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Serious Question: CAL or FEDEX

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This may or may not have been mentioned previously, but another factor to consider is where you currently live. Your QOL will be much better if you live in or close to your base. From what I hear, FDX has some pretty commutable lines, but depending on where you live, commuting may be a bit more difficult at CAL.

Although I'd choose FDX if I were in your shoes, it really comes down to personal preference. FDX may offer things that cater to you that CAL doesn't and vice versa. Good luck with either company.

Fly safely.
Schmooze:cool:
 
c5driver said:
Got a quick question. I know it varies but what is the avg time you spend on the road with FedEx or UPS? I've heard something like 6-7 on with 6-7 off. What are you newhires doing right now? Thanks!

Oh yeah: Go with FedEx!

Holding a line 7 months out of training with 4 on 3-4 off, plus Thanksgiving, X-Mas and New years off. Not bad for a newbie! :beer:
 
I have done both and I personally think that you would be crazy not to go to FedEx. You have so many options over here...live where you want with our commuter policy, live in MEM and make more dough, fly domestic, fly international, fly big ones, fly small ones, fly on paid tickets on the airlines to your home city, fly in the day, fly at night. I swear every guy here has found some little niche that works perfect for their life. We are expanding like crazy and with big airplanes.
I know there is a weird kind of "cargo stigma" placed on us by the pax guys (that probably have never flown cargo) but I have never been happier than flying those quiet profitable boxes.
By the way, not all of us cargo guys hate people! ;) This job just lets me spend more time with the people that really matter!

See you over here amigo!

boost
 
LivinDaDream said:
I have been extremely lucky. I have offers from both CAL and Fedex.

Besides the obvious pay reasons for the first few years, what would you do and why???

LivinDaDream.............Did you make your decision yet??? We're all curious.
 
How long would you guess, oh poster of 1432 questions?
 
After reading through this, I'd have to tell you to go to Cal. As a loyal company man, I'd hate to see FDX hire someone of your questionable judgement! If you can't figure this one out, then I'm not sure we need you!
 
Quote:

After reading through this, I'd have to tell you to go to Cal. As a loyal company man, I'd hate to see FDX hire someone of your questionable judgement! If you can't figure this one out, then I'm not sure we need you!




Now I might be completely stupid here but I really think that the question the origional poster has is legit. I just left AirTran for Continental. I put in 2 years and 8 months at AirTran and would be attending the December 717 upgrade class had I stayed at AirTran. I loved my time at AirTran and my decision had nothing to do with AirTran at all. Great airline with a great group of pilots there. My dream has always been to fly long haul(or at least have the opportunity to do so) for an International airline where I would eat gormet food enroute to a 40 hour layover somewhere halfway around the world. After checking open time on the NYC 756 subbase for December I have found several pairings that have just that and even a reserve could end up in a different country each trip for the month. I know all the negative on Continental and the other pax carriers but I didn't get into this job to fly cargo and that is why(for better or worse) I have never applied to any of the cargo carriers. I am well aware that fiscally I am being completely ludicrous. I know that Fedex, UPS, DHL, etc are stronger financially and pay more money and I know that all the flying is not night etc. however you only live once. If you grew up dreaming to fly for a United, American, Northwest or Continental, then do it. I truly think that there will be an end to the downward spiral the legacy airlines have taken. I believe that Continental will be one of the remaining carriers when the dust finally settles. Continental flies to more International destinations than any other U.S. airline and as a pilot you have the opportunity to go places early in your career that you would only see later in life if you worked for most of the other global carriers.

It depends on your individual situation. The responsible thing would be to go to FEDEX. The responsible thing for me to do would have been to stay at AirTran and upgrade and make a great living working with some great people. I couldn't live with myself if I spent the rest of my career wondering what if??? Continental was always my dream job for reasons that would take up this entire server. So I am very biased. If Continental is not your dream and you are just looking for the right move financially then I think the choice is obvious.

I only post this to give a different view than what has been expressed above. Most people like me are afraid to post. Those of us who still love the airlines and what airline flying is all about are tracked down by our medical examiners for emergency psychiatric evaluations. Do what you think is right but don't count out Continental. PM me if you have any specific questions about Cal.

IAHERJ
 
Let's see...you are happy you are at your dream job. A bunch of guys behind you at AirTran are happy you left because they move up a number. One lucky guy that gets the nod off the street will be filling a job you left. Sounds pretty much like a win/win/win deal to me...except your old airline has a few more training costs. Considering how much of the money you save your company actually flows into your pocket (vice the shareholders) I say to hell with them....follow your heart.

I just worked with a guy who left Continental to join FDX. One client had a SWA and a Continental job and went with CAL. There are NO guarantees in this business, so as long as you can look in the mirror and are happy with your choice I say "good luck man!"

I love working at FedEx. However, I live on the FLA Gulf Coast, can drive to work in a pinch, and with my military obligations very rarely fly a full month's BLG. It works for me, but a guy stuck on the panel for a year will have a tough initiation to the company for a while. Its all about what works best for you. As an interview coach and a line pilot, I LOVE to hear about guys jumping from one job to another. Obviously--the more hiring going on the better for business. However, what benefits ALL of us is when people leave one carrier to go to another it costs the companies money. When airlines have to look at amortizing more trianing costs verses raising pay and benefits, the more we show management we CAN move the more leverage we can apply during negotiations. God knows its a tough market right now, so anything we have that might work slightly to our favor is certainly a good thing.
 
Interesting question. To pose it indicates, to me, that you aren't looking at the two like an investor. FedEx is much more financially healthy, has great revenue growth and has a product that is tough to duplicate. Not so for passenger carriers. They are in a largely commodity business with fewer barriers to entry. Profits today may not mean profits tomorrow. I see Sir Branson didn't announce a Virgin USA Express cargo venture. Too much investment is required for that. I'm also betting he will pay his employees peanuts for the privilege of working for him.

Why is that important? Labor will always be under pressure in a commodity business. The fact that Fedex pilots make more than UPS, and probably DHL, is not affecting their global expansion in the least. The cost of express cargo labor is a smaller portion of the revenue and the profit margin is higher.
 

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