Tough Choice--SWA or UPS?

[Flechas]

Come on,,,same pay same benefits, who cares whats connected to the yoke. It boils down to stayin up all night,,,trying to keep your eyes open on final. Or,,, bright eyed bushy tailed,,,few short legs ,,,yeah I'll have another Pepsi,,,where do you guys wanna go tonight,,,BEFORE WE GET 8 HOURS OF SLEEP!

That's another thing. I don't know how it is at SWA, but when I go on a 4 day, unless I have a long overnight, I get there late and leave early, only enough time to get to the hotel and go to bed. If you get to destination after a long a$$ flight, and you are lets say in Amsterdam, you get some rest and have time to go out and have some fun.

 

[Flechas]

UPS, because I am sick of flying people for free.

And they have one of the best training department. They will not let women fly an MD-11 with 1500 hours, like Fedex, just because they want to meet quotas...

Purple pilots and female flyers....3, 2, 1 GO !

Agree, only the fact that cargo doesn't bitch makes it better at UPS.
"This plane is so small, it's like a toy" and all that shiet gets old.
I love my job, but given the chice, boxes is the way to go.
Now the qiestion is, What can brown do for me?

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Please don't flame me!! I am in the fortunate position of having to choose between UPS and SWA. I am in the pool for both and will probably take the first one to give me a class date.

I have 5 factors that I think are important: Job security, pay, benefits, quality of life, and culture. The last factor is pay. SWA is much better now, especially considering the money you lose at Brown during the first year. But if the new contract comes through, maybe UPS will have the better pay.

Like I said, I am in the pool for both and have at least a few weeks to entertain conjecture. NAy inputs?

If you want culture I would move to a major city with good museums.

If its that close for you, I would be asking about trip rigs, duty rigs, and various scheduling issues.

You aren't fooling me, I think you are yanking our collective chains

 

[Flechas]

You aren't fooling me, I think you are yanking our collective chains

That was my first thought, but it makes a good topic of discussion.

 

[AlbieF15]

FWIW, I had a client who had FDX, SWA, JB, and UPS offers, and another who had SWA, UPS, and FDX. Both chose FDX, but geography and commuting certainly were factors in both.

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

Just so "Willow" knows how things really are over here at UPS (atleast on my A/C) I duty in at around 2130, 1 hour pre-flight then departure from IAD for a 1 hour 20 min flight from there to SDF, arriving between 2300-0001 (No traffic (airways or radio), direct 99.9% of the time)

Sit in SDF for 4 hours (which sucks, but I can watch TV, read a book, get on my computer, Sleep in the sleep room, get something to eat at the cafateria, BS with my buds, whatever I want) then go out to pre-flight and depart back to IAD, 1 hour and 20 min flight, then race to see who can get out of the A/C first and on the Hotel van. 15 min ride to the Embassey Suites for free breakfast ( not contenetal, but the real deal with made to order omeletes)

Now for the best part, I hit the hay and sleep as long as I want, I usually get up around 1400 and go workout and the plan to meet the crew for dinner at 1700. after dinner, go to my room, watch the tube or get on the net, then repeat the same thing.

I do this 5 nights a week, then get a week off (or something close to that weekly)

One thing that someone said that really rang home with me is this, When I worked for Pax side ( I really enjoyed it because I like people, Its just the way I am) but I was always tired because Id go out with the crews and have dinner and then by the time I got back to my room and hit the hay, I was dawg tired in the morn (0500) when I had to get up. Im a night person and have hardly ever had a problem with flying night, I always had a problem getting up at 0500 and flying all day. This is just for your info, both companies are good, pay is simular, but UPS has the edge with bennies and retirment... SWA def has the edge on QOL...

Hope this helps

 

[C-150ETOPS]

Four pages of irrelevant gobblygook.

Listen, UPS has something like 200,000 Teamsters that will pull a sympathy strike if the pilots walk, right?

