Ah yes that old investment disclaimer: Past performance is a 1000%, slam dunk-lock predictor for future performance, even though you're comparing a pre internet, pre GWOT, pre industry deregulation world to whatever the hell the 2060's will bring? Do you think the SWA of today resembles the company from decades ago?

 

We’re not taking about someone with 8 years at a company. The OP is in training at SWA and lives in and wants to stay in Denver. I don’t need to know his age or preferred pronouns to know which airline is the better choice. He’ll always be more senior at United on a NB if that’s what he chooses to do for the rest of his career, which is his only option at SWA.

 

And what's that seniority give him besides picking days off via PBS? How many days off do you get as a NB FO on rsv? 75% 50? 25? 10? seniority. How many days off in a vacation month? What's monthly credit look like at those seniority %? Yeah, you'll do fewer legs a month at UAL...but at what cost? Do you want to be lazy or productive while at work to maximize your time at home? If you're going to compare apples to apples, let's compare apples to apples assuming no desire to bid WB or fleet hop.

 

Giving up a week or two seniority to go to another company where he can fly the same aircraft and upgrade to CA in 350 hours while flying the same aircraft while living in base is truly a no brainer. He's looking at a long period on reserve with fairly crappy schedules regardless. Might as well do it at CA pay picking up ADD pay while volunteering for short call. Yeah, money doesn't offset QOL but if your QOL is destined to suck as a newbie for a few years anyway might as well take the money.

 

I don’t think you really understand what PBS is. You specify the trips, flavor of trips, days, etc. that you want. How that resembles what was your first choice depends on your seniority. With the exception of the g-line and it’s effect on junior schedules, I don’t think it’s really much different than what you do.

On reserve, days off depends on the season. Summer has higher reserve utilization. It’s the 20th today, and one FO on reserve has under 5 hours of block and 7 short calls. Someone with better knowledge of our current reserve rules can correct me if I’m wrong, but that could mean 80 hours credit so far this month for a one day trip. It’s almost a non-factor, though. The junior DEN737FO lineholder in March was hired in mid October. They probably hit the line in Jan, so 2 months of reserve, unless they want to sit reserve longer because it’s easy and you don’t fly much right now. Although reserve can be a real money maker now for doing very little. If I weren’t a commuter, I’d be on reserve right now and I’m a senior lineholder.

Credit of what you’re awarded vs what you fly is not the same. NB senior pilots get lower credit awards, but also have more gaps in their schedule to get premium pay trips. NBFOs can bid on LCA trips and pick up premium on top of the trips the trips that were bought off, if you’re looking to make more $$.

In the summer, I generally only fly premium trips when I’m not on vacation. I also cap my flying at 10 days, so the best I can do in about 10 days is about 110 hours in a non-vacation month.

Days off in vacation month varies with the line credit range published for that month. As an example, with a range of 70-82 hours, you would have about 22 days off with 1 week of vacation for 75 hours of credit.

 

They are rookie numbers, but the OP is in the training center so why not give him realistic numbers attainable right away? Under promise, over deliver!

 

That’s kind of the point. SWA is light years ahead of F9 or NK. But you can’t just compare SWA to half of UAL and say “See? Our schedules are better” and drop the mic without considering the other half of the airline. There’s a lot of good at both, but it’s a hard choice BECAUSE it’s not apples to apples.

 

Exactly what a lot of guys are doing in this thread. Bring up WB and it triggers some people.


I'm comparing apples to apples while ignoring a huge subset of one of the airlines🤔

If all UA did was fly the 737, I'd totally agree.

 

you guys done yet?

 

exactly what I was thinking when I read that anecdote..... if everyone around you is an arse, perhaps you are the outlier....