Anyone with experience in this industry CAN forsee the downturn...it will always come around eventually, the boom times never last for too long.

Before you make a move (especially one that will involve giving up seniority), contemplate the consequences if the music stops at the worst moment. I actually gapped my employment between two airlines by a couple of weeks to preserve a pre-planned vacation, because my wife insisted. Naturally I didn't sleep so good until my class date...always a little worried about what I might see on CNN.

 

That's a fairly substantial increase in the "odds," wouldn't you say?

 

At the end of the day, the majors still top out much higher than the fracs, even under concessionary contracts; the really top-end corporate gigs are almost impossible to obtain unless you know someone; UPS isn't hiring (and ANC is a ridiculous commute); and when FedEx starts hiring, it's Hong Kong or Paris as a junior FO (and junior CA). ACMI cargo/charter gigs result in 3-4 weeks on the road at a pop.

Flying in Asia or the Mid East may pay the bills...but at what cost? I don't think most folks want to raise their kids in Doha, Dubai, etc...half a world away from friends and family...regardless of compensation--which is solid but not outstanding. If you haven't spent time in Doha and/or Dubai, you may not fully grasp the culture shock involved with living there....or in the Far East, for that matter.

So for comparative QOL, I think the majors will always be a fairly popular option.

 

the odds that one of them will file sexual harrasment against ya is twice as high as well.

 

Don't beat yourslef up, man. I am in the same boat at ExpressJet. When I was hired a little more than a year ago, we were forecast to hire 800 Pilots this year, and had something like $300 million in the bank.

I'm going to try and get my money back on this Crystal Ball....

 

Whats wrong with doha?! haha... Some could make it in Dubai, but after being stationed there for 2 years I couldn't EVER do it again... Think about your long term goals. For me my family and friends are very important to me, therefor I could never move to the other side of the world... Sure Dubai is nice..... TO VISIT, but I could never accept that lifestyle as my own....

And to the original nature of this thread, I feel your pain. I was the very first class that was cancelled (At TSA). I was called a week before the class started, and an hour before I was going to leave my current job... Talk about great timing for a bad thing.... I also passed up interviews other places to interview at ASA and Mesaba and am now jobless... but the silver lining is at least I didnt get furloughed!! haha

 

Not trying to be a jerk, but maybe someone else might benefit from this. Even if you are hired and it's before a class date, don't pass on interviews. One of two things will happen: 1. You either get hired at the second company (which you can decline if you prefer Company A) or 2. You don't get hired by company B and you continue Company A. It's this very example why you go to all interviews.

Stryker sorry it happened to you the way it did at least you got the call before you quit your current job. Best of luck man!

 

Thanks... No I definitely learned a lesson here... Always take an interview if offered even if you have that original job.... I dont really mind continuing to instruct for a little while (gonna go back to school in the meantime), but I could be in a better place had I accepted that interview... Lesson Learned....