Which way to go-SWA or JetBlue

[Bambam]

I wanted to start a discussion about the pros and cons of SWA versus JetBlue. I am one of the very lucky ones that has been blessed with a job offer from both. I am currently flying for one of these companies and will be able to start training with the other company in approximately 2 months.

I would very much appreciate any advice from those that have "been there" or anyone else who wants to add their 2 cents.



Thanks,

Bambam

p.s. Hi to Dean and LL who both read this board on a regular basis.

 

[AlbieF15]

BB,

I'm not at either...I'm a FDX/ANG guy...but...

Where do you want to live?

How important is rapid upgrade? Is waiting 4-6 years to Capt okay, or would a more rapid upgrade be an important part of job satisfaction?

What has been your impression of your current carrier? Are you happy? Are you satisfied with pay/benefits/work rules? Do you like your co-workers?

What do you prefer to eat on trips? Blue chips or peanuts?

Where do you see your carrier in 5 years? (...appears to me here you are likely a winner either way....good on ya'!)

Some guys will throw hate your way since you have a choice, but I'm sure its the result of of a lot of hard work and prep. Either way, follow your heart and don't look back. In any case, you've either allowed someone junior to move up a peg or created a slot in a training pool....so somebody somewhere will be thanking you!

Either way...good luck.

 

[HOUMAN]

Decisions....Decisions.

BamBam, I am neither at jetBlue or SWA (yet), but I know people at both. The guys at jetBlue can't say enough good things about it and are very confident of the future. With that said, you will be getting into the company at the start which means good things all around. Rapid upgrade to Capt, stock benefits, choice bids,etc... Just ask the guys getting ready to retire from SWA who got in back in the early 70's. There is a lot to be said about Seniority at an Airline (pay, job security, quality of life, etc.. ).
Also, will your quality of life increase by taking the March SWA class date? Are you in the guard or reserves? How would switching to SWA affect that? Just a thought... it would really stink if you were in the reserves/guard, quit company X for company Y and got activated before you could go to class with company Y.
Well, good luck with what ever you do. You will win by going to either company.
Hou

 

[Vikingpilot]

Like Albie, I was the luckiest guy in the world to have job offers from two great companies, FDX and SWA. Albeit both very different in type of flying and work schedules.

I started FDX first and after nearly deciding (litterly 11th hour) to quit I remain there today, and quit happy I might add. SWA was really where my heart was but since these decisions took place just after 911, I decided that is was not worth risking two weeks of unemployment. Yes, I had a conscience, FDX had treated me so well that I was not going to be one of those people you read about who just decides not to show up for training. But you can do that.

Where I'm going with this is, if you're happy, you like the company/people/work environment, you feel good about the future and can live with the domiciles, stay put. In other words, if you decide to "deplane" make sure the reasons are sound. The old saying "the best airline to work for is the one that hires you first" is especially true today.

 

[Snoopy58]

Whatever choice you make, it will be somewhere between "very hard" and "well nigh impossible" to ever go back. Not that this is particularly news, but let me expound on this thought.

If you are contemplating a move FROM JB to SWA, realize that, should you want to come back in a few years (& be able to make said transition -- by no means guaranteed), JB will be much larger & you will be coming in to an airline where upgrade times are considerably longer. As you know, in the airline business, "seniority is everything," and with no attrition out of the top end due to age 60 retirements, the seniority list will have to double (roughly) for you to upgrade to captain. The earlier your hire date at JB, the fewer people you need hired after you for you to reach the 50th percentile in seniority. Likewise, at whatever point growth at JB slows down, your seniority growth will stagnate somewhat -- compared with the rapid rise that comes at a small but rapidly expanding airline, at least. Again, the earlier your DOH, the better a position you'll be in.

At Southwest, the upgrades clearly take longer than at JB, so that logic is somewhat of a "one-way street." However...

