What's still good about major airline flying?

[Fly4$]

I'm leaving the military next year to go fly for a major airline, the way I always planned it. What I have noticed that these forums seem to be filled with doom and gloom about my future job.

I would like to start this thread for all people entering the airline business, so they know there are still plenty of things to look forward to, and to give us all a little positive motivation.

Please don't hijack this thread for your complaints (which I'm sure every profession has plenty of) but please only sincere things that make this job still fun to do.

 

[flint4xx]

A half hour and no positive response. You can close this thread now.

 

[Whine Lover]

If you are a commuter you can remain in a state of perpetual adolescence via "the crash pad".

You get to sneak away from nagging girlfriends, wives, kids, etc. and sit in a cheap apartment with dumpster furniture drinking beer in your shorts and watching TV with the Guys all day.

Just like College....only you actually have a J.O.B.

When the Ball and Chain stares at you and says "what have you done for the past week?" the best part is:

A) She has NO idea and NO proof of what you were really doing . Whatever you say is Gospel.

and


B) You get to say " I've been working." and you aren't even lying.


YKW

 

[AA717driver]

Fly4--People bitch because it's not the "brass ring" job it once was. Coming in now, you know there are crappy work rules (although still better than a regional) and no defined benefit pension (although the DC plans will work pretty well).

Just remember: There are no guarantees in this or any other job. If you like--no, love flying, you will have a good time.

Was the military fun all the time? I doubt it. There will be days when you hate the job and days that are so good, you can't tell anyone outside the business because they can't comprehend it.

As I said before: You have to decide to be happy. Happiness won't come find you. Good luck. TC

 

[Whataburger]

Getting good money to sit on your a$$ and stare out the window all day while drinking free coffee is the job most people want. You can have that.

 

[Bavarian Chef]

Getting good money to sit on your a$$ and stare out the window all day while drinking free coffee is the job most people want. You can have that.

... at Southwest.

 

[General Lee]

I'm leaving the military next year to go fly for a major airline, the way I always planned it. What I have noticed that these forums seem to be filled with doom and gloom about my future job.

I would like to start this thread for all people entering the airline business, so they know there are still plenty of things to look forward to, and to give us all a little positive motivation.

Please don't hijack this thread for your complaints (which I'm sure every profession has plenty of) but please only sincere things that make this job still fun to do.

I still enjoy my job at Delta, but I am fairly senior and still making a pretty good wage. Most people don't start out that way, though. There is always that first year pay, and reserve that can cloud the dream. It takes a while to get comfortable with the pay and schedule, maybe a few years. 9-11 really did smack the "airline pilot lifestyle" with several BKs that affected average pay, and the introduction of RJs have shrunk many mainline fleets. Age 65 will stagnate many airline seniority lists, which will slow hiring. Once you are on with an airline, save money and invest in 401Ks and DC programs. Pensions at most airlines are gone or could be gone in the next dip. Overall, it is a good job if you can withstand the first couple years of lower pay and worse QOL. If you can get past that, then you can be comfortable, but never really totally secure. Just don't be a big spender and enjoy loved ones. An airline with a little variety (maybe a domestic and INTL operation) may keep you more interested in the flying part over time. Good luck.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[FurloughedAgain]

Holy crap. General Lee just wrote an ENTIRE POST that I agree with!

The apocalypse is upon us...

 

[SWAdude]

General,

Fairly senior? Are you not an FO?

 

[FurloughedAgain]

FOs can be senior on the FO list. Either way, he's unlikely to get furloughed unless the airline shuts down.

 

[PCL_128]

If memory serves, the General has been able to hold Captain for a while, but he's waiting for an airplane that he wants to fly.

 

[CrewDog97]

fly4$,
hey brother (or sister as the case may be),
don't take all this gloom and doom to heart. i just got out of the military a year ago myself, got on with a major, and i'm loving it. like you, it's what i've always wanted to do. you know pilots can and will complain about anything. i'm just happy being a civilian for the first time since i was 18. i've been at my airline for less than a year, i'm off reserve, i have 17 days off this month and love having the free time to spend with my family and my other job (couldn't totally part with the military so i'm still a Reservist). i tend to think a bad day flying for the airlines beats a good day flying for the military, but that's just me. PM me if you need to talk to somebody who's been in your shoes!
crewdog97

 

[pilotyip]

Great Job!

If you like to fly it is still a great job, good pay, 100K in ten years almost anywhere, work 15 days a month, free travel, unlimited time off to pursue a reserve career. If you don't like to fly it is a hard job. I am still livin the dream after 40+ years.

 

[MK82Man]

Fly for Bucks -- well I've been at my major for 3.25 years. If you are retiring then you have some good options. Stay with tricare and participate to the max with your new airline 401k, B Plan, whatever. My wife and kids have non-rev'd to the max. NYC (three christmas's in a row -- it's cool when they come home and talk about the rockettes and the xmas show), SFO, ORD, and a host of other places. my kids can travel by themselves and have done it with friends. It's pretty cool to send your kid to SNA with a friend for a weekend for basically the cost of a hotel room. We've done Colorado, Mexico, England, France, Italy, Canada, and a host of other get-aways in the three years, so I count non-rev as a huge benefit. I think the kids are learning alot by being exposed to so much. We can go skiing in the Rockies on a weekend. Is it a cake to non-rev? No, but there are alot of folks who just quit trying and we plan smart, carry back up tickets and the good folks at SWA have carried us lots for dirt cheap. Summer 08 will have us on a greece cruise ... so to me, that is what is still good about the business. Plus the guys (and 2 gals) I've flown with are great. Only a couple of losers in the crowd. And I'm still flying and I enjoy that. There is no PPT, no colonel meet and greet, and Home Depot in the middle of the week is way uncrowded. Good luck

 

[ip241au]

Fly4$

Take a good look at your prospective airline, their domiciles, work rules, routes they fly. If your airline has a domicile that you want to live in that is huge. Commuting sucks and takes away a lot of your free time and also your peace of mind (Will I get to work?)
Are their benefits good? 1st year pay?

If it's all about money, maybe your degree will earn you a lot more instead of flying. Some non-flying civilian careers are paying good money and great benefits. If you don't have a lot of time to put into a commercial airline career, 20+ years I think, you will never get to the left seat. The left seat makes the big money and your timeline to the Captain seat may just have been extended five years.

 

[Fly4$]

Thanks a lot everybody for the constructive posts. I already feel a lot better. I guess there is plenty to love out there, but I will make sure I stay well informed. I am well educated and should have plenty of other options, but for now I just love to fly, and I am looking forward to the change of scenery. (coming from the military)

 

[instructordude]

If you like to fly it is still a great job, good pay, 100K in ten years almost anywhere, work 15 days a month, free travel, unlimited time off to pursue a reserve career. If you don't like to fly it is a hard job. I am still livin the dream after 40+ years.

That's really what it is about, the love of flying and the ability to make the big bucks (100K) and only work 16 days a month. Most angry guys I've talked to and seen on this site don't like to fly and probably don't have any hobbies to do on their off time. This job can be a dream.

 

[vtwo]

That's really what it is about, the love of flying and the ability to make the big bucks (100K) and only work 16 days a month. Most angry guys I've talked to and seen on this site don't like to fly and probably don't have any hobbies to do on their off time. This job can be a dream.

What kind of putz are you???????

 

[instructordude]

What kind of putz are you???????

??????

 

[Kharma Police]

What kind of putz are you???????

That guy is awesome, a true genius. I don't know what's more entertaining, him, or gullible guys that get their blood pressure up by reading his posts.