RJSAviator76

Tough proposition. How much to give up to start over? Is it worth the risk? What about the retirements factor? We don't have anywhere near the retirement numbers that legacies have. Is that worth looking at? Lots and lots of variables.

At Southwest, if you live in base and are willing to hustle, there is no doubt you'll make a lot of money. Even if premium dries up, you can still put up good numbers by changing your strategy. How feasible is that at UAL? How about as a junior NB captain? What about as a WB FO?

There is no doubt that if all you do is fly your line and go home, you'll do much better at UAL, or pretty much anywhere else. But can you do better at those airlines if you want to hustle? How easy is to put up 1.5 times your monthly guarantee consistently at UAL? How about Delta or American? Fedex? As a junior guy? Is being a junior captain worth it at those airlines? Lots of variables and many personal choices involved.

This is why I'm a fan of those W-2 threads, and especially when many data points such as block hours flown and days worked are shared with the figures. This is the type of data that could influence people's decisions one way or another and this year, I hope people start sharing their data and not get sidetracked by those who somehow see it as a dick-measuring contest.

Opakapaka

agreed. I’m an in base living guy and don’t plan on going anywhere. I haven’t missed any important functions since I’ve been here because of the flexibility. I know everyone complains about it now but considering what’s gone on in the industry the last two years it’s kinda expected. When UAL was hiring tons back in 2006/2007 buddies that went all got furloughed. You gotta look at this thing over time. SWA knows how to make money, which keeps me ahead of my bills. Yes, it does suck now but I think once this covid thing passes, fingers crossed, and hiring stabilizes it’s still a good place to be. The grass is always greener, but you still gotta mow the lawn. Good luck to all those that leave for greener pastures.

Crockrocket95

This kind of reminds me of being in a traffic lane. During a traffic jam.

You are sitting in 3 lanes. The right lane and center lane are stopped. The left lane is moving, and you are see an opening, you quickly slide over and pass a few people. You made a good choice! hahah, look at those suckers sitting over there not moving. All of a sudden, BRAKE LIGHTS! and you come to a complete stop. Dang it! Then the center lane starts moving, and then you see the car that you were originally in front of move past you... and then you slide back over to the far right lane because nothing is moving in your lane, while ****ing someone off in the center lane, and they won't let you merge back in when that line starts moving again...

ZapBrannigan

I see your analogy, and if were the difference only a year or two, it would be a good one.

The pilot hired at United tomorrow can theoretically hold an upgrade bid. At Delta it’s a few years. American’s upcoming retirements are breathtaking. According to this thread, FedEx will have 3 year wide body Captains. Spirit, Frontier, and JetBlue have long had rapid upgrades. At WN, the earliest upgrade is still a decade give or take a year. That has a real and dramatic impact on career earnings.

It’s not so much changing lanes in a traffic jam. It’s being stuck in a traffic jam while those with a toll tag sail right past at 80mph in the Express lane.

Proximity

Well the thing about your analogy is that to change lanes means that if you change lanes you'll have to start at the back of another lane. The other lanes are likely to move faster for the foreseeable future.

And the guys and girls directing traffic in the other lanes seem to be organized, while the people running our lane haven't seemed to have forgotten to direct traffic direct traffic yet. However, they feel they can placate you with some passes that would allow you travel as a passenger in the same lane later, but only if you pay tax on that benefit.

And in our lane, we only get Toyota Corollas. Fine automobile, but kind of boring to drive for your whole lane driving experience.

Hopefully this is a blip and we can turn it around. Like another poster mentioned, I was out of there before TA2...then it passed and I stuck around. Then I go another do-over with VSP...didn't take it. Kind of feel pretty dumb right now, but maybe they can turn things around.

KPer

I’m in year 7 at SWA and live in both a United and SWA base. I’d hold CA at UA in about 2 years and erase the pay lost in my first 2 years there in my first year as a CA and it only gets better from there. It’s more than just SWA’s toxic relationship with management… which has been snowballing for almost 10 years with no end in sight (more RR points anyone?). I’m also embarrassed of our product. Even before COVID our product was stale, while United was consistently making improvements. I know our reliability and staffing issues will improve, but the product and relationship with management will continue to suck in my opinion.

After this joke of a holiday work incentive plan was proposed, I have no faith Bob Jordon will make any meaningful improvements to the businesses model and relationship with labor. Especially while Gary Kelly still attends Board meetings as Chairman Emeritus. We need a business class, we need better inflight offerings, and charge for the second checked bag for chrissake. Not putting USB charging ports in the MAX is almost criminal. So, we tell people to bring their own device to access our onboard entertainment and yet we give them no way to keep it charged. Soon we’ll be taking the MAX7 from DEN to Hawaii… who the hell wants to show up with a dead phone/tablet? Our product sucks. Did I mention that already?

EyesOn

Haven’t started yet. I live in Phoenix and have CJOs at multiple places. SWA makes sense, but SLC and LAX are easy Delta commutes.

ROFF

Lots of good points.

And yet another consideration is what happens if the retirement age is bumped up again??? A very real prospect considering the retirements at the other airlines.

Crockrocket95

And they'll say " Well you bring your own food, you can bring your own power"

ROFF

We know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

We abide by the golden rule. If it’s gold, it rules.