To clarify, I dropped a question in the thread but didn't mean to hijack it.

Not yet, tentatively in an Aug class. I'm trying to get as much perspective to decide if leaving my flying job with a military OEM is the right move. I've done night flying with AFSOC but UPS night flying is on a different level.

I don't get enough flying where I'm at. My financial calculations say go to UPS... but I want to make a good decision for my family.. and my health.

Sorry for sounding disgruntled, I just don't have union experience. With all the good things that IPA has earned it seems like scheduling is a big loss.

I’ve often wondered what is a senior schedule at Southwest like? Junior folks here at UPS can enjoy weekends off on the domestic system and some longer layovers (used to be longer) on the international side. Living in base definitely helps and although SDF isn’t the epicenter of excitement the cost of living is nice compared to the coasts or bigger metropolitan areas.

Senior schedule at SWA is the same as a junior schedule except it begins on Tuesdays.

I was responding ignorantly to someone who is a current UPS pilot that is very unhappy. I understand the thread is about someone comparing UPS to SWA, and I agree they should probably stay put. I posted without reading carefully what was being said and by whom. My bad.

Working for that OEM you are probably home almost every night at a decent hour. I’m guessing your job feels a lot like your last couple jobs before mil retirement. You get to fly, but primarily work in an office. Compensation is around 120k to 180k and the benefits aren’t bad.

I faced a similar choice when I retired, except I wouldn’t have been flying at all in my airline alternative job. Ultimately, I chose UPS and am relatively happy here. As others have said, living in domicile is what makes this (or any airline gig) a great job. If that is something you refuse to do, you may be better off where you are. You will make dramatically less (unless you climb the ranks in that OEM), but having greater predictability for life’s major events enables you to save a lot of money.

If you come here, move to domicile, and apply some thought to how and what you bid life will be very good.

Your experience to make that determination is what, exactly? Some people griping on the internet?

Everything is a matter of perspective.

At UPS, just like SWA or DAL or UAL or FDX, you will have a better quality of life if you live in domicile. If you commute, palatable schedules become fewer and changes to those scehdules more significantly impactful. If you're junior, your palatable choices will be fewer than if you are senior. At our rate of hiring, looking at our projected retirements in coming years, one shouldn't be junior for very long...

Express integrators fly at night, and a junior pilot is going to do exactly that. If that isn't your cup of tea, then gut it out until you can hold day flying or international trunk flying, or you might consider employment elsewhere that is better suited to the preferences of you and your family. We're lucky right now that SO MANY people are able to change employers to better their individual situation.

This job ain't for everybody...but it is a damn good job.