If you are considering a move from SWA to JB, please consider what you would be leaving behind. Airlines generally don't tend to be particularly kind to guys who "jump ship" for greener pastures, and there is no guarantee that you could ever get rehired at SWA should JB fold or not be to your liking. If you are young & adventerous, that's great, and in some number of years, the industry will be healthy again & plenty of places will be hiring, though leaving SWA to go to JB wouldn't look especially good on a resume if JB should not work out, for whatever reason.

And that is the other imponderable factor. Jet Blue looks very good today -- that is a fact. HOWEVER, the airline industry is historically very unkind to new entrants... and it's still a bit early to proclaim that JB has arrived & is here to stay. I won't insult your intelligence with silly "they'll fold when they have to start paying for their airplanes" claims, but it would be worth considering that JB has a long way to go before they're established & stable in the way that SWA is. How much is said stability worth to you?

If it were me, with OFFERS from both, I'd probably tend more toward Jet Blue the younger & more adventerous I felt... if it works, you have a great pilot seniority number & you'll be able to enjoy it for the rest of your career there, and if JB fails for whatever reason, you'll be able to start again with ample time for a good long career someplace else. With offers from both staring me in the face, I'd tend more toward SWA the more I needed "this job to be the last transition I make," because SWA is pretty darned stable, and that matters more as time goes on in your life.

If I was on the line at SWA, I would absolutely NOT leave the sure good thing for a risky bet at JB. Yes, I'm risk-averse, but leaving a really, really good thing now, for a {lower-paying, probably better pay in the future, maybe great seniority, maybe on the streets in a few years} deal is an awful lot of risk for me.

If I was on the line at JB, that would be the hardest choice. Weigh the risks you're willing to accept at JB against how much you value the stability at SWA, consider how long you have ahead of you before age 60, pray about it, make the best decision you can, and don't look back.

And then there are issues like domicile, commuting, & such, just to make things complicated!

You'll know if you made the right decision when you celebrate your retirement on your 60th birthday!

Good luck!

 

[Lumber Yak]

Both choices are excellent. I agree with the seniority argument - getting into Jet Blue now while upgrade times are fast would be a great thing - you could upgrade to Captain faster at Jet Blue. I believe Jet Blue's pay scale will eventually be very similar to Southwest's - so, the money issue now is a non-issue in a few years.

Also consider aircraft type. If you fly for SWA, you better not gain any weight - the 737NG is still quite tight despite being a nice aircraft to fly. The Airbus is an awesome aircraft - very ergonomic and comfortable - plus you get to use a nifty side-stick. All A320/A330 pilots I know LOVE the Airbus line of aircraft and never want to return to the 737s or 757s they previously flew... Just another consideration...

Regardless, I think both airlines will be around in the years to come. From a passenger perspective, I far prefer the Jet Blue product with the assigned leather seats and the fantastic TV sets (makes the cross-country trips enjoyable) to the "cattle car" routine you will find on SWA. I know Jet Blue's "product" works - I am a fan. That being said, you can't argue with Southwest's historic results - probably the most stable airline you can find out there...

Congrats and good luck on your decision - KEEP US UPDATED...

 

[Bill Nelson]

I will throw a wild guess out there. You work at JB and might have a class coming up at SWA. You are concerned about the "newity" of JB. (No one in their right mind would leave SWA)

10:1 says I'm right. (I'll bet my last IRS refund check)

 

[av8instyle]

SWA=proven/as bullet proof as they get right now.
It would be an easy one for me...but that's for me.

 

[dhampton]

I'm sure SWA is more fun.

 

[Beechdriver32]

You cant lose!!!

Bambam-

You’ve heard this all before.

The question is, are you a betting man?

One company has a formula that has worked for over 100 straight quarters, and one has a formula that has worked for 2 years.

The question is where will you be in 24 years (I think I have the age about right).

Honestly, Mike, you are in one of the very few win/win situations of anyone out there. You can’t go wrong with either company. Just don’t second guess yourself, don’t look back, and enjoy the ride! (Although, you and I both know you really want to go SWA, otherwise you wouldn’t have posted this, right? No offense, Dean)

Good luck, my friend.

BD32

PS, I’m sure that Yatzee will be happy to take whatever job you turn down!