Big Slick
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2004
- Posts
- 284
I would personally stay at AE and upgrade in 2 years. It's a sure thing. You won't have to commute and you won't take a pay cut. Also, if you want to work for AA, you may be able to flow up to the mainline.
Philosophically, it seems like a dangerous thing in this business to keep switching jobs in order to chase the brass ring. Six years ago in my AA class, we had 2 guys from FedEx, 1 from Alaska, 1 from SWA and lots of people who had given up captains jobs at Continental Express, AE etc. Not to mention folks who had given up promising military careers. Also, we had folks who had given up great corporate jobs. We've all been furloughed over 5 years. Talk about lost income. If you get too greedy, you could end up with nothing.
If you stay at AE, the worst thing that could happen is that you start logging PIC a couple of years later. If you leave, all kinds of bad things could happen.
Also, in this industry, things could look TOTALLY different in two years. US Airways may be the awesome job that everyone wants. AE could be hiring like crazy. Won't the upgrades at AE speed up once the AA flowbacks are recalled? You never know.
I would spend as much time as possible with my kids and stay patient. Your children don't care how much money you make, they are just glad to spend time with you. Trying to predict the future is just too hard in the airlines.
Let's say you commute for the next two years and get 1500 jet PIC. There are 3 possible outcomes:
1. You don't get hired by SWA, AA or CAL and you go back to US Airways where you become a commuter.
2. You don't get hired by SWA, AA or CAL and you go back to AE at the bottom of the seniority list again.
3. You do get hired by SWA, AA or CAL and you become a commuter.
Or, you upgrade to captain at AE in 2 years. You make a decent income and you spend time with your family. You can still interview with SWA, AA or CAL, but you have not bet your entire life on a long shot. US Airways might look good in a couple of years too. In any case, you will have a solid fall-back position. Who knows, you may decide you want to stay at AE.
But then again....who knows?
Philosophically, it seems like a dangerous thing in this business to keep switching jobs in order to chase the brass ring. Six years ago in my AA class, we had 2 guys from FedEx, 1 from Alaska, 1 from SWA and lots of people who had given up captains jobs at Continental Express, AE etc. Not to mention folks who had given up promising military careers. Also, we had folks who had given up great corporate jobs. We've all been furloughed over 5 years. Talk about lost income. If you get too greedy, you could end up with nothing.
If you stay at AE, the worst thing that could happen is that you start logging PIC a couple of years later. If you leave, all kinds of bad things could happen.
Also, in this industry, things could look TOTALLY different in two years. US Airways may be the awesome job that everyone wants. AE could be hiring like crazy. Won't the upgrades at AE speed up once the AA flowbacks are recalled? You never know.
I would spend as much time as possible with my kids and stay patient. Your children don't care how much money you make, they are just glad to spend time with you. Trying to predict the future is just too hard in the airlines.
Let's say you commute for the next two years and get 1500 jet PIC. There are 3 possible outcomes:
1. You don't get hired by SWA, AA or CAL and you go back to US Airways where you become a commuter.
2. You don't get hired by SWA, AA or CAL and you go back to AE at the bottom of the seniority list again.
3. You do get hired by SWA, AA or CAL and you become a commuter.
Or, you upgrade to captain at AE in 2 years. You make a decent income and you spend time with your family. You can still interview with SWA, AA or CAL, but you have not bet your entire life on a long shot. US Airways might look good in a couple of years too. In any case, you will have a solid fall-back position. Who knows, you may decide you want to stay at AE.
But then again....who knows?