ULCC captain to Legacy?
 

So if someone is under 40 a captain at a ULCC does it still make sense to start over at a legacy right now?
In my case I just upgraded to captain at F9 a few months ago, 38 years old, have an offer from both UA and AA. The math does not favor the legacies at current pay rates unless I make the move to wide body left seat. I will commute no matter what. I know it’s a loaded question with a lot of different things to consider.
It’s a tough choice to chew on, not sure it’s worth the gamble just for the ego boost?

You just answered your question with the last sentence. How many years will you see “left seat wide body” and do you want to have the QOL hit to do it when/if you can hold it. Seriously ask yourself how much of this is a financial decision and how much is a pride decision. If you can’t be happy flying planes with animals on the tail and need to fly at a Legacy, then that’s your decision.

I fly yellow planes. Works well.

so that puts this discussion out to 2040 give or take.

there is, perhaps, more advantage to a legacy than ego but if you like your job I’d say keep it

The retirement numbers at the legacies will eventually slow way down. And then stagnation will return.

Can you move up enough in 10 years at United to be happy in that spot?

legacy and dont look back. You still have 27 years left, would move up a lot quicker senority wise at the legacys, which when they get new contracts will probably blow away frontiers current rates. You also have much better benefits and different fleet types incase you want to switch/try something new. Getting on now you would be ahead of a huge hiring splurge with all the retirements. I would also feel much more secure at united/delta/american longevity than frontier.

Unless the pay scales are way off on APC, it’s certainly not a pay issue. NB CA at a junior coastal domicile can be had at UA as soon as you’re off probation right now. That is obviously a moving target, but NB CA year 2 pay at UA is more that the max at F9.

But you would spend several years on reserve before being a junior NB CA lineholder. WB lineholder FOs make about what top F9 CAs make, so there is that as well.

The answer to this question depends strictly on the commuting issue. If you’re not moving and plan to stay in your F9 base then you’re nuts to subject yourself to that many years of commuting. If however you’re open to a legacy’s domicile should you get hired, what better QOL than a widebody FO or captain sitting reserve in domicile?

Reread the OPs post….

He'll likely be around 20-25% on the F9 list by 2029, if all goes according to plan. Doubt he'll make it there at the legacies in the same timeframe.

Blow away? They will likely be higher but none of the legacies are in the kind of financial shape that would support massive increases at the moment. It seems the highest margin flying (business/international) will rebound very slowly with all these COVID restriction resurgences.

Yep, our LTD needs a lot of work. International travel bennies also nice, if you do that sort of thing.

Eh, no crystal ball or anything, but F9 faired much better through the pandemic than pretty much every airline out there. Granted we're not in the "too big to fail" club but I wouldn't have felt very secure at the bottom of a legacy list over the last 18 months.

Pay scales are off. ‘22 max F9 CA is 262, 23’ is 270. United does max out higher though the F9 min guarantee is 75 vs UA 70. So it almost cancels out in the end.