To go after the dream or stay seated here?

[ductleak]

To those in the "dream seats" at the majors, especially CAL, I have this to throw at you and I welcome the input that you have for me... I have a chance to interview at CAL in the very near future, but I am very unsure of this opportunity. I work for a career corp. flight department with a great schedule and very nice equipment along with great pay... I have been given a chance to interview at CAL, but do not know what to do. I think that I will be successful in the interview... I have the dream of going to a major such as CAL like many others do, but with the current economical airline environment, I am concerned and worried... On the other hand, I do not want to look back in ten years and flog myself for missing an opportunity that I had...

Can you guys give me input and help me look at this thing from a multi dimensional aspect?

 

[turn&pull]

Define great schedule and great pay and then we will be better able to do a comparison.

Can't speak for CAL, but at SWA the worst schedule would be 15 or 16 days off per 30 or 31 day month and the best would be 20 days off. However since you really don't report to anyone like you might at corporate, you can trade trips or drop trips or basically rearrange your schedule in just about any way you might like.

As for pay. The worst would be 1st year at about 50-55 and as a Captain with absolutely no life the best would be 250-300.

One of the nicest things about the airlines is that you have the flexibility to do just about whatever you want or make whatever you want within reason. And the only thing that might limit you one way or the other would be your seniority--not your boss.

I miss my corporate days mainly for the comraderie around the airport when I wasn't flying and the ability and connections to do other things with General Aviation. Although I enjoy my airline friends when we get together outside of work it doesn't usually involve airplanes.

Just my thoughts...tough choice.

P.S. Just as an example of what you might experience...I know a couple people at SWA that used to fly for Polar Air Cargo and they really miss it. Enough to consider quitting SWA. I don't understand it but some jobs aren't cut out for everyone. Tough Choice

 

[USMC319]

If you have the chance to interview, by all means take it. Go in there like your life depends on it and get the job offer. Once you have the job offer, then make your decision. You would be cheating yourself to make that decision without the interview experience.

I also loved my corporate gig, but I wouldn't go back for all the tea in China compared to my job flying scheduled part 121 in brand new aircraft with a great schedule and great pay. CAL would be one of the better choices available. I think they make the top 100 places to work in the USA every year.

 

[Whale Rider]

Sounds like your question is one that should be considered after you get the job offer not the interview offer.

 

[AA717driver]

Sounds like your question is one that should be considered after you get the job offer not the interview offer.

Not necessarily. I always looked at it like you have to REALLY want the job to do well in the interview. I could never get motivated to GET the job without having made the decision to take it if offered beforehand. JMO.TC

 

[pilotyip]

You will only know in five years if you made the right move.

 

[ATA73Pilot]

I work for a career corp. flight department with a great schedule and very nice equipment along with great pay...

Be very carefull. Are you ready to be placed at the bottom of the barrel with little or no control over your quality of life? Are you ready to work holidays, weekends, etc. for many years to come? Are you ready to have your vacations in the least desireable months? Are you ready to operate long days to the same repetitive cities day in and day out? Are you ready to deal with cranky, old FA's?

Most importantly....are you ready to place yourself in the most vulnerable position in avaiation - the bottom half of a major airline seniority list?!!!!

One hiccup in the industry (I see oil broke $58/ barrel yesterday) and you could very quickly find yourself on the street with the other 12000+ out of work pilots.

Sorry to sound so negative.....but I would not leave a flying position that paid well and provided great QOL for the "dream" of a job with a major airline. Trust me...it's not what it's cracked up to be anymore.

If you decide to make the leap...can I have your old job !

 

[Lear70]

Exactly.

It's only a matter of time until all the majors have dumped their defined benefit retirement accounts, whittled the pay to where it's nowhere NEAR what it is today, and basically makes SWA the top of the pay scale.

Additionally, almost none of the trips at the majors are what they once were. The days of three legs, then a 18 hour overnight, followed by two legs and a 35 hour layover in Vegas, followed by three legs then home for a week are pretty much GONE unless you're in the top 10% of the seniority group.

I got into this job not only for the love of flying, but also for the love of travel, the ability to spend a day in another city (or country) on the company's dime, and lots of time off. I see that whittling away more and more each year.

The only place I still see those kinds of trips are in the heavy metal corporate world (Gulfstreams, Challengers, Globals, etc). Home most nights and when you do have to stay somewhere, it's two legs and then 48 hours in Paris or Munich or Amsterdam or Tokyo.

By all means, take the interview. If you get the job, think about it long and hard. I know many a pilot who would LOVE to work at CAL (or SWA), but I can think of just as many who would LOVE to go back to the corporate world if they could get into a "good" corporate job.

 

[capt. megadeth]

Great input. I would take the interview and worry about it if you get the job.
Pilotyip is right, you will know way down the road if you made the right choice.
Good Luck.

 

[ductleak]

So far so good -- keep th input coming...

 

[Whale Rider]

Not necessarily. I always looked at it like you have to REALLY want the job to do well in the interview. I could never get motivated to GET the job without having made the decision to take it if offered beforehand. JMO.TC

No need to waste your time and energy counting your money if you don't know what you "Really" have.