Considering the jump
 

I'm an LCC guy considering making the jump to United, assuming getting the call sometime and an offer, long shots to be sure.

I'd appreciate any info on a couple questions. Apologies if some of this is covered but have not seen it lately.

First concern is health insurance, can anyone give a basic rundown of general costs, satisfaction, etc. I've got a sick kiddo and would want to know what we are getting into. (Guessing its better than where I am).

Second, the likelihood of getting EWR fairly quickly. I realize this changes but from what I understand a number of new hires find themselves in SFO. Is this accurate and if so how frequently is it possible to bid a new base?

Finally, how is reserve scheduled? DO you bid a short call line, a long call line, or a mix of both?

Thanks for any replies.

Lots of medical options to choose from- a little overwhelming, actually. I don't use mine for much more than the basic stuff, but if you're savvy about what you need, you should be able to find the one that best fits your situation. Most family plans cost in the neighborhood of $200 pre-tax per paycheck. Some others might be able to sound off about specific plans if you share what you are comfortable sharing about your family's needs.

Vacancy bids are not required to happen on any sort of schedule. With movement as it has been here the past couple years, we usually see a bid around every other month. EWR is very junior, as well as SFO. I would say the ability to get EWR as a new hire is likely, and practically guaranteed within the first 6 months. If there are no vacancy bids open, you also have the chance to base trade each month with other pilots in your same seat. There is usually some trading back and forth among East & West Coast junior guys. You have a few months of training before you get online, so if you do end up getting SFO in class, you've got a pretty good shot at getting EWR before you actually have to show up to fly.

As for RSV, all lines are long call with 12-13 days off. The company can convert you (on a day to day basis) to short call or field standby (on call at the airport) as many times as they want, with some financial incentives if they convert you too many times without using you to fly. You have the ability to aggressively pick up trips and short-call assignments. As it is at most airlines, reserve is much better if you live in base and know the contract.

Family of 3 BCBS traditional 80/20 plan cost me about $420/month. 250/500 Deduct with 1500/3000 max out of pocket. Good insurance.
EWR would be likely immediately available as first assignment.
All reserve is Long call 13/hr and daily assignments for open trips / Field standby / short calls.

Thanks guys I appreciate the info. Basically I have a kid with a disease that comes with life expectancy attached. Thankfully that number is higher than other diseases and hopefully getting bigger, so we count our blessings. However, that obviously makes health care a critical element. Sounds like yours is significantly cheaper on both the premium and the deductible.

The situation also makes commuting even less attractive than the gem it already is. A few months I can live with but to give up driving to work now for a cross country commute on the long term would not be good. Ivan drive to Newark so glad to hear it's a pretty quick transfer if necessary.

It's a long shot but if anyone on here knows a pilot at UAL who has a kid with CF I'd love to get in touch with him/her to discuss details.

This family plan costs $220 per month.

EPO-$1000,80%,$30,Rx B Plan Facts Carrier name Aetna Member services phone number 1-800-334-0110 Web site aetna.com/united Find a network provider Find a Doctor or Hospital Group ID 865248 - DF Binding arbitration Not required Cost Sharing Under family cov, does individual ded apply, i.e., embedded? Yes Coinsurance percentage 80% covered until out-of-pocket maximum is met; thereafter, 100% covered Annual deductible $1,000 Individual; $2,000 Family Out-of-pocket maximum Medical: In Network - $2,600 Individual; $5,200 Family; includes copays; Prescription Drug: In Network - $4,550 Individual; $9,100 Family Lifetime coverage limit Limit does not apply

I left B6 in 2013. Feel free to PM any questions.

As far as healthcare.....I put in the equivalent of the Blue plan into the United options and the premiums were $9/month for my wife and I (back in 2013). The plan I picked here (UAL)had similar premiums as the blue plan but had much better coverage. Prescription drug plan is throw CVS caremart and I understand that every January for some people it's a fight to get them to apply the coverage correctly for certain prescription but once they sort it out the coverage is pretty good.

I would say the biggest difference is I hardly here someone complaining about healthcare (not to say that everything is great). Reserve here could use improvements but this is far better than what I left at Jetblue.

Good luck with your choice and once again feel free to pm anything you don't want to share here.

That is an understatement. It's far worse than reserve during both my LCC and regional airline lives. It needs a full overhaul.

That said, glad to be here:)

Not to cause a thread drift but, what parts of reserve at your previous ailines made it better? Thanks

Not sure about that. I've got friends at all the other legacies, and our reserve system seems superior to most other places. Now, if you want to live in the middle of nowhere you can't expect to have a cushy reserve experience. With that said, I live in domicile and have very little to complain about the current reserve system. It could definitely stand to have some things tweaked, but to say UAL has inferior reserve rules compared to regionals, not likely.

