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-   -   Leave DL for UA? (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/united/148473-leave-dl-ua.html)

Otterbox 10-22-2024 12:01 PM


Originally Posted by ImSoSuss (Post 3846427)
Delta takes back pilots who leave them for another airline, even a competing legacy? How generous of them.

Yes, and so does UAL...

11atsomto 10-22-2024 12:10 PM


Originally Posted by ImSoSuss (Post 3846427)
Delta takes back pilots who leave them for another airline, even a competing legacy? How generous of them.

I know of at least 1 case.

Individual spent 6-8 months Delta. Left for FedEx..was there less than a year do not know exact time. Got another interview at Delta. I met him in the interview prep course. I don't know if I got hired...but he did get an interview so you know what they say. It would seem to me that if there was some boycotting procedure in place his app would have been blocked and never would have been invited back......

I got to admit I was kind of shocked with both him and them

Nice guy though...and I hope it worked out for him.

goinaround 10-22-2024 06:05 PM

Man.....I don't know if you realize what an incredible trajectory your career is currently on. You wanna know what kind of jobs my gen was fighting for at 26 yrs old? Your career won't be any better/different at United. Having achieved so much so early in life may leave you wanting for more challenges and/or milestones. I'm like that too......but you can find those challenges elsewhere. Your career is taken care of.

Turbosina 10-22-2024 06:06 PM


Originally Posted by CowBoyz47 (Post 3846296)
Oh I wasn’t aware of that, IAH-SFO commute seems like you’d wanna avoid it, but SFO does look like it has great flying. I’m not really open to living in Cali or Northeast at the moment, I’d prefer Houston or maybe DEN, but right now I’m Georgia settled

Never in a million years would I leave DL / ATL for UA / IAH. Do yourself a favor, jumpseat on us (UAL) out of IAH on a narrowbody and talk to the crews there. IAH is really senior for NBCA, although it's junior for NBFOs.

I was IAH based for a few months and had to do the SFO-IAH commute (I live in SFO) and had to buy tickets SFO-IAH most of the time, just because of all the senior dudes commuting to SFO to fly the WBs. I had multiple conversations with these senior dudes (25+ year guys) who repeatedly told me that the IAH WB flying was so bad, they felt it was worth it to commute to SFO for the WB Asia flying. Nobody in IAH had a good thing to say about our WB flying out of IAH. It's mostly double-WOCL legs to only a few destinations in S. America (EZE, SCL, whatever Sao Paulo's identifier is, and Rio). Both legs (outbound and inbound) are redeyes. And IAH WB is not a growth area for the company.

If you absolutely positively must live in DEN or SFO for the rest of your career then I'd say mayyyyybbbeee come to UAL. That's a huge maaayyyyybbbe.

The advice from the older guys and gals on this thread is absolutely spot-on. At your age, like many others on this forum, I was begging to get hired as a CFI and was making $8/hr (you read that right) flying Traffic Watch. The idea of landing a spot at DAL at your age was absolutely unheard of...you had ex-mil guys with thousands of hours of heavy jet time who couldn't get hired at ComAir. Because there were no jobs, anywhere, to be had. Those times *will* come again, as difficult as that may be to believe now. If you leave DL now, you'll be that many seniority numbers closer to the furlough line. Stay put. Enjoy the ride.


Flyweight 10-22-2024 06:25 PM


Originally Posted by Otterbox (Post 3846430)
Yes, and so does UAL...

That is relatively new. 5 years ago it wasn’t the case.

symbian simian 10-22-2024 07:00 PM


Originally Posted by Turbosina (Post 3846551)
Never in a million years would I leave DL / ATL for UA / IAH. Do yourself a favor, jumpseat on us (UAL) out of IAH on a narrowbody and talk to the crews there. IAH is really senior for NBCA, although it's junior for NBFOs.

I was IAH based for a few months and had to do the SFO-IAH commute (I live in SFO) and had to buy tickets SFO-IAH most of the time, just because of all the senior dudes commuting to SFO to fly the WBs. I had multiple conversations with these senior dudes (25+ year guys) who repeatedly told me that the IAH WB flying was so bad, they felt it was worth it to commute to SFO for the WB Asia flying. Nobody in IAH had a good thing to say about our WB flying out of IAH. It's mostly double-WOCL legs to only a few destinations in S. America (EZE, SCL, whatever Sao Paulo's identifier is, and Rio). Both legs (outbound and inbound) are redeyes. And IAH WB is not a growth area for the company.

If you absolutely positively must live in DEN or SFO for the rest of your career then I'd say mayyyyybbbeee come to UAL. That's a huge maaayyyyybbbe.

The advice from the older guys and gals on this thread is absolutely spot-on. At your age, like many others on this forum, I was begging to get hired as a CFI and was making $8/hr (you read that right) flying Traffic Watch. The idea of landing a spot at DAL at your age was absolutely unheard of...you had ex-mil guys with thousands of hours of heavy jet time who couldn't get hired at ComAir. Because there were no jobs, anywhere, to be had. Those times *will* come again, as difficult as that may be to believe now. If you leave DL now, you'll be that many seniority numbers closer to the furlough line. Stay put. Enjoy the ride.

All of that. And if you had 1500 behind you at UA and were asking about goint to DL I would have the same answer.

VacancyBid 10-23-2024 01:26 AM

You won the lottery, quit gambling.

The general thrust of pilot career advice is you need to move up/take risks/make sacrifices because the prize at the end is SO GOOD. And getting there sooner makes SO MUCH DIFFERENCE.

Well, you got the pot of gold... at age 25. Stay put. Put your energy into saving for whatever curveball happens to you or the world in 2045.

CowBoyz47 10-23-2024 06:03 AM

Thank you all very much for the words of wisdom. I am ignorant of this industries fluctuations and I’m happy where I am. With those two thoughts in mind I’m heavily inclined to stay put.
Much appreciate everyone’s help

Extenda 10-23-2024 06:23 AM


Originally Posted by CowBoyz47 (Post 3846657)
Thank you all very much for the words of wisdom. I am ignorant of this industries fluctuations and I’m happy where I am. With those two thoughts in mind I’m heavily inclined to stay put.
Much appreciate everyone’s help

Yeah man stay put. The risk reward calculation here is extremely lopsided especially considering you’re not married to SFO. If things keep on ticking the way they are a lateral move is going to cost you a lot of money over the course of a career, but if the music stops at the wrong time in the near future the cost is going to end up in the millions regarding lost career earnings.

I’m at DAL but I’d be telling you the same thing if your position was reversed.

There are a lot of these threads and at this point, switching between major carriers unless you’re still in indoc is just extremely risky.


Broncofan 10-23-2024 06:50 AM


Originally Posted by Extenda (Post 3846669)
Yeah man stay put. The risk reward calculation here is extremely lopsided especially considering you’re not married to SFO. If things keep on ticking the way they are a lateral move is going to cost you a lot of money over the course of a career, but if the music stops at the wrong time in the near future the cost is going to end up in the millions regarding lost career earnings.

I’m at DAL but I’d be telling you the same thing if your position was reversed.

There are a lot of these threads and at this point, switching between major carriers unless you’re still in indoc is just extremely risky.

yup I’m a United guy and while I’d love to see a DAL guy coming here, it would be horrible advice. Stay put, it’s a great (debatably the best) company and it would be a foolish decision to move with about 10% of the seniority list below you.


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