If you’re looking for airline stability, DL or FedEx.

Getting hired today, you’d likely never see left seat in a WB at DL unless you’re in your 20’s. You’d see it for sure at AA or UAL, but you’d be at AA or UAL….

If I left for any reason, I’d go Fedex (assuming I got a interview and got hired).

 

Fedex is the one I felt I let get away. Don't listen to the "I can't fly at night" stuff...there is so much variety of flying, there is a place for everyone.

We had Captains take VSP and go to Fedex...

 

I hope whoever did that writes a book. Could be titled, "Dear Mr. Kelly..."

 

Meh.. and just like any other 121 gig, it takes seniority to attain that variety. I have friends at both UPS and FedEx who are pretty miserable with their life at the moment. I just tell them to give it time.

 

I’ve got friends who do the MEM sort sits in the dead of the night, and other friends who do 10-14 day trips around the world (which used to look awesome until the last year when they’re locked in their hotel room at gunpoint (literally in some countries)).

There isn’t a flying job that’s 100% awesome all the time. Just gotta find one that’s mostly awesome, most of the time.

 

This is true for life in general. Good perspective!

 

Reminds me of getting new pilots in the military to fly corporate jet around the world in 5 days with two pilots. They are always excited while planning first time, then by day 3 they say how tired they are and thought it would be more "fun".....I'd say, if it were "fun" all the time, it would be a hobby and people would do it for free!

 

Let me steer this conversation towards lance captains. Who’s opted in and who’s opted out? Why/why not?

 

I’ve opted in, but highly doubt that any possibility of lancing will come prior to any true upgrade on the west coast. To answer your question why, the answer is obvious. Have the ability to fly either seat while holding senior FO monthly bidding and vacation.

 

I'm opted in too but I am still confused by how to bid it. It looks like you can use the Lance prediction tool on the SWAPA website to see if you'll be in the top 3% in any base, then you bid FO in that base and hope SWAPA was right... otherwise you just self selected a commute for no good reason.

It's all academic though, it looks like lance goes senior to the most junior Captains in every base (probably for just the reasons that were mentioned in the post above)

Since 78 of the 85 upgrades went to already captain qualified FOs, SWAPA says they'll use those training slots to refill the lances. So there might be some pretty surprised FOs getting a phone call in the next few weeks.

Off topic, Here's something weird. The SWAPA seniority snapshot on their website, the one on their app, and MySeniority.com all show a different seniority %.

Also on myseniority.com you can choose a growth rate for the pilot group, but it continues on in perpetuity. I'd love for some computer savvy pilot to build the same kind of forecasting tool but allow you to stop the growth at a specific point. For example, grow the seniority list at 5% per year until reaching 10,000 pilots then stop. I think that would provide a little better fidelity into when you'll be in that upgrade window.


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