Also, basic (domestic) reserve is a lot more predictable than global (international) reserve WRT honoring your scheduled days off.

402Drvr, if you aren't able to get assigned EWR during the class drop, you could talk to the indoc instructors. They should be able to make something happen so that you get EWR before you're done with training. EWR and SFO are the most junior bases.

Thanks Andy that's good to hear. Thanks to everyone for the info. The app is updated so hopefully the call comes sometime. Will start keeping an eye out for job fairs too.

Examples that are better at some LCCs and regionals include credit towards guarantee for field standby (4 hours) or no field standby all together, no flexible days off (so not worried about getting rolled once a month), short and long call lines so long calls aren't constantly converted, ability to pick up on off days, ability to trade reserve assignments not yet started for something else that appears, etc.

Triumph, do you not think I have grounds to say what I said, as if I haven't actually been on reserve anywhere? Why would you say "not likely" to the idea that reserve is better at a regional? It is, which means we should strive to improve. Reserve at UA ranks third out of 3 for me because I've experienced better, and I'm not alone. I've lived in base and out of base for all 3 companies. Again, I'm very happy to be here but we need improvements to QOL for reserves.

Just my two cents on reserve needing some work, I don't mean to drift on the thread. To the OP, I hope things work out the best that they can. United is a good place to be.

Getting EWR is super easy.

It used to be that we were forcing all new hires to EWR and they were all trying to get to other bases. Most of that was a result of post-merge when the United bases were opened up and all of a sudden there are bases all over the country so pilots bailed out of EWR as fast as possible.

Then after they forced enough people in there, the company decided to back off flying in IAH and ramp up ORD, IAD, and SFO so those bases have had a lot of new flying pushed to them. EWR isn't going anywhere. It was a base for both legacies for decades.

EWR should be a piece of cake to get.

I think you are misinformed about other peoples reserve rules. I did the same route as you (regional and lcc) and this is the most civilized out of all of them. At the regional it didnt matter what the work rules were because you were going to be utilized 90+% of the time. At the "feel good", everyone is on the same team LCC you had zero control over your short call assignments and there wasn't any way to control what trips you got tagged with. Being paid for field standby only matters if you are aiming to break guarantee and as a local in base a field standby is a way for me to pad monthly guarantee. I have averaged high 70's every month while only working 20 hours a month.

This isnt a perfect system but it beats everything I have known or heard of. I think you are in the minority with your opinion.

How can this possibly be a matter of being misinformed? I was there and I said that multiple times.

You're welcome to have your own opinion based on your own experience. Obviously that's different from mine. Being in the minority doesn't mean it's incorrect. If you like the reserve here better than where you came from, that's fine. I don't. It is civilized, as you mentioned. However it still is in need of improvement, and what I gave as examples are tidbits I have valued in the past.

YMMV. Cheers

Perhaps if you get the offer you can "consider the jump" I've got bros who are 320 CAs with master degrees who can't get a call here........

I'd have no interest in getting 4 hours towards guarantee for a field standby as I have yet to come anywhere near breaking guarantee. I'd much rather have an hour of pay after the 2nd short call / field stby (something no other legacy that I know of offers).

I'm pretty junior and intentionally bid reserve because I like getting paid to sit at home with my family.... But I live in domicile.

Again, I realize the rules could use improvement for those that commute. But if you live in domicile there really isn't a lot to complain about.

Triumph

And therein lies the rub. Do the 90%+ who don't commute to reserve give up something for the few who chose to commute to reserve?

Reserve isn't always choice in down times, but commuting is 100% a choice. The domestic people I know on RSV who live in domicile absolutely think it's a great gig.
Global reserves do have it worse. I'd definitely support treating all reserves the same.

No dog in this fight as I'm nowhere near reserve and am not familiar at all with whether or not it's decent or terrible: but there is no way in God's Green Earth 90+% of system reserves are local considering around 50% of the airline commutes.

you didn't do well in statistics did ya?
the guy said "the 90% who don't commute to reserve" not "90% of system reserves"
let me splain for you
90% (more like 95%) of the 12,000 don't commute to reserve - because they either hold a line or live in base.
🙄.

A little more blunt than I would have been, but you explained it correctly lol

I'd like the throw up the commuting is 100% by choice BS flag here. Not everyone has the freedom to uproot a family to move to base. Technically, yes it's a choice but it very well could yield horrific consequences on ones personal life (hint... divorce. Not like that isn't common in this industry).

