A Career Question

[Scooby74]

You will eventually change your mind and rank airlines on a preferential list when you get more than your 1600 hours. As for the GuppyKiller label you are only pissing off Mainline guys and making commutes harder for RJ drivers everywhere.

These comments I agree with completely. Over time we as pilots begin to develop preferences as to where we want to work. I have been working as a professional pilot for a very short 8 years. I have had the pleasure of meeting so many intriguing people along the way who have taught me so much. And where I sit today is different than I sat 10 years ago just finishing college. The top pick on my Christmas wish list 10 years ago was SWA because I rode them all over the West Coast and they always gave the impression they were having fun. WOW get paid to do something I love and share that with everyone around. YES sign me up. Today SWA is still my first wish but for different reasons. Stability! In the eyes of today. CO and AIRTRAN next. Both for reasons that I could go on and on about. But, they are my reasons. You should make your own. FedEx and UPS are not a consideration to me because I want to see my family and friends. I flew night cargo for a year(the year I lost).....I told myself no matter how much money....never again.
Research each airlines route network, bases, pay, benefits, work rules, long term debt, working capital, cost structure, aircraft fleet, expansion plans, upgrade time, and on and on and on. However, it could all change with economic conditions, commodity prices, government regulation, and the competitive environment. Remember though.....when you make a preferential list of airlines you want to work for....it is just a Christmas list. We don't pick the airline...they pick us.
As for GuppyKiller....my poor brother. You were instructed to take those stickers off the flight bags. I don't see how you think you can use that on this forum. Please do not use that again. Your friend over at the PSC.

 

[Big Beer Belly]

FedEx and UPS are not a consideration to me because I want to see my family and friends.

LOL!!

 

[capt. megadeth]

GuppyKiller,
Can you tell me what is up with the name? I mean, are you proud that 70-100 seat "RJs" are doing mainline flying while paying pilots half? I am not trying to start crap, I am just wondering what is up with that?

 

[HowlinMadMurdoc]

Sure I'll tell you. I'm proud to fly the 170 at CHQ. The reality is that the 170 is the future of narrow body flying and there is nothing you or I can do about it, so we should just make the best of it. I realize my place in the industry and so should other regional pilots. Most of us will retire from the regionals. I personally could care less what some United mainline pilots call me or my plane. Yes, it is a guppy killer, but the guppy (UAL) was a dead man walking for some time anyway.

Ah yes! To be young and impressionable with no clue that we gain maturity and wisdom as we get older...

Tell you what, young grasshopper, save your post and, in 10 years, look back at what you wrote. I'd bet the farm your attitude will be far different!

HMM

 

[stillflyn]

I'll take a job with ANY airline on the list in ANY order!

GuppyKiller,

You would probably steal money out of a blind man's cup. The fact that you have a picture of a E-170 and call it a guppy killer makes me sick but that was probably your intent. One day you will probably loose your flying job to some young airman who was willing to do your job for $16.000 (no make it $10.000) and then you will understand.

all the best

 

[capt. megadeth]

Sure I'll tell you. I'm proud to fly the 170 at CHQ. The reality is that the 170 is the future of narrow body flying and there is nothing you or I can do about it, so we should just make the best of it. I realize my place in the industry and so should other regional pilots. Most of us will retire from the regionals. I personally could care less what some United mainline pilots call me or my plane. Yes, it is a guppy killer, but the guppy (UAL) was a dead man walking for some time anyway.

Ok?!?!?!? I am still confused......it's all good to be proud, but why would you stick it in someone's face? Sure, there are cocky United pilots out there that maybe ticked you off at one point but why would you want to stoop that low? That's cool to retire from a regional but why would you want to fly the "future" of narrow body flying for half the pay? I just don't get it.

 

[Boeingman]

Ah yes! To be young and impressionable with no clue that we gain maturity and wisdom as we get older...

Tell you what, young grasshopper, save your post and, in 10 years, look back at what you wrote. I'd bet the farm your attitude will be far different!

HMM

You have got that right.

 

[typhoonpilot]

To answer the original question ( not that I'm looking for a job ); the order would be thus: Fedex, UPS, Southwest, Jetblue, Airtran, CAL. I'll explain why. Fedex first simply because they have better first year pay than UPS. Over time they are probably both a wash and far superior in all respects to the rest due to pay scale, retirement programs, variety of fleet, and international flying chances. Southwest next because they offer the best domestic airline job on the market right now ( if you have had your 737 type provided for free from someone else, like me, then arguments about paying for it are moot ). Good pay as F.O., much higher than jetBlue and Airtran. Many bases to choose from, good working atmosphere, strong company balance sheet. jetBlue above Airtran just because I still don't like the fact that Valuejet started up wanting $10,000 for training, even if you were already typed in the -9. CAL last because they are not out of the woods yet and are looking at more concessions. Nobody is happy in a concessionary environment, why go to work there unless it is much better than your present job ?.

The comments some of the younger posters have made about taking the first job that comes along need to be reviewed. That was the sentiment when I was first applying for majors back in the late 80s. Just fire off resumes to everyone and go with the first one to hire you. That is what I did and in retrospect it was a big mistake. I passed on an opportunity to interview with Northwest after being hired by someone else. Maybe I wouldn't have got hired, but if I had it would have been a much better place to have gone than to stay where I did. Nowadays my advice would be to take the job at one, but maybe keep trying for the best one. Kind of like what AlbieF15 did. He started at jetBlue but then switched to Fedex.


Typhoonpilot

 

[aewanabe]

Sure I'll tell you. I'm proud to fly the 170 at CHQ. The reality is that the 170 is the future of narrow body flying and there is nothing you or I can do about it, so we should just make the best of it. I realize my place in the industry and so should other regional pilots. Most of us will retire from the regionals. I personally could care less what some United mainline pilots call me or my plane. Yes, it is a guppy killer, but the guppy (UAL) was a dead man walking for some time anyway.

Please, Please tell me this is flamebait. You may be proud to fly the 170, but guess what. You were randomly selected to fly it based on what the training department needed to fill. If you are really this big a tool you must've really fooled Rosa or Karen in the interview. Would you have turned down the job if you'd gotten stuck in the 145? Or maybe your screen name would be "Wannabe Guppy Killer?"

You remind me of the new 170 pilot I was dead-heading next to right after I upgraded, who said "oh, you're a 145 captain; that's nice, too bad they don't let you come fly the 170 as an FO". Yeah, too bad I can't go through 2 months of transition training for no pay increase.

 

[CapnVegetto]

Wow, wish I had an ATPWritten rating. How do you get one of those?

Must be nice to be young and naive. You're sitting in an E-170 because CHQ is getting E-170's from the factory faster than they can produce pilots to fly them. I have a friend that went straight from CFI, no jet time, to the E-170. Your 'experience' hadn't a bleeping thing to do with it , I promise you.

Regional airlines are a cluster f--k right now. Everybody is trying to undercut everybody else, and rushing to fill seats as fast as they can. There's no rhyme or reason to it.