PAX vs Freight

[SWA/FO]

You forgot to mention, that the PAX folks are going to out live the Freight Dogs by about 12 years, on average. Last time I checked, you can't take any money with you on your journey to the "other side" and I'm not talking the other side of the airport.

Also, some folks like Lite beer and some like the bold full flavor of regular beer.

 

[ptarmigan]

I actually enjoyed talking with, ie flirting with the FA's. I was fortunate enough to work for pax airlines that were actually decent in the FA hiring department, and I've been single my whole life and a had a good time with it. Those guys that say the FA's are bitc hes and 'boxes don't bitch' are probably guys that don't have an ounce of personality, and never got laid by an FA. If you occasionally got to bang them, it made the layovers WAAYY more enjoyable than just going to dinner and a bar with some 40+ year old captain and talking about work bulls h it..

Hmm, never seemed to be a problem to pick up F/A's as a freight pilot. In fact, it often worked to my advantage, not being "same company" and all....

 

[Big Beer Belly]

You forgot to mention, that the PAX folks are going to out live the Freight Dogs by about 12 years, on average.

I'd love to read that article. Pax guys often mention stuff like this, but I've never read it anywhere. Do you have a reference SWA/FO? I ask because insurance companies live and die (I crack myself up!) by micro-examining every aspect of our expected longevity, but never have I been asked if I worked for a passenger hauler or freight hauler. Hmmm ... I would think if the data existed that supported your contention then life insurers of all people would know about it. Just another one of life's things that make you go hmmm ....

BBB

 

[SWA/FO]

I'd love to read that article. Pax guys often mention stuff like this, but I've never read it anywhere. Do you have a reference SWA/FO?

I made it up. :0

 

[Whine Lover]

Sir, before you attempt to correct others, I urge you first to go through your original post with a basic English guide. I see spelling errors, grammar errors, and far too many "quotes" for emphasis. High school writing, at best.

For my edification could you please point out:

- My spelling errors in the original post.

- My grammar errors in the original post.

?

Although this really isn't meant to be an English Class (OR a writing contest) I am always ready to learn something.

Thanks,

YKW

 

[Whine Lover]

"Also, some folks like Lite beer and some like the bold full flavor of regular beer."

BINGO.

Busch Light Rules.


YKW

 

[RollinOnMy22sYo]

"Also, some folks like Lite beer and some like the bold full flavor of regular beer."

BINGO.

Busch Light Rules.


YKW

Yo, Colt 45 gots it all ovah dat lite crap, know wha'm sayin?

 

[taxicabdriver]

Thanks for starting this thread again, I have been very interested in this debate. I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to step up my career with a big PAX company, but have the appeal of going to UPS/FDX. I have friends at both, but didn't even want to apply unless it was for sure what I wanted to do. Now I'm not saying that I could get on at either place, but didn't really want to bug my contacts too much until I had made up my mind.

For those of you at UPS/FDX, how long did it take you to get used to changing your body clock and flying the night shifts? How do your wives/kids/gf's adapt to you sleeping thru the day time, or do you constantly change your body clock from going to work/days off? If the pay were equal, would you stay freight? One final question...I'm fairly new to the industry and was still doin the cfi thing prior to 9-11, but how did UPS/FDX rank on people's list of places to go back then? I read a news article a few days ago and the author basically said he could never see freight drivers making more than pax drivers over the long run. I'm not trying to "chase the money" but the job stability and retirement benefits at the freight companies seems a little more stable.

I would appreciate input from both sides of the fences, and I already know I can't spell

 

[propjob27]

I read a news article a few days ago and the author basically said he could never see freight drivers making more than pax drivers over the long run.

Wow, you read an article, then it MUST be true. Maybe you haven't seen the pay scales of FedEX vs any other airline for the last 5 years...

 

[ASA]

Only since you asked. Here are a few:

Everyone has their personal opinion / preference. his or her.

rythms misspelling.

Only to repeat the process so that you can get to some hotel at 9am and try to get some sleep with the maids banging around in the halls and all the doors slamming as people leave to check out. not a sentence.

forced them too. Should be "to." Also, try to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition.

YKW

Overall, though, it's better than most posts in here. It's a good thing passengers don't read these.

 

[taxicabdriver]

Wow, you read an article, then it MUST be true. Maybe you haven't seen the pay scales of FedEX vs any other airline for the last 5 years...

Thats exactly why I was asking the question, 5 years is not that long when you take into account that one may have a 30 year career flying. I don't know for sure since I wasn't paying attention to major airline payscales 5 years ago, but I would guess that before 9/11 the pax guys outearned the freight guys. So, I was wondering what everyone would guess would happen 10, 15, 20 years down the road.