Some examples of the "choice" not really being reasonable... You make your wife quit her good job that is not transferable, move your kids that are in middle/high school that are deeply rooted with friends in sports, school activities, etc, move away from family members maybe some with special needs, illness or in their later years of life, disassociate you and your family from long term friends and the social life that comes with that.

If one has the ability to uproot and not face the consequences of one or all of the above scenarios, that is fantastic! Enjoy the job even more so living in base. In the meantime people like myself will continue to commute to enjoy the stabilized life I have. I don't believe commuters should be looking for sympathy or special treatment, but a little bit of understanding as to why people can't just up and move would be appreciated.

Again, you are talking about making a CHOICE to not uproot your family. The company isn't forcing you. I completely get it and commuted for a while for some of those same reasons. But at the end of the day it's your choice. The company will pay to move you to be within 200 miles of your domicile. I love that we have that flexibility with our jobs and we already have a number of contract items addressing commuting and protecting it. If someone chooses to bid every upgrade the moment they can and spend most of their career commuting to reserve, they shouldn't complain on forums about how bad it is. (Not directed at you, just saying in general)

Downsized, fleet changes, displacements and back on reserve, that's the companies choice not the pilot.

I have yet to meet a local domestic reserve who doesn't think it's a great gig. I know many relatively senior people who bid reserve during the non peak months because they usually average one trip per month or less and pick up SCs every chance they can. Could it be better, ofc but it's the best I've seen in my 20+ years at UAL.

WB guys being rolled into days off, that's a different story.

Wait, didn't you bid WB by choice?

To make more money? Knowing full well what the global reserve rules were?

Would you just taste the soup....aha!

You were making good points until this... what's the different story here? I could hold WB but I don't want it for afew reasons, one being rolled days. My friends that did bid up, well that was their choice and need to accept the rules of the road when it comes to global reserve. No sympathy from me when they could be 20-30% on the NB fleets with 17-19 days off.

I could have been more specific. I was referring to reserve changes that need to be made. Domestic guys love it, WB guys not so much due to rolling days.

You are right, it absolutely is a choice. I just personally don't think that different fleets should have different reserve rules. Flash backs for me of Ted

I see what you're saying and I fully agree!

Other than new hires, who is sitting reserve in a base that didn't take an upgrade from something they were holding a line on?

And if you say "Displacements" well those guys could have taken a junior pilots displacement to a BES they could have held a line on. Because all the guys I know who left their lineholding 737 FO to go commute to a 787 on the west coast all knew they would be on reserve forever.

Well, right now in DC, a whole mess of guys as the company just moved the G line by 50 numbers. Just like that the flying disappeared. And I suspect that the way UA has played musical with the flying that we're not the 'yuuuge' exception that I constantly read about either. I was a line holder when I bid this seat. No more. So, myself and 40 or so other (non new hire whiners who should just quit I suppose) guys. Its not that clear cut, despite what guys fulminate about here on APC. I have been bumped from solid line holder to reserve maggot at least 4 times during my time on the property. Amazingly, and much to the chagrin of some, I haven't quit yet! ;)

With as big as an airline as this is with as many bases as it has I expect there are always non-new hire non-vol reserves due changing staffing levels--some more abrupt than others--due to reactions to shifting demand and, more substantially, to the revolving door of senior managers who always have the new idea for where to base the fleet. It's less disruptive than changing the CEO every 18 months while still making the shareholders think that someone's doing something. As such, reserve affects all but the most senior pilots at one time or another, even if they react instantly to bid away from it.

Then you have two choices. Deal with it, or bid to something you can hold a line on.

Its a fact that things change, and just like we lost our 767-400s in EWR you lost some 777 flying. But I'll bet you didn't care one bit about reserve rules until it happened to you.

Is it me or does it seem like international/global flying is down for the month of April? Does anyone have the total hours from the schedule committee folks?

If you go to the bottom of the bid packet you can see the total hours for each BES for March and then compare it to April. Ccs-bidding-bid packages.

b52…

"Just saying"?

What exactly does that mean? Am I being admonished for taking this bid? Of course no one forced you to take that bid just as no one forced me to take mine. Did I complain about my latest bid or infer that I somehow got the shaft? Does offering suggestive criticisms automatically imply that I’m clueless as to how I wound up in this seat? I merely commented about a system which our union placed as one bullet point during the proposed contract extension. I bid this seat fully aware that there was a good chance that I’d be on reserve. Reserve duty is nothing new to me. But by the time I went to training and checked out I was a line holder. It was a pleasant surprise. Svergin suggested that “other than new hires, who is sitting reserve in a base that didn’t take an upgrade from something they were holding a line on?"

