Leave UAL for FDX?

MtnFlyer00 said:
Thoughts?
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Boris Badenov said:
I'm peeing on you. From the Internet.
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coks said:
The crimes I would commit to be in this guys situation...
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Hacker15e said:
I guess it is time for me to "come out" as a FX newhire.

I don't know what airplane your friend is on, but I was hired in spring '16 into the right seat of the A300, and I had two months of custom lines (scheduling screwed up, I benefited) and one month of reserve. I've been holding a secondary line (which is a line made up of the vacation/training/throwaway trips dropped by primary line holders) since my 4th month out of training. So, I have straight trips on commutable lines.

Also, DEN is the toughest FedEx commute in the company because it has the most commuter pilots who live there.
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Thanks for the insight. It definitely sheds light on one of the major concerns most people have when considering FX flying.
 
wayway8 said:
Thanks for the insight. It definitely sheds light on one of the major concerns most people have when considering FX flying.
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Yep! I've followed a few buddies who went over there around the time I got the call and compared notes... there are definitely times at DL where I've flown more nights than they have. And if you want to do the widebody transoceanic thing, that is backside of the clock flying at all carriers.
 
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Rocketman99 said:
I don't see how that's even a question. If you interview and they offer you a job, go to FX. Lots of money and no pax to deal with.
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I've made similar to and at times out earned my FDX compatriots over the last 10 years at DL. I'll likely have more to significantly more in retirement. It's not black and white... can't really go wrong either way as far as I'm concerned.
 
PeanuckleCRJ said:
I've made similar to and at times out earned my FDX compatriots over the last 10 years at DL. I'll likely have more to significantly more in retirement. It's not black and white... can't really go wrong either way as far as I'm concerned.
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yeah but in the end they will beat you by a lot. And you had a special thing going vs us line scum
 
ian said:
yeah but in the end they will beat you by a lot. And you had a special thing going vs us line scum
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Do the math for me, please. I had a special thing going for 2.5 years of those 10, and I was counting the times beating them at times outside of said deal- still doing great now that I'm back to being line scum... try and keep up, grumpy bear!
 
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PeanuckleCRJ said:
Do the math for me, please. I had a special thing going for 2.5 years of those 10, and I was counting the times beating them at times outside of said deal- still doing great now that I'm back to being line scum... try and keep up, grumpy bear!
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Are you counting your DC and not their pension? Because their pension offsets our DC and then some.
 
ian said:
Are you counting your DC and not their pension? Because their pension offsets our DC and then some.
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I'm looking at both. I'll surpass them by a bit... potentially by a lot. Those with a shorter career would win at FDX potentially by a lot. The OP falls into my camp.
 
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jtrain609 said:
Not sarcastic at all, and the commute is a bear because of your colleagues. Skywest pilots refuse to leave Zion, and commute to LAX/SFO/ORD/IAH on their own metal, making it nearly impossible to get on the jumpseat.

And that's their right to do so, but it's what makes commuting out of SLC so painful if you're offline.

LAX is easier than SFO since there are multiple airlines serving LAX, including Southwest and Alaska, and Jetblue to Long Beach if you get in a pinch.

FedEx has two flights leaving every morning from SLC to Memphis, making PM shifts fully commutable.
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SkyWest is hiring, so, you know, they might give him an interview....

I think he may have a shot at getting on there.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
With both FX and UPS, I think it is worth considering how much of the company flying is widebody vs narrow body.

More specifically, how much time is a pilot going to spend on the widebody pay scale during his career, including how quickly they'll be able to upgrade to the left seat of a widebody.

If you work that into your "time value of money" equation, that means bigger paychecks earlier on in the career, which ultimately means more value down the road at the end of the career, too.

The same can be said for international flying, given all the extra pay for long-haul flying, int'l per diem, etc.
 
At UPS, everything pays the same, so no need to chase the 747-800. International override is 6 fiddy/4 fiddy per hour, per block hour, so not too impressive. Per diem is a little more. The best thing about one pay rate is people can do what they like without chasing the dollar. With seniority you can do mostly front side of the clock and no hub turns. Some guys just like doing international and you can do that with little seniority. Seems like there is a niche for everyone.
 
Original Poster: I'm a UAL commuter from SEA and will be for the rest of my career. I love my job here (even this week). I think this company is trying hard to do better and if we put all those issues aside, it's a good place to work as a pilot. On that note, so is FedEx, and you need to do what's best for you. I don't know what I'd do in your shoes. I would look hard at what type of trips and schedules both companies offer long-term. Pay and benefits are going to always be close so I would weigh the QOL concerns. Really tough call what could happen long term with single-pilot airplanes and all that. Either way, take the interview. You don't have a decision to make until they make you an offer. I wish you the best of luck, that has to be an extremely tough decision.
 
Thanks all for the great conversation and feedback! Like many have said, I still need to get an offer first.
 
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Do what you want, regardless of what the internet says. You will either benefit from the decision or spend the rest of your life regretting it.

The industry is basically a big buffet table. Everything looks fresh and delicious and then in an instant, the turkey goes bad but the meatloaf is still OK.
 
Page 3 turned into a tool measuring contest. Par for the Internet forum course.

Anyway, at 28 single and no kids the only question I have is why not just move? This is the best time to do that. You get a wife and kid or kids in the future, and then everything gets a lot harder - including moving.

At 28, you can't go wrong with either FX or UA. Personally, I'd stick with UA since you're already there.
 
I feel your pain man. That's a very tough call. I had a very similar decision to make about a year ago, except it was between AA and FX. I was 30 at the time and I'm a perma-commuter as well.

However, I had been at AA close to 2.5 years with almost 2000 people junior to me.

If I got the offers at the same time I would have chosen FX, no question. But I'll retire top 5 at AA and spend my last 20 years in the top 10%. That made the decision for me to not go to the interview.

Your situation is different as you haven't been at United too long. Makes it much harder and for that reason I'd at least interview if I were you.

Good luck.
 
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