Exactly.

Like SFO??


They've had some staffing fluctuations in GUM over the last year(?). First a surplus and now vacancies. My guess is once they get all of the vacancies filled, it will be very rare to see a GUM vacancy. As rare as CLE.

 

Ouch!!!!!!!

 

Ah, fond memories of Guam TDYs: the roar of departing BUFFs, tropical stream bath weather, cheap giant stereos and hibachi pots at the BX, Mongolian barbeque at the Officers’ Club, concrete block BOQs.....livin’ the dream!

 

Don’t forget the roosters at 4:30 am.

 

They do offer GUM TDY... not sure if they've offered it under the current contract though. There are a few issues.

1) It's extremely inefficient since when the TDY gets to GUM, they need to pay the pilots to DH out, then pay the pilots to DH back, which is about 30-40 hrs credit on top of their normal line value.

2) The guys doing TDY need a short GUM local OE which costs more money.

3) The TDY requires pilots to get rest acclimated to GUM before they perform any of these duties.

I think GUM TDYs were done when we were doing a lot more charter work out there and before FAR 117. I think most charter work has slowed to a crawl if not all but dried up since the company sees those aircraft as better used on the mainland.

TDYs are used for short term staffing issues, not long term.

Years ago, if you wanted to get hired at CAL, GUM base was always a question asked of new hires. "If you are hired here, would you accept a bid to GUM 737 FO?"

I don't imagine you would be hired if your answer was no.

If you don't want to go to GUM, then go to DL or AA or SWA. It's pretty simple.

I'm sure there will be 10 new hires that are happy to accept GUM for 6 months to a year to get hired at United.

The new hire will make $3000 a month in a COLA (probably go toward food and a condo/apartment), but they will also make 2nd year pay instead of first year pay. So blended 737 rate plus international override on any flying they actually do.

A quick little chainsaw math estimates that a newhire that goes out to GUM will make ~ $13,500/ month during their first year vs a mainland FO will make ~ $7000.

Are you saying it would be a hardship to make almost twice what the other newhires are making?

GUM is actually pretty awesome flying and if you never go and do it, you will be missing out.

There's my 2cents. If someone can't do GUM for a few months as a new hire, don't let the door hit them on the way out IMO. There are always "hardship" situations, which I can understand, but those can be handled on a case by case basis. You don't want to go out there with a special needs spouse or kids, but if you're a single guy, I don't know why in the world you wouldn't at least give GUM a chance for a few months. There are a lot of fun people and places to see out there that most people will never get the opportunity to do unless they are in a 10 year military commitment.

 

Choosing AA or DAL over UA because of GUM? That might just peg the stupid meter.

 

And now there's always the chance of a Rocket Man thermonuclear detonation to look forward to 👍🏻

 

Good point... need to up the COLA for GUM.

 

Just get a higher spf suntan lotion, you’ll be fine.

 

Agree wholeheartedly, Guam is definitely an “experience” that shouldn’t be missed. I commuted there for a year, had a blast but a year was about right.