 

[ASA Captain]

It's Personal

Boy there are so many A holes so quick to judge on this board.

Taxicab,

The fact is that the future for the biggies, FedEx, UPS, DHL look very good. As long as there is room to grow their businesses (look to globalization: China, India, etc.) they will be able to make significant gains in their contracts. The only thing that might stop that, aside from the invention of a teleportation device, is competition. But with so much room to grow, there isn't a lot of real competition. Besides, FedEx and UPS have slightly different target customers. Lots of little high priority packages versus big box shipping.

As you know the pax world is a competitive nightmare (for pilots). With the impending merger and acquisition wars, it will only get worse for quite some time. Once there are only 2-3 majors to compete with 2-3 LCC's, there might be some stabilization in pax carriers.

There really is no comparison between pax vs. cargo when it comes to stability and job security.

I have been doing CDO's, stand-ups, high-speeds, naps for many years. The worst for me is the shifting of the sleep cycles. I was fine if I could stay on a vampires schedule, but with a wife and baby, that is impossible. Shifting your clock from up-at-day to up-at-night and back is what kills the mice. It is brutal. There are ways to cope. Naps become an important part of your life, but they can't repair the damage to your body. Fatigue is insidious, and can kill you.

That said, I have dealt with this for years as a necessity and as a choice. I think I could do this for two to three times as much money. The only way you will know if you can handle it is to do it for six months or more straight through.

Be careful. Fatigue is hard, if not impossible to recognize, and has been shown to be as bad or worse than being legally drunk in regards to performance.

 

[Whine Lover]

ASA,

On the English lesson:

- I'll give ya' the last three. Just stupid mistakes.

- I beg to differ on the first one.

Anyway, that's what Editors are for. Mine always argues with me when I wanna' say things like "wanna'".

Sometimes I just write the way I speak. I feel it makes for a better read.

As far as punctuation and sentence structure is concerned, I feel that they are really more of an "art" than a "science". Something to be played with in a Jackson Pollack sort of way. (Sorta' like the way I fly an ILS.)

Not to mention that all the above requires less thought on my part...


YKW

 

[Whine Lover]

"The worst for me is the shifting of the sleep cycles. I was fine if I could stay on a vampires schedule, but with a wife and baby, that is impossible. Shifting your clock from up-at-day to up-at-night and back is what kills the mice. It is brutal. There are ways to cope. Naps become an important part of your life, but they can't repair the damage to your body."

THAT says it all quite nicely.

So, the question is, how much money is that worth?

To each his own.



YKW

 

[SWA/FO]

So, the question is, how much money is that worth?

remember what they say in Church.... "if we aren't getting our 10% you're going to hell anyway" or "you can't take any of that money with you!"

 

[Bavarian Chef]

That is one of the funniest things I've ever read on this board!

I'm sure most would rather have a career of multiple bankruptcies and furloughs, low pay, and crappy working conditions! LOL!!

Some enjoy cleaning the airplane between flights, others prefer the delight of asking the #1 for permission to take a potty break. Still others enjoy choking down an endless stream of Big Macs and burritos and shy away from the scariness of international destinations and being away from momma overnight. Many passenger pilots also tell me they delight in minimum wage TSA "wand wavers" sniffing their breath first thing in the morning and others just relish the simplicity their golden years will be without all the stress of managing a large retirement portfolio. Many are gamblers at heart and eagerly anticipate what awaits them as their carrier merges with several others or what the aftermath of another terrorist attack might bring.

Lots to consider when making a career choice but I guess I'm old-fashioned in choosing money and stability.

BBB

This one is funny, a real keeper. Cheers!

 

[Bavarian Chef]

"The worst for me is the shifting of the sleep cycles. I was fine if I could stay on a vampires schedule, but with a wife and baby, that is impossible. Shifting your clock from up-at-day to up-at-night and back is what kills the mice. It is brutal. There are ways to cope. Naps become an important part of your life, but they can't repair the damage to your body."

THAT says it all quite nicely.

So, the question is, how much money is that worth?

To each his own.



YKW

I do plenty of up at day and up at nite at jb, back and forth even and sometimes round and round -- the myth that you can't have your sleep schedule all out of whack at a pax airline is just that, whack. Especially if you are a commuter, like me. If I was better compensated for it than it wouldn't be that bad. Seniority is everything at moving both people AND boxes, and frankly I don't see the difference between the two when I am sitting in the 20 plane conga line at JFK trying to fly a redeye over to SMF and I have to shut down the motors 5-6 times during the 2 hour taxi to prevent the suck from becoming the BIG SUCK.

BTW, will you dorks stop harping on people's spelling, punctuation and/or grammar?