The only difference is the whole passenger/flight attendant thing, and that died at least 25 years ago. I spent 45 minutes in one of my airlines Flight Attendant crew lounges yesterday. I'd swear it was equal to 45 years torture of the most inane, asinine conversations on the planet, even below beauty salon gabbing. I wanted to go punch a airport cop in hope of getting solitary in a jail cell

Another thought. I'd bet in your first month on the line at SWA, you'll be calling the cops to arrest one of your passengers. That's what happened after I left UPS 15 years ago for Major.

 

[jbDC9]

They will be getting the A-380!!!! Imagine how cool it would be to fly that thing!!!!

What's SJS? And what's wrong with longing to fly the baddest plane on the planet? Plus UPS has the second baddest airplane on the planet, the 747! SWA is a good company, but I'd want to fly something cooler than a 737 for my entire career.

I disagree. I got into flying to fly the long haul international heavies. I know that I'd have a big grin on my face for many, many years if I got to fly the A-380 or 747.

Cripes, why are there so many idiots trolling on this board just looking to get a rise out of people? Go back to playing Flight Sim, moron. You can fly those "cool" 747s and A380s all day long... lock the door to your room so Mommy won't interrupt you now...

 

[Stifler's Mom]

The only difference is the whole passenger/flight attendant thing, and that died at least 25 years ago. I spent 45 minutes in one of my airlines Flight Attendant crew lounges yesterday. I'd swear it was equal to 45 years torture of the most inane, asinine conversations on the planet, even below beauty salon gabbing. I wanted to go punch a airport cop in hope of getting solitary in a jail cell

HA HA HA...one of our flight attendants this morning in the van was telling the crew how she was pre-menopausal. I would have considered jumping out of the moving van, but I wasn't near the door.

 

[capt. megadeth]

UPS, because I am sick of flying people for free.

And they have one of the best training department. They will not let women fly an MD-11 with 1500 hours, like Fedex, just because they want to meet quotas...

Purple pilots and female flyers....3, 2, 1 GO !

Ok, I was gonna give you a "CAN I GET AN AMEN?" then I read the rest of your post.

I must look like a dude or something cuz I couldn't get FedEx to hire me to save my life.

 

[capt. megadeth]

There are studies you should read about people who work at night and how it shortens their life spans by 6 to 8 years and also leaves them suceptable to all sorts of medical ailments-- so even if 40% of flying is at day-- is it worth it-- I would have taken a UPS job if it was offered ---- But then again I was not offered UPS and SWA; much less both.. Take SWA

Dealing with stupid pax would shorten my life by more than 6 - 8 years....he he

 

[psysicx]

BigBrown is that really senior?

 

[Echopapa]

From what the experts say freight is the biggest target now

Ok I'll bite....who exactly are the "experts" your talking about?

What makes these "experts" think that cargo is a target?

Its been three years plus since 9/11 and we have still yet to see any type of cargo incident...other than the idiot that mailed himself to his parents.

In my opinion, what gets news coverage is people...people that are most like ourselves....innocent people.....people who we can identify with...

We can all identify with a passenger...we have all been one...even non-pilots..but few have been "freight dogs"

I am certainly no terrorist, but I understand their objectives... its all about headlines...maximum impact....their goal is to create political change through fear and intimidation.

cargo just doesn't fit that category.

 

[WillowRunVortex]

Ok, I was gonna give you a "CAN I GET AN AMEN?" then I read the rest of your post.

I must look like a dude or something cuz I couldn't get FedEx to hire me to save my life.

Judging from your avitar, I would say you bare a striking resemblence to Dave Mustane!

 

[JohnnyCash]

i say bullsh!t

the ol' "Im in the pool-what would you do if you were me?"

i don't believe you are. period.

dude who cares. IF you were lucky enough to have both it doesn't mean jobs at both. if you are in the pool at brown, ride the wave. you have several weeks to decide-you're killing me. there have been folks in the the pool at brown for years.

(for those at sw-top notch folks-always! for those at purple-top notch-always! i hope you guys are ?lucky? enough to get this dude and brown misses this terrific opportunity.)

johnny
an american classic