SWA vs AA (Pros/Cons)
05-30-2023, 06:15 PM
#34
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2022
Posts: 390
05-30-2023, 06:27 PM
#35
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Joined APC: Aug 2016
Position: Pilot
Posts: 435
05-30-2023, 08:02 PM
#36
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Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: Window seat
Posts: 5,477
Not too bold a prediction (15,000 pilots in x years) when there were 14,978 pilots on the list as of May 1st and more coming on vs retiring. Net gain is probably over 100 so the June 1st list might be close to 15,100 on property.
05-30-2023, 08:20 PM
#37
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Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: Window seat
Posts: 5,477
If you came on property as of May 1st and were on day short of your 30th birthday you'd retire around #279. Of the last 1,000 new hires 11.6% have been 29 or younger. So you're final number is increasing by approx. 20-22 numbers per month assuming the hiring numbers, and demographics, stay the same.
Junior PHX FO was hired in January 2023. He probably had to commute for 2 months. But in previous months it took more like a 6-7 months, or longer, to get to PHX. I didn't check the month by month opportunities but it can be fairly quick or could take the better part of a year.
Don't make rash decisions like "i don't want to commute for a year" for a 36 year career. You're not going to fly 737's forever at SW. In 20-30 years the current 737's, probably a majority of them, will be replaced by something else. But the Airbus is a much better job. Worse airplane, better job (quieter, larger cockpit/more comfortable).
At this point SW doesn't appear to have w/b's in their future but who knows. AA does have w/b's and will have them in your future. Of the top 1,000 CA's at AA 91% were on w/b's when I checked a couple of years ago. Of the top 1,000 FO's 87% were on w/b's. There's about 10% that can't stand the sleep cycle but the majority love the w/b flying. It's a vastly different airline doing 8-12 pushbacks a year flying 'one and done' days. The w/b's also have more support and the entire process of boarding is significantly different. There's plenty of AA pilots who've gone to w/b and have spent less than a year, or sometimes none of their career, on n/b flying.
^^ The only way you'd do w/b flying, given current thinking, is if you'd commute.
Junior PHX FO was hired in January 2023. He probably had to commute for 2 months. But in previous months it took more like a 6-7 months, or longer, to get to PHX. I didn't check the month by month opportunities but it can be fairly quick or could take the better part of a year.
Don't make rash decisions like "i don't want to commute for a year" for a 36 year career. You're not going to fly 737's forever at SW. In 20-30 years the current 737's, probably a majority of them, will be replaced by something else. But the Airbus is a much better job. Worse airplane, better job (quieter, larger cockpit/more comfortable).
At this point SW doesn't appear to have w/b's in their future but who knows. AA does have w/b's and will have them in your future. Of the top 1,000 CA's at AA 91% were on w/b's when I checked a couple of years ago. Of the top 1,000 FO's 87% were on w/b's. There's about 10% that can't stand the sleep cycle but the majority love the w/b flying. It's a vastly different airline doing 8-12 pushbacks a year flying 'one and done' days. The w/b's also have more support and the entire process of boarding is significantly different. There's plenty of AA pilots who've gone to w/b and have spent less than a year, or sometimes none of their career, on n/b flying.
^^ The only way you'd do w/b flying, given current thinking, is if you'd commute.
05-30-2023, 09:19 PM
#39
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: May 2014
Posts: 171
I guess it depends on what they like better - equipment, quality of life, opportunity, etc. I agree gotta do what’s best for your circumstances
05-30-2023, 09:22 PM
#40
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: May 2014
Posts: 171
If you came on property as of May 1st and were on day short of your 30th birthday you'd retire around #279. Of the last 1,000 new hires 11.6% have been 29 or younger. So you're final number is increasing by approx. 20-22 numbers per month assuming the hiring numbers, and demographics, stay the same.
Junior PHX FO was hired in January 2023. He probably had to commute for 2 months. But in previous months it took more like a 6-7 months, or longer, to get to PHX. I didