JetBlue or UAL

[On Your Six]

Jet Blue until they instituted the E190 pay rates. Now I would go with United.

 

[laterallymobile]

I would be more worried if they raise their 190 pay rates like some say.

 

[AlbieF15]

I obviously didn't know about the MEC letter. If that's true--I stand 100% corrected.

I also have had some JB guys indicate some heartburn with said individual. However--I also know anytime you stand out you take some spears. I have reserved judgement. I DO NOT claim to have the full story...so I'll publicly take my crow to chew now.

I wish United no ill will....its just that mergers spook me. CAL managed to avoid BK, so they will resent any attempt to merge a "losing" carrier (that's the business...not the pilots there!) with a "winning" carrier. Any merger kills the junior guy's progression. Good luck to all involved...

 

[viking737]

I googled it.

And it's values like those taught in POL that, in turn, attract people like Bonny Simi. She's one of the hardest sort of people for JetBlue to sign on, an experienced pilot working for a major airline. If pilots switch airlines, they start over, at the bottom rung of seniority. But Simi, a captain at United for 12 years (and three-time Olympic luge slider), wanted to be more engaged with an airline, more inspired.
Wary of a young, unproven airline, she researched the company for six months. The values mirrored her own, but she wanted to be sure they weren't just talk, and that it would be worth taking a big pay cut. She read business-school case studies and SEC filings. She contacted Michael Lazarus, then chairman of JetBlue's board, and grilled him. "This is the next 20 years of my life," she says. "I had to be sure."
Several months into the job, Simi routinely sends Bushy ideas on how to improve safety and standardization. Recently, she walked into the office of Collins, the vice president of system operations, without an appointment to pitch an idea on pilot reports. "Did I feel valued that I had an idea and a vice president here said, 'I like it'? Definitely. That was so cool. Does that inspire me to come up with other ideas to make this a better airline? In a major way."

 

[laterallymobile]

I read that book to. This thread has ADD, see ya

 

[GFunk20]

United over JB anyday. JB has their problems ahead, just another People Express.

 

[CTflyer]

Great Advice Albie,
But I gotta call ya out on the selling of assets rumor I keep hearing. Man that rumor has spun out of control. UAL has $5.1BILLION dollars with $4.2Billion in unrestricted cash...Compare that to any other legacy and were not doing so bad. I'm not saying every thing's peachy king but our cash reserves has increased every quarter. Not your classic cash flow problem.

Oh well food for thought in the guy's decision making process, but I do agree on your points about working conditions, pay , possible mergers, ect. But our MEC is aggressively pursuing those area's so I guess time will tell.

Regards

Koko

The last time UAL had that much cash they tried to buy USAir for 60/share. What a disaster that would have been....

 

[GogglesPisano]

Its obvious (to the point of being blatantly obvious) that UAL wants to merge. Right now USAir seems to be the only other interested party. Having said that, management teams don't decide, BOD's do.

Just keep that in mind.

 

[Green]

With 20 years left Captain S is roughly 40 years old and she had been a captain at UAL for 12 years. Upgrading at UAL at the age of 28 is pretty darn rare. Must have been an agonizing decision to leave all that for a start up.

 

[Fins Up]

I think somebody said it earlier, but if you base your decision on opinions you read on this board, God help you. No matter what airline you asking about, someones going to bash it and someone who works there is going to get defensive. There's got to be a better source for solid, un-biased info than here.