Making the jump to UAL
 

I left an HK airline before it closed, moved to corporate for a few years and fly a large cabin corporate jet out of IAD. I've been watching the movement of the 121 world and wondering if it's the right time anymore for me? The new contracts far outweigh what pay is like on the 91 side of the industry, but I think I fly 350 hours a year? From what I've read I'd be a shoe-in for the NB flying (with my previous 121 PIC time) but I really want to get into more international operations. It sounds like there's about 6k people hired (since covid) infront of me, and wondering how many more pilots UAL can conceivably hire? I've heard everything that the airline is understaffed as well as over-staffed. Really not sure how to take the current state, and worried about making the jump at this point with as many new hires in front of me and unknown economic factors in the near future? Any help from you all would be appreciated.

There are no plans to slow down hiring anytime soon***

You might not retire in the top few hundred but youll still have a great career at United. Narrowbody captain or widebody FO are attainable quickly in IAD. The retirements have yet to pick up*** and the list will continue to grow under you. If you're interested you need to get your app in yesterday.

How old are you? Do you live near IAD? What are your career aspirations (make big $, fly lots, fly little, big airplanes, CA upgrade soonest, other)?

If you're going to make the jump, the right time would have been 2 years ago. But the next best time is ASAP. UAL is hiring over 50 new pilots a week, and that is forecast to continue for "quite a while." We are just over 16k pilots right now, company stated goal is 28k pilots by the end of the decade...many view that as a naïvely optimistic goal, but 20-22k pilots is definitely possible given the sheer # of aircraft orders on the books.

If you live near IAD, it looks like UAL is poised for decent growth there over the next decade. Plus it has all the aircraft types, so it's a good base if you want int'l flying. Right now you can get IAD within 1-4 months after hire.

BTW there are ALWAYS fears of "unknown economic factors", and many other unknowns, in the near (and far) future. Nothing is certain in life except uncertainty.

Though we like to run our mouths like we know everything (well, me at least) none of us are fortune tellers. Economy, stagnation, age 67, geopolitical conflicts are all possible, & you’re likely to get nearly as many disparate prognostications as people you ask. The weather is great today. Tomorrow is anyone’s guess.

I always tell people you have to like the job first. Whether the lifestyle is worth the extra pay over your 91 gig is totally dependent on your goals, values, & personality. Listen to neither the biggest complainers nor the loudest cheerleaders & you’ll probably get a general sense of what life is like over here. Good luck!

I'm IAD-based at UAL and fly less than you do now, just FYI. Maximizing time at home is definitely an option if that's your priority.

Are you NB? I live in DC and have offers from both AA and UA. Definitely torn since they are both domiciled there. How has QOL been at IAD for you?

Yeah, 737 FO that bids reserve 90% of the time. I worked in June and July, but outside of that it's been a cakewalk, even in the shoulder season close to summer. Looking back, I blocked 4 hours on reserve in May, 7 in August, and I'm sitting at 4 so far this month. Total of 2 nights on the road during those 2.5 months. Dead of winter was even better, if you can believe it. I've been on property less than two years, so I can't say if this is sustainable long-term or some sort of staffing anomaly, but PBS says I've blocked about 230 hours over the past 365 days (with maybe 10-12 days of reserve dropped for mil leave in that time). I'm continually surprised more people don't do what I'm doing.

IAD is going to see quite a bit of growth in the near to medium term as deliveries ramp up and the new gates are built over the train stop in nowhere. It also has plenty of growth potential just by adding banks (only three daily banks and 200+ departures right now). DEN and IAH can also grow but are already above 400 departures, so not as much. Our other hubs are much more constrained. EWR is obviously choking, so if the company wants to add significant connectivity on the East coast it will be in IAD. Good place to be based the next few years if you live there.

Their “goal” is to reach 700 departures/day in DEN.

To hear the ramp lady on frequency will all be worth it 😂🍻

What are the bases which are currently going unfilled for NB CA vacancies?