Ex-Marine, I thought there were no ex-Marines. Anyways, nice problem you have. I have several friends at Fed-Ex who got me an interview there. They didn't seem to worried about their reputations when I turned down the Fed-ex interview to come to UPS. I'll throw a little brown into the mix. I'm new at UPS so you'll have to see through all the kool-aid I've been drinking. I like it here so far. Training is first class and it is on the FE panel. Some people may disdain it, but it is an easy way to get your feet wet in the company for a year maybe two. You are not looked down upon in the least as an FE. Almost everyone here was an FE at one time or another. The upcoming classes are having a greater number of FO's. Since new hires are going into the right seat, the company is paying senior FE's FO pay until they have a chance to upgrade. It is a little more complicated than I just said, but that is the gist of it. The company is very stable, but it is a trucking company that has airplanes. Being a former Marine you might like that. I feel very comfortabe here and everyone seems generally happy with life. Very different vibe than you get with most pax airlines. I won't say much about contract negotiations. The union seems very sharp compared to ALPA. We'll see. Rumor has 747-400's on the way. International flying is looking to increase. I'm sure you know the domiciles. Highly recommend you live at one. Scheduling seems more flexible with dropping and adding trips at Fed-ex than here. Benifits here are great. Retirement seems great, but I don't know if it will hold up for the next 25 years at either place. First year pay sucks, it's criminal. The new contract is supposed to address that. Your year starts the day you start, not when you finish training. The company does give you a hotel room until you finish IOE and perdiem as well. All uniforms, luggage, and a flight bag are given to you. I don't know what else to say. Recommend you go with whoever gives you a warm fuzzy. You can't go wrong with either place. PM me if you have more questions.