WSJ 2021 Airline Rankings
 

DL
AS
WN
UA
G4
AA/F9 (tie)
NK
B6 (big drop, due to delays)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-bes...hare_permalink (paywall).

Here's a non-paywalled list.
https://thepointsguy.com/news/tpg-20...t-us-airlines/

Two separate lists. One is the WSJ list and one is a TPG list. Just so there is no confusion.

And the WSJ seems to at least base rankings on universal metrics like on time, mishandled bags, etc. Whereas TPG factors in lounges, children’s entertainment, and on board goodies; not really a consistent metric given that ULCC don’t have and won’t have lounges

These lists are by no means the "best airlines to work for as a pilot".

Sounds like we need a new thread…best airlines to work for as a pilot. With a poll too.

Already have that, it's the salary survey thread. And it's as nuanced, confusing, biased, omissive, what have you as ANY list of the "best airlines ranked" etc.

This 100%. I think the most granular you can get is broad categories, but that's stuff everyone already knows.

I remember being told by a Delta pilot that I was stupid for not commuting because of all the money in greenslips I was giving up. But really, it was amazing for me because the group, at a whole, is so greedy that I've spent many many nights at home on reserve while they are white slipping to the gills short notice broken up trips

Hey it works for both of us! I'll frequently drop a crappy 3-4 day with 0450 reports and wait for the easy 2 day WS. I never criticize anyone for commuting, not commuting, flying GS or not flying GS. There's a whole lot of us and we all have different definitions of what is important to us.

True 'dat. Just like how passengers rank airlines. Which was the point of me putting up a different airline ranking; it appears some missed that not everyone has the same values when they choose an airline to fly on.

1) Delta
2) Delta
3) Delta

/End Thread

if you ask delta pilots, it’s an actual slave ship

Best airline to work for is the major that operates out of your home town. Absent that, Cargo. Absent that, one that you can short/frequent commute to (but drive in a pinch), absent that it's all a crap shoot.

I haven't been in many clubs post COVID, but the Delta Sky Clubs seem to be back to full operations with actually great food, drinks and spirits......

At AA they have you wait in line to get in the club they are so full at some hubs

What's this dropping a trip you speak of? You must be in one of the blessed categories
(not a dig at you, just being very sarcastic at the fact many of us can't due to our understaffing in BES)

haven't been able to do that in about, oh well. Its been a long time. our staffing blows

"we ran it a little hot"

you are assuming people are telling the truth. I am willing to bet there is plenty of exaggeration.

If I was a 20 something regional airline guy looking at the big 3, Delta would be #3. UA and AA first. Delta has the least widebodies and half the entire list was hired since Jan 2014 - with an average newhire age of 37. You're gonna be stuck behind some young people for a long time for the smallest amount of widebodies compared to AA or UA.

I've got a United club membership. The food's not that good but at least the well drinks are free.

Same with United at DEN. But they've got one of their clubs closed for renovations.
At EWR, only one club's open. While there's no line, they sometimes deny one time passes (same with DEN).
The other clubs don't seem to be a problem to get access.

Yeah, but Delta would still be at the top 😜

Junior bros at Delta are always bragging about 150 hours of credit with 14 days off while I watch United PPU go to the top 20% while I work straight pay like a fool.

Today a DL bro FO asked me “You don’t have any interest in joining a mainline??” while I was asking for a jumpseat.

I work at JetBlue. And was in uniform. I’m still confused.

What did you say?? 😂

#ronburgundy lol

Excellent 🤣

Sorry about that.

We have guys that a) think the A-220 is flown by DCI because "it's a regional jet" and b) don't know that Endeavor is our wholly owned subsidiary

But we are #1 in the "number of buttons on our jacket" category, so that has to count for something!

Anyone who uses the term "mainline" do describe anything other than flight numbers is so completely out of touch you can only smile and nod.

“No, have you?”

can you drop to zero at Delta?

can you call in sick without a doctors note?

can move up the seniority list in the next 5yrs like you can at AA?

can you leave your hat at home?

can you leave your blazer unbuttoned?

do you have a sit time rig?

do you have sick if needed?

Do realize you have an old, multi type fleet that needs refreshing?

would you prefer dtw/atl to clt/dfw/mia?

do you realize things change and jobs at aa/delta/ual/fedex/ups/jb/spirit/swa are all top notch and to act otherwise is ridiculous?

are you 10?

And probably came from SkyWest.

Aero1900's F9 and just having fun.

Did you lose your sense of humor in the army? Or did you never have one?

And I did like PNWFlyer's addition of the Brady Bunch photo to Aero's post.

1. The term mainline was used in reference to certain fleets... by the people who were on the older, smaller fleet.
2. It was 1000% a joke, always.

Of all the contracts at the big 4 plus UPS/FDX, AA has been quantifiably one of the worst for almost a decade.

I'm not here to defend Delta because they have a lot of work to do and don't blame people for choosing other properties, but it wasn't that long ago that you flew the same clapped out MDs that we did, so mind your colors, pot.

And to answer your first few questions, yes, no, maybe, yes and who cares.

just to clear a few things up
-yes
-usually
- almost ( I’ll move up ~4000 2020-2025)
-ya got me, gotta wear the hat
- have to wear the blazer 4 months out of the year, of which there are numerous exceptions where you don’t have to wear it during that time. And unlike AA our long haul guys can leave it at home the other 8 months out of the year. But I guess ya got to keep it buttoned.
-no
- no but we have significantly higher sick accrual
​​​​-DLs average fleet age is less than 3 years older than AAs
-IMO while bases to live in are personal preferences, as a commuter I find ATL/DTW/MSP run significantly better than DFW/CLT/PHL/ORD

If you guys are really going to make a big deal about old fleets, United should be your target, as we have an older fleet than both American and Delta. And here's the funny thing - those planes still fly just like new ones. What's the fuel savings for a new fleet? I don't know. How much more does it cost to refresh an entire fleet? I don't know, but I suspect it's a bit more than what older fleets burn in fuel.
Maybe some young buck ULCC or cargo pilot who fancies himself as an accountant (there's two running around these boards) can post an indepth cost analysis including breakevn point on replacing older aircraft?

I just like stirring the pot

Well, you're army so that's just normal stuff. At least the judge gave you a choice ...

Depends, largely on utilization. Pax airlines tend to fly their planes a lot, so fuel savings add up quickly.

Some cargo or charter ops that do hub sit + turns, or tend to wait on the ramp for a charter lend themselves to old, cheap gas guzzlers since they don't fly that much anyway... better to pay for a little more gas when it does fly than for mortgage and depreciation while the plane is sitting idle.

Also now we have carbon... lower-carbon bragging rights have some value today, likely more in the future.

Less quantifiable is the risk that regulators will abruptly slap down draconian carbon restrictions in the future... those with older jets might not be able to replace them quickly enough to avoid penalties and restrictions.

A lot of regional friends of mine mistake the term mainline for major or legacy depending on the context. I’ve heard people refer to jetblue as a “mainline” carrier. I’ve head FedEx referred to as a mainline carrier (which I guess they kind of are since they have an outsourced express counterpart). But it seems most use it to describe the big 3 legacies. When I was at a regional I heard people use the term mainline more often than major or legacy when discussing moving on, but not just with regards to the big 3. I think it exists because it’s so common to refer to the major for whom regionals fly to be referred (correctly) to mainline (as in their mainline counterpart), but then they incorrectly misapply the term to refer to any major, or any legacy. My guess is the guy in question hasn’t quite figured out the differences between the terms mainline, major, legacy, big 3, big 6, etc.