice, focusing my energy proportionally.
Once again
Thanks to all
09-23-2018, 01:00 PM
#20
Line Holder
Joined APC: Aug 2014
Position: Crj
Posts: 51
I couldn’t imagine in 20 years when you are close to retirement how much you will hate the 737. It $ucks, really. I match what the guys above at SW have in days off, and beat their pay (for guys matching my seniority) at UAL.
My two cents,
Bob
My two cents,
Bob
