If it ends up being ready in 2036 you can probably count on it having one pilot or even no pilots. Nobody likes it but that's the direction this industry is accelerating and the only thing saving us right now is that currently certified aircraft (with the possible exception of the A350) can't be retrofitted in a cost acceptable way. Future certified aircraft won't make that mistake.

 

No WB here at AA, still like 2 years away AT LEAST, and more than that if we talk about senior bases. June/July '23 for WB DEN sounds junior to me at this point. Anyways, not even thinking about that part right now, just analizing risks and leaving 2-3,000 seniority numbers on the table.
I never thought a specific base would be a deal breaker fo rme, but I can't seem to find a place where I can feel the way I felt living in Denver.
Other option would be living in Denver and commuting to DFW, but then I'd be a commuter and that would suck big time.

 

Begin rant:

The "you might get furloughed if you switch companies" fear is just overblown. 100% overblown. It's fighting the last war and yes there's plenty of war strories from the lost decade but that battle is over.

Pre 9/11 you had SEVEN major airlines that all ran about 60% load factor, had a lot of three pilot airplanes and still had contracts that werern't much changed from pre-deregulation days. In the 15 years following 9/11 you had

9/11 ... duh
the great recession
age 65
retrirement of 3 pilot aircraft
multiple rounds of bankruptcies and mergers that GREATLY increased pilot efficiency (ie decreased pilot demand)

You now have 3 airlines, all running 85% load factor, with two pilot planes and relatively efficient contracts. Until they can run an airplane without two pilots seated (and I think that's coming) things are gonna be ok. There are not huge, low-hanging structural changes to be made that will crater demand for pilots for a decade. Furloughs, if they come, are likely to be short and won't come close to negating the advanteages of 25+ years with a top-tier contract.

End rant

 

They don’t call Denver “California East” randomly. I would have thought your first pick for an AA base would have been Los Angeles— not CLT then MIA. Rent a place in Long Beach (small niche coffee/bars that resembles suburban Denver). It’s a 30 min drive to LAX, 1 hour to the mountains. LAX gate construction is finalizing so the WB ops should trend more junior again. LA has better weather than Denver and if you want some snow just drive east instead of west.

 

The drop in susceptibility to -extreme- furlough times, logically, does seem more minimal, but I wouldn’t say immune by any means.
Off the top of my head, UA’s extreme growth plan def offers higher risk to furlough, with intl being the first thing to be swept away..
Tho, I wouldn’t make a 40 yr career decision based off of that susceptibility to a high degree.
I was already leaning to stay with Delta, I’m here, in my rhythm, have some Sen#, & living in base. The swap over to UA would boil down to simply wanting to be there for this projected UA Next growth, which many ppl seem say is a risky thing to throw away 1.5 yrs/10% of the SenList at DL for, and I be moving from DL HQ to what sounds like UA’s most underwhelming hub (IAH). Also, that id be NB A or WB B at DL before I would at UA at this point.
Even since being hired I’ve had no complaints and schedule bas been easy.. hard to gamble it all for a new start somewhere else.
In light of that, I’ve told UA to not worry about me moving forward, but was extremely grateful for the opportunity.

 

CLT was never an option, those trips look terrible. I flew less legs on the CRJ!. Cost of living in Colorado is way lower than in California, no cheap....but for sure cheaper. DEN-LAX is noa a terrible commute, but once again, I'd become a commuter. DFW WB with 3 of those super efficient trips would be awesome, but I'll be 52 by the time I can hold any of those trips lol.

 

One thing to consider is the election. The outcome will have an effect on the economy. The greener grass at this moment is only a snapshot and can change very quickly.

Junior pilots need to build seniority behind them instead of reaching for the big shiny jet.

You are off probation and have 1600 below you with a super job right now.

How long to get those numbers in the next two years at UAL?

My money says…I don’t know. Good luck!

 

...........

 

Does that mean in the next 10 years I won’t need a babysitter while the other pilot takes a lav break?

Single seat ops will seem brilliant up until a single pilot plane crashes and wipes out decades worth of costs savings. There is plenty of data available on the crash rates of 2, 1 and 0 manned aircraft, and its is eye opening to say the least, and that’s before you talk about the security issues that come along with it.

 

Wait a minute, you had a CJO here before didn’t ya? How come you didn’t come over originally?