SWA or UPS
 

Just got the call from Southwest:D , don't have the type rating yet. Just received the letter from UPS stating I'm in the Pool:D . What would you do?

Just wondering what everyone has to say? I think both companys are great. Just trying to make a good choice, and weigh the pros and cons of both.

Thanks

Do you want to make a lot of money or just a little bit of money. If you want to make a lot, take the UPS job. If you want to just make a little bit of money and fly around the 48 states like a Commuter Airline, I would pick Southwest.

Both are good gigs right now, but SWA has a lot of potential competition, which may actually become competetive someday. UPS is in a much better postion re. job security and long-term success because the economic and logistics barriers to setting up competing global package-delivery operations are absolutely enormous.

YOUR decision
 

Congrats!! Good "problem" to have.

All I would say is, what's right for one person isn't necessarily right for someone else. Make your decision based on what's right for YOU (not what someone on this board thinks you should do).

I had somewhat of a similar situation....hired by SWA, then subsequently offered interview with UPS. Declined the UPS interview knowing SWA was where I really wanted to be. Didn't want to waste their/my time.

Good luck. I know there are many out there that would kill just to have a shot at ONE of these great companies.

A letter stating you are in the UPS pool does not equate to receiving a job offer. Some spend only a few days in the pool while others spend a year or longer. I would continue to pursue SWA until UPS calls you for a drug test/class date. Until then, it is a moot point. Best of luck. Either way, you have a bright future ahead of you!

Sometimes it's wise to take the bird in hand.............

I second this opinion. The flying, work environment and culture is totally different between these two companies. If you have a job offer at Southwest and want to work there I wouldn't turn it down just because you're in the pool at UPS.

The pool wait at UPS could be up to 3 or 4 years theoretically, so I would jump on the Southwest job offer until UPS calls for a class date.

UPS is where you want to hang your hat if you want the most stability of any pilot employer + the ability to make more than anyone else. Unfortunately the work culture suffers, but what place doesn't compared to Southwest?

Hey he didn't say FedEx he said UPS.
But over a long career I do agree freight is where it has and will be for decades. Never have had the ups and downs of the pax airlines, but then neither has SWA (great place by the way)

The way things look now? UPS looks good. I have flown with a guy who left UPS in the early 90's and he is now a CPT (at SWA) living where he wants to. All a question of desire and the inevitalble second guessing we all tend to do. Life style vs. $. Who really knows your individual desires? Then there is that bird in the hand question.;)