J3nkums

A year of not getting year 1 probie DC pay vs a 30+ year sentence in a 737... I know what I would pick.

WHACKMASTER

Seriously. I don’t know what people are thinking sometimes. (Although 2-3 legs a day is more accurate as we average about 2.5 legs per day).

Still, I’m on my 17th year of the 737 sentence with about the same amount to go and I’m yearning for something different to fly as well as different flying.

ZapBrannigan

Show me on a doll where the 737 hurt you? 😢

Good grief. When I was a kid we said, “I’d fly a 172 for the rest of my life if the number on the paycheck was big enough”

Now guys get all cranky if they can’t have a tray table. 🙄

WHACKMASTER

It’s loud. It’s cramped. It’s uncomfortable. It’s archaic (especially the overhead). Prove me wrong.

ZapBrannigan

You're right on all counts, Making a costly career decision based on any of those things is absurd.

Choose based on domicile, on CBA pay rates, QOL, retirement… anything other than “Don’t wanna fly it cause it’s noisy and small”.

Youve been flying the thing for two decades. You’ve earned the right to complain. Some kid who went from a G1000 172 to an E175 and now is pondering his next step really has nothing to complain about.

WHACKMASTER

Completely agree that those coming up through the regional airline ranks have nothing to complain about compared to what you and I went through, but you can’t genuinely say that having to fly the 737 for one’s entire career at their “destination airline” shouldn’t be a consideration especially considering the type of flying we do.

Would I give up 100K a year to be flying a Dreamliner? Hell no, but I sure as hell would love to have some variety available to me both in terms of aircraft and types of flying, because quite frankly flying for SWA is mind-numbingly boring.

ZapBrannigan

It is was it is. It’s a job. I knew what I was getting into (at least regarding the 737) when I applied. You had no choice, but the reality is that AirTran wasn’t going to be much better. Yeah some variety would be nice, but it’s not in the cards. The guys at Frontier. Spirit, RyanAir are all in the same boat. Maybe get an RV6 or something to scratch that itch? I’m in a flying club - getting back to my roots helps. Nothing fancy, just a 172 with steam gauges. None of that space age G1000 stuff.That’s for kids. They’ll have to pry Foreflight from my cold dead hands though. 🫣

Seriously though, it’s just a job. 17 years is a long time to be unhappy and is plenty of time to try something else. I seriously thought about applying to UPS earlier this year and I have less time than you do remaining. A year or two paycut and you’ll be close to right back where you are. Lots of guys from my new hire group are having this discussion right now. There will never again be another opportunity like this where you can just pick your airline and practically walk through the door AND upgrade to a big airplane in a few months or years?! A far far cry from when you and I started out and you go to the first airline that calls and hope for the best.

Mozam

Stop your whining, What other airline can you be forced to work a 16 hr duty day ? Better yet be pushed into a 21 hour duty day , due to CS knowing you want to go home . Just be happy they allow you to get your on hotel ( on your own dime ) when you are done with your 16 hour duty day , due to them not having one for you and your unable to talk to anyone about getting a room .


Shut up and get to work plumbers, and stop taking the waters off the plane for your layover .

jcullen4

Do four years in a RJ200. Perspective.

BrickTamblin

I made about 20k more (not counting DC) then I would’ve at AA in my first year and that’ll only go up…you’ll sit reserve at AA WB forever in DFW and be lucky to make CA by the time you retire. I have no interest in long haul flying (I’ve done it) so that’s cool for you. It’s about 7/8 years to hold WB FO out of DFW and international there is shrinking. You also had an AIP handed to your board that had multiple concessions.

To each their own