I answered his question by pointing out the 40 some odd guys in one seat, at one domicile who have beed bumped to reserve. None of whom were new hires.

Ok, misunderstood what he/she meant in the post. I get it now.

You might want to take a vacation, because it sure seems like you need one.

Svergin

Oh I’m dealing with it. Quite well in fact, especially now that the SC secret is getting out. You asked the question and made an assumption while doing so. It seemed to me as though you were also pointing the big ol’ digit squarely at me. I then provided you with one simple example of guys bumped to reserve who once held a line. Therefore, they obviously did not choose reserve duty. As a rebuttal you then offered me your paternal advice “you have two choices” Thanks Dad! The funny thing is, I actually love reserve at times like this. Does that mean that I cannot comment on the current reserve rules? Why have a forum if we can’t carp and learn from each other?

As far as your assertion that “I’ll bet that you didn’t care one bit about reserve rules until it happened to you” you got me. You’re exactly right. But not in the way you think. Before you take your victory lap, allow me to explain.

As a new hire, I spent my first two years as the dead last guy on the 727 in domicile. Needles to say, I became reserve rules expert on day one. (1)
The company then parked the 727 and I was bumped to the 757. I held a line for about a year and was then bumped to reserve. (2)
I was then bumped to the 737. I held a line for a bit, but was again bumped to reserve. (3)
I was then bumped to ORD where I held a line until I was bumped to reserve. (4)
I was then bumped and escorted to the curb of Terminal Two under United’s "Work Release" Program. I didn’t bid it.
When I returned I was on the Guppy. Of course I knew that I’d be on reserve. (4.1) But soon enough I held a line.
I then bid the 757 where I held a great line, but after a while UA got rid of the guppies and I was of course bumped to reserve. (5)
I was then bumped to the Airbus where I held a line, until don’t you know I was bumped to reserve. (6)
I bid the triple knowing that I’d be close to the G line but I held a line for a year. Alas now I have been bumped…guess where? (7)

Are you with me so far? Out of 7 stints on reserve I only volunteered for 3. Taking the job as a new hire, returning from furlough and then potentially the 777. Of course I could bid the guppy and be super senior, fly my tail off and SRM and all of that. But why would anyone do that when they can make the same money (or more) on another fleet and work much less? There’s stupid is and stupid does of course, but I prefer what I’m doing now, even it that means being on reserve. Thanks for the advice though. As far as "its a fact that things change", I think I addressed my first hand experience with your trite truism in paragraph 3 above.

So even you can see that I’ve been interested in reserve rules since I was hired. And when the topic of improving them comes up, sometimes I type. And when someone posts something easily dismissible I type even more because I don’t want new hires to be lulled into this endless cycle of hazing and disinformation. And I like to leave things better than I found them for those who follow. Because I’m on reserve I have all day to type. Meanwhile I’m stocking up on feed corn and life is pretty darn sweet.

It’s interesting that when a FNG comes on here and suggests that our res system is inferior to the one he enjoyed at his commuter airline, no one here seems to say anything or even take note, other than guys on reserve. Its also interesting that the other forum has TWO stickies at the top pertaining to the goat rope that can be reserve. And its interesting that when I (along with others) make constructive criticisms about the system, and offer concrete evidence of ways in which it USED TO BE BETTER, a whole mess of guys just tune up the “tough, you bid it, or, why don’t you quit refrain”. I must be be getting under some guys skin. ;)

Its a big contract and i’m not looking for a carve out. Just subtle improvements across the board. Why that rankles so many I don’t understand. Its not like we’re making BK wages anymore.

I’m not a MIL guy so I’ll never use that part of the contract, but I fully support every page in that section and would like to see it strengthened and improved upon for my fellow pilots who are.

Same thing, Career move.
Same thing, Maternity leave.
Same thing, LTD.
Same thing, EAP etc.

I don’t ridicule or lecture guys who have issues they’d like to see improved in the contract and I am bemused by guys who do.

I'll give you one reason to not upgrade for the money....so you don't have to be on reserve.

Yes reserve sucks, but according to a recent poll (i.e. the TA extension ratification vote) 81% of the pilot group would rather have a 15% pay raise than any improvements to reserve work rules.

And between pilots who are lineholders, as well as reserves who live in base, apparently there aren't enough pilots left over to really care about reserve rules.

And sorry about all your previous furloughs and displacements, but we are talking about people on reserve right now and not when United was shrinking pre-merge.