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01-30-2013, 03:17 PM

#11

LeeMat

SLI best wishes!

Joined APC: Feb 2011

Position: B767 Capt

Posts: 399

Quote:

Originally Posted by The pilots wife

My husband has been offered a job at
L- CAL....We are trying to be realistic as we try to make this life decision. He is a 12 year captain for a regional, lives in base and has a great schedule. His ultimate goal would be to be based in LA...or at least on the west coast. From all you experts does he have a shot in hell of having that happen in 2-3 years? As I read all your posts I don't understand a lot of what everyone is talking about but it appears that the CAL side is short FO's and after the integration the recalls will be used to fill any deficiencies...My greatest fear as "the wife" is that he will be furloughed. What are your opinions about being a new hire before integration. Is it really a great time to be hired or would he be taking a chance at how integration shakes out and could they decide at that point maybe they have too many pilots? (That might be a stupid question.) I am sure most Legacy pilots would think it is dumb for a regional pilot to even question taking this job but the whole "quality of life issue" VS. more money etc... is a big deal.

Take the Job. Timing is everything. It is always better to start at a legacy airline at the start of their hiring push versus being at the back of line. It could be the difference between having a long uninterrupted career or twice furlough. Been here 24 years, the last 18 as a captain. I still have friends at my old commuter airline who never pulled the trigger. Best of luck to you both.

01-30-2013, 03:36 PM

#12

Adlerdriver

Gets Weekends Off

Joined APC: Jul 2007

Position: 767 Captain

Posts: 3,988

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snarge

..and one has been around since the 1930s....

Yeaaah. I'm sure lots of Pan Am guys used that logic too.

There are probably many good reasons to jump from a regional to UAL but that's not one of them. Just sayin'

01-30-2013, 03:56 PM

#13

LeeMat

SLI best wishes!

Joined APC: Feb 2011

Position: B767 Capt

Posts: 399

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adlerdriver

Yeaaah. I'm sure lots of Pan Am guys used that logic too.

There are probably many good reasons to jump from a regional to UAL but that's not one of them. Just sayin'

There were many pilots whom retired from Pan AM after 30 plus year careers...I say again timing is everything.
I could remember back to United darkest days when every other word about us was liquidation. ATSB loan denial, SARS, $130 dollar oil etc, and we are still here. I must say that after all of the above, the one thing that has me more concern is the way Jeffrie is running this place, but like every other CEO whom has come through this place, he is a short timer who will leave with his pockets full. There is a reason why United is refer to as cash cow.

01-30-2013, 04:05 PM

#14

LAX Pilot

Peace Love Understanding

Joined APC: Nov 2012

Position: Airbus

Posts: 1,040

He should take the job. Get a seniority number while he can. If he's young enough, he's going to have a great career. Furloughs happen, but UAL/CAL has between 300-700 retirements per year for the next 20 years.

That's a lot of pilots that have to be hired.

Getting to LAX or SFO in 2 years is going happen. When UAL was growing, new hires were going to LAX and SFO. As a matter of fact, the bottom 2 pilots on the list are in LAX and SFO.

01-30-2013, 04:54 PM

#15

Snarge

Gets Weekends Off

Joined APC: Feb 2009

Posts: 1,007

.............

01-30-2013, 04:57 PM

#16

Snarge

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Joined APC: Feb 2009

Posts: 1,007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adlerdriver

Yeaaah. I'm sure lots of Pan Am guys used that logic too.

There are probably many good reasons to jump from a regional to UAL but that's not one of them. Just sayin'

Compare the longevity of any given regional to that of United...

In addition this isn't the late 80s... United is the largest of three mega carriers... I doubt it is going away... but anything is possible... compare that with being at a outsourcer/vender/lift provider regional... and getting on during the front of the wave....

follow?

01-30-2013, 05:02 PM

#17

cadetdrivr

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Joined APC: Oct 2010

Posts: 2,639

Quote:

Originally Posted by LAX Pilot

He should take the job. Get a seniority number while he can.

This.

At its core, every regional "airline" is little more than a crew staffing agency. The place to be is on the front side of the hiring wave.

01-30-2013, 05:06 PM

#18

The pilots wife

On Reserve

Thread Starter

Joined APC: Jan 2008

Posts: 20

I appreciate all the advice...but you all know how difficult it is to go from relatively senior...to at the bottom of the list. It will be many years I bet before this job becomes as good as it sounds. I still can't believe this industry and that you can have 15 plus years experience and yet you start at the bottom every time you make a move to a different company. Everyone who has no experience with this industry is shocked to hear that!! I know my husband has paid his dues a hundred times over and now he has to do it all over again.

01-30-2013, 05:20 PM

#19

Coto Pilot

Gets Weekends Off

Joined APC: Sep 2009

Posts: 645

I am a twice furloughed United pilot that is now working for CAL. It took me 9 months to get based in LA after starting on the bottom. SFO will most likely open in the next bid and my guess is it will be junior as it was at United. If your husband wants to go to a major he needs to get his seniority number ASAP. United is losing a pilot every 18 hours so even with United furloughed coming back there will be movement. If it turns out he doesn't like it here, he will get a 737 type rating just for going thru the training.