WB FO lifestyle, in base.
05-05-2024 | 05:26 PM
#1
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WB FO lifestyle, in base.
Grateful for advice and insights... I'm currently a EWR 737 CA and am looking for a change and am considering bidding WB FO.
There might not be any open WB FO vacancies on this current vacancy bid. But figured this might a good time to ask for some advice. Plus there are probably some others considering WB FO and could benefit from the group's wisdom.
I live about an hour from EWR and I'd be 52-58% on either 777 or 787. I'm looking for the option that would result in the most time at home, and the least amount of stress. Bottom line looking for the best quality of life option.
Please highlight the Good, Bad and the Ugly...
Thanks in advance and really appreciate the help.
There might not be any open WB FO vacancies on this current vacancy bid. But figured this might a good time to ask for some advice. Plus there are probably some others considering WB FO and could benefit from the group's wisdom.
I live about an hour from EWR and I'd be 52-58% on either 777 or 787. I'm looking for the option that would result in the most time at home, and the least amount of stress. Bottom line looking for the best quality of life option.
Please highlight the Good, Bad and the Ugly...
Thanks in advance and really appreciate the help.
05-05-2024 | 05:40 PM
#2
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 892
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You can bid reserve and almost never get used - especially if you are working towards that
How much effort has the company put into staffing your current seat vs forcing people to be mid-seniority WBFO?
The only real downside is that when you fly it will be overnight.
How much effort has the company put into staffing your current seat vs forcing people to be mid-seniority WBFO?
The only real downside is that when you fly it will be overnight.
05-06-2024 | 02:36 AM
#4
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05-06-2024 | 03:08 AM
#5
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 3,195
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From: Gear slinger
Still bad compared to Delta. Not as bad as before. 6 Hard days off per month. Some more restrictions/steps the company must take prior to a pilot getting rolled into days off, and some money for it but still at the will of the crew scheduling supervisor. Still nothing like Deltas ability to pickup premium trips on reserve (Rolling thunder). Don't go to UAL if you can't handle having your days off taken away from you because it's the cheapest/most convenient option for the company, especially in the summer.
05-06-2024 | 03:34 AM
#6
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Joined: Aug 2021
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Grateful for advice and insights... I'm currently a EWR 737 CA and am looking for a change and am considering bidding WB FO.
There might not be any open WB FO vacancies on this current vacancy bid. But figured this might a good time to ask for some advice. Plus there are probably some others considering WB FO and could benefit from the group's wisdom.
I live about an hour from EWR and I'd be 52-58% on either 777 or 787. I'm looking for the option that would result in the most time at home, and the least amount of stress. Bottom line looking for the best quality of life option.
Please highlight the Good, Bad and the Ugly...
Thanks in advance and really appreciate the help.
There might not be any open WB FO vacancies on this current vacancy bid. But figured this might a good time to ask for some advice. Plus there are probably some others considering WB FO and could benefit from the group's wisdom.
I live about an hour from EWR and I'd be 52-58% on either 777 or 787. I'm looking for the option that would result in the most time at home, and the least amount of stress. Bottom line looking for the best quality of life option.
Please highlight the Good, Bad and the Ugly...
Thanks in advance and really appreciate the help.
If you can sleep on flights then it’s less stressful, bidding reserve is a good deal imo living in base. Look at what you can hold at your seniority and see if you’d like that. Some of the EWR stuff to Western Europe is too short for me for a good nap.
05-06-2024 | 07:34 AM
#7
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From: A320, Sunny side
I'm always told by lineholder WB FOs that they make more than NB CAs. I don't have enough time left on property to achieve that level of seniority, but you might. As a reserve WB FO, I don't work for months at a time. I don't mean that I only work IRO trips and have to go to Landings. I mean, the phone doesn't ring. At all. Ever. Nothing. If that's what you want, you can get it. Living in base, I aggressively pick up all the short calls they'll give me, because of the Add Pay. When VEC Lines come, and I think there are supposed to be some pure Short Call "lines," I will absolutely go for those.
BUT if you can make more money flying than you can on reserve, just be aware of the inefficiency of EWR relative to SFO. Word is that the Earth is round, and it's roundness makes for shorter Europe trips from EWR.
BUT if you can make more money flying than you can on reserve, just be aware of the inefficiency of EWR relative to SFO. Word is that the Earth is round, and it's roundness makes for shorter Europe trips from EWR.
05-06-2024 | 07:53 AM
#8
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I'm always told by lineholder WB FOs that they make more than NB CAs. I don't have enough time left on property to achieve that level of seniority, but you might. As a reserve WB FO, I don't work for months at a time. I don't mean that I only work IRO trips and have to go to Landings. I mean, the phone doesn't ring. At all. Ever. Nothing. If that's what you want, you can get it. Living in base, I aggressively pick up all the short calls they'll give me, because of the Add Pay. When VEC Lines come, and I think there are supposed to be some pure Short Call "lines," I will absolutely go for those.
BUT if you can make more money flying than you can on reserve, just be aware of the inefficiency of EWR relative to SFO. Word is that the Earth is round, and it's roundness makes for shorter Europe trips from EWR.
BUT if you can make more money flying than you can on reserve, just be aware of the inefficiency of EWR relative to SFO. Word is that the Earth is round, and it's roundness makes for shorter Europe trips from EWR.
the average WB FO doesn’t make as much as a captain.
$350x 73 = $25550 (captain reserve), to make same as captain you’d have to fly about 98 hours. I guess the average line plus a three day not including premium and being bought off trips can get you there but it’s also not including captain picking up short call etc
05-06-2024 | 08:23 AM
#9
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Joined: Jul 2022
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Likes: 1
I'm always told by lineholder WB FOs that they make more than NB CAs. I don't have enough time left on property to achieve that level of seniority, but you might. As a reserve WB FO, I don't work for months at a time. I don't mean that I only work IRO trips and have to go to Landings. I mean, the phone doesn't ring. At all. Ever. Nothing. If that's what you want, you can get it. Living in base, I aggressively pick up all the short calls they'll give me, because of the Add Pay. When VEC Lines come, and I think there are supposed to be some pure Short Call "lines," I will absolutely go for those.
BUT if you can make more money flying than you can on reserve, just be aware of the inefficiency of EWR relative to SFO. Word is that the Earth is round, and it's roundness makes for shorter Europe trips from EWR.
BUT if you can make more money flying than you can on reserve, just be aware of the inefficiency of EWR relative to SFO. Word is that the Earth is round, and it's roundness makes for shorter Europe trips from EWR.
05-06-2024 | 09:56 AM
#10
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 638
Likes: 12
will be interesting to see if that holds true this summer, I am between bidding a line and maintaining my short call strategy myself haha
the average WB FO doesn’t make as much as a captain.
$350x 73 = $25550 (captain reserve), to make same as captain you’d have to fly about 98 hours. I guess the average line plus a three day not including premium and being bought off trips can get you there but it’s also not including captain picking up short call etc
the average WB FO doesn’t make as much as a captain.
$350x 73 = $25550 (captain reserve), to make same as captain you’d have to fly about 98 hours. I guess the average line plus a three day not including premium and being bought off trips can get you there but it’s also not including captain picking up short call etc
NBCA only makes $350 around year 8-9, while a WBFO makes $260 (25550/98) in year 3.
Anecdotally, I think WBFO is a lot less stressful.
That’s hard to put a dollar sign on.
The original question was about QOL, not money. Aside from time zone havoc, WBFO is the best QOL I can imagine from pretty much any job.
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