You can wait until you get here. Unless something changed recently, new hires are required to purchase a certain amount of M&H clothing. Don’t buy extra as it all is terrible.

Haggar Cool Pro 18 pants and Jetseam or cut above shirts are typically the best bang for your buck.

I bought the LuggageWorks roller bag at newhire training. There are other options and like anything else, everyone has an opinion of what’s best.

The company issues you a headset. I used the company headset my first year. My off probation gift to myself was a DC headset.

When I started the leather coat was the way to go. Now, they have a more modern jacket that everyone seems to favor. Check them out your first week and get your order in. The jacket took nearly six months to arrive.

Welcome aboard!

Say again?

It’s a dinky Telex. I never even took mine out of the box.

I didn’t want to buy any of the m&h crap. They hounded me for a couple weeks and I kept avoiding them. Finally someone told me I HAD to buy that garbage. I asked where it was written in the FOM or CBA that required new hires to buy crap from their store. Looked at me with deer in headlights that someone new would have the audacity to question them.

I didn’t feel like making a big deal about it so I bought the absolute bare minimum (couple ties, pants, belt, few shirts I never took out of the wrapper and sold a couple years later). It’s all garbage.

I was told the same thing about the Perrone jacket. Pops makes a better one. uh I know someone who bought it. Better jacket, measured to fit, got it in a week. I don’t know if they are still around. My point is nobody ever once asked where I got my uniform items.

The M&H pants suck. Haggar makes better ones and they are way more comfortable.

M&H makes the FA uniforms too—the FAs hate them for their quality.

You don’t have to buy a leather jacket.

You don’t have to buy the LuggageWorks bag.

You don’t have to buy a Bose A20.

A Bose A20 is probably the best thing I’ve ever purchased aviation related. No other headset fits as comfortably all day without any clamping and isolates the engine and wind noise as well. You can really hone in on that mouth breathing captain you’re sharing a closet with all day.

I agree. I finally did it a few months ago as my old headset was on its last legs. It’s a great purchase especially with the bluetooth. But a newhire priority it is not.

I made the mistake of using the Telex they gave us on my first IOE trip because of the smaller size compared to the A20 I already had. Regretted it immediately as the sound quality in the loud 737 cockpit just didn't cut it. Been using the Bose ever since and haven't looked back. Considering that you can get either a Bose or one of the fancy new DC's with a no interest payment plan it would be stupid to not invest in one from the get go. It really does make a world of difference.

I actually don't mind the M&H pants with the comfort fit waistband. They have 4 options to choose from, and while the Haggar pants are passable I really do think the M&H or ACA pants look more professional and "uniform". I wash mine at home on delicate and haven't had any wear issues as of yet.

Finally I would not go out and buy the $300+ metal luggage. I have the LW Aurora which is plastic and half the price/weight and has held up just fine for 5 years at SWA and 2 or so years before that at a fractional.

Same. I got one that is tapered with the soft collar and it's much better than previous M&H shirts I had.

I didn’t know there was a no-interest Payment option with Bose. I’d do that. I purchased mine with the SWAPA discount and keep the Telex as a spare. My previous Bose was great as well.

As for the Hagar pants, they were mail ordered—NOT the Costco version. There is a difference, and the Costco Hagar pants fade btw.

As for luggage, our bags aren’t being thrown from the cargo compartment of a Saab 340 onto the ramp anymore. While I have fond memories of my 26” PurtyNeatStuff mobile safe, we just need a sturdy bag that fits in the flight deck and an overhead. Lots of great options out there, including StrongBags which I like.

Just saying that as a newhire, you don’t HAVE to spend a fortune at the training center on day one.