Got a couple good buddies at FedEx. They both hate it and look 10 years older than their actual age. They are both money hungry individuals who do whatever it takes to chase max W-2. Unfortunantely, they have sold their soul, (health), to the devil.

 

Back in the 90s a guy in my squadron was one of the first to get out before the big hiring boom and he got on with Fedex. Came back to visit a year later and we didn't recognize him.

 

I got an offer for a Delta interview right before my United interview date. It was great to have that as a safety in case I messed up my United interview, but I got an offer and a class date before my Delta interview. I called Delta after I had started here and told them that i was not available.

United has been great for the 11.5 months that I have been here and I haven't regretted it for a second.

 

I definitely get the drawbacks of FEDEX, and there have been many posts about pros/cons of DAL, but if domiciles were not a factor--why UAL over AA?

 

You'll have to provide your own answers, but if I were just starting out and knowing what I know now, here's a few considerations:

1) How do the near term retirements and mainline growth plans compare?

2) How do the contacts compare (the other 800 pages besides pay rates)? It turns out that all the small print actually matters.

3) Non-payroll benefits? Everybody always looks at the pay rates but how about retirement contributions, medical benefits, disability, and profit sharing?

4) Corporate culture. It's not just how the company treats its employees but each pilot group has its own idiosyncrasies and attitudes. Which one is a better fit for you?

 

Anyone thinking that flying FedEx is great needs to jumpseat on them and connect through Memphis so they can sit through a sort. It will quickly change one's mind about flying cargo. Same for UPS.

 

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14.5 year FedEx guy here...

I love my job. But...those junior years that beat the hell out you were mild for me. We were hiring, and I was able to hold some day flying. It was 2002, and I did a little military leave. I also worked open time hard to trade into trips that I liked (day flights) and rarely flew the schedule I was originally assigned. That takes time and effort, but it was worth it to me. And...this is important...it was about the ONLY gig in town at the time. I was grateful then, and now, to be there.

FedEx is a host of airlines in one...a domestic day, a domestic night, an international, and an Asian and European freight operation. The key to life here is finding your niche. Doing that takes time.

So--FedEx guys will show you there W-2, or brag about their vacation policy. They still have an A plan, albeit not inflation adjusted. I have done 5 day Paris layovers (rare--but I've done them) and DHs to Hawaii, and been to Sydney and around the globe while still pretty junior. There is some good stuff here.

But...you will pay the tax when junior if doing domestic night ops. Its not for everyone. We have new hires going to the MD-11 and 777, so a lucky few will dodge that bullet and may never have to do it unless they chose to do so for upgrades or other reasons. But....some guys will. Some love it, some don't.

For me, if I was living NorCal based in SFO, or skiing on reserve or days off in DEN, I would have to look hard at what I wanted out of a career or life before leaving UAL. Pax carriers furlough at times, and are subject to the whipsaws of the economy, but nobody (including freight) is immune.

The very best advice I saw on this thread is the same I give to a lot of folks with options. Take your ID, and jumpseat on a FedEx night flight inbound to the hub, then go outbound to another city. Then do the same thing doing a day sort...leaving somewhere 7-9 am, sitting in MEM 4-6 hours during the day, and going outbound that afternoon. The day and night sorts are the core of the domestic operation. Some guys love the nights, and it works for them. I actually rather enjoyed the day trips, even though the middle of the day was a 4-5 hour sit. (I worked out, worked on business, drove around the countryside, even went gambling at Tunica at times....) If you like the pax free, laid back operational flavor it may be for you. If you are saying "oh my God...what did I do to myself?" (which I still say when I catch myself in the 0200-0600 work period) then maybe leaving a little money on the table and accepting the frustrations of the pax business are not so bad after all.

Finally--money helps. My primary motivation for work was to provide a good quality of life and education for my family. FedEx makes that easy. Great pay, great benefits, but at times its damn hard work. I can live with that. Deadheading in business class to Singapore or Saigon and staying at five star places is a hoot. Conversely, a 0230 wakeup call after a 90 minute nap just sucks. I take the good with the bad, and enjoy it for what it offers. But if you decide it isn't for you--its nice there are so many other damn good opportunities out there right now.

 

Albief15, that was one of the most informative posts I've read on here in a long while. Thanks for taking the time. Fascinating perspective. Glad you made it work. Five days in Paris to a 90 minute nap--a pretty broad scope of experience! These flying jobs are all over the map, but in the end it can be incredibly interesting and rewarding.

 

I tell guys a senior FedEx trip is way, way better than most pax trips. A bad trip at FedEx is usually much, much worse.

The top 20% in most FO seats could hold the left seat of the same jet, but people camp here and get uber senior to avoid the pain and enjoy the better trips domestically.

Internationally, the trips aren't "that" different, although some are better than others. In my domicile the difference in good and bad are often in the eye of the beholder, and thus I often get once of top choices even though I bid 75% or so.

Again--for those lucky enough to get a call--look at bidpacks, and go jumpseat. You'll learn much, much more that way than rummaging through opinions on the internet.