I’ve heard of people leaving brown for purple but not purple for brown. Reason I ask is that I just don’t trust the pax world so I won’t leave purple for pax. But with how negotiations are going here at purple and with all the changes with Drive and C suite people and our product going downhill, I’m wondering how life is at brown. I understand the relationship between the union and management isn’t all that great but is it anywhere? From what I hear, browns union seems to actually have some strength and unity rather than purples union who sold us student lines…
Just thoughts I’m having about the long game.

Purple gave you student lines. Brown hires check airman off the street not on the seniority list.

So neither then?

A. We aren’t hiring. Few speculate any hiring this year. 2025 or 2026 depending on who’s guess you’re listening to.

B. Job/contract is very similar to purple. Pay, retirement, healthcare, vacation all competitive to you guys. Sounds like schedules are similar. We don’t get as much commercial tickets as you guys do.

C. Unified and engaged pilot group, we don’t have the internal divisions purple has.

D. Relationship with company: toxic during contract negotiations. It’s a game for them and they have no mercy. Requires thick skin, resilience, and good understanding of the big picture. If you don’t take things personally then you’ll be just fine.

Overall, if you’re thinking of jumping ship and want a similar experience as FX, Brown is your place. Personally, I’d look at the legacies….

One of, if not my biggest gripes with Purple is the complete inability to pick up open time. Unless you trade for a higher credit trip or have some time in one of your banks, you cannot pick up straight open time. This is an obscene limitation on one’s ability to make any additional money if desired, regardless whether open time is available or not.

The make-up bank system at FDX is stupid in and of itself, but is especially restrictive for junior folks. If you are in the bottom 10% of the company your ability to pick up OT is essentially zero.

Here, if you have a line and it's under guarantee, you can pick up OT all you want but you work for free until you hit guarantee. If you have reserve, then OT goes on top of guarantee. OT is out there for sure, but with low block lines these days, much goes to reserve.

If your line has 14 or more duty days in a pay period, any OT pickup goes on top of line credit or guarantee (whichever is greater).

13.K.7.a

Making extra at FX has hardly been a problem, our guys have busted their butts flying extra the past three years. You end up having a lot of makeup credit by bidding conflicts that allow you to fly extra. You can also volunteer. Like any airline the extra flying comes and goes, if there is extra flying you can get it at time and a half.

So your first TA that got voted down and you are ready to bail? What do you think a career in the airline industry is? Look at the legacies and see what negotiations and contracts have been like, it hasn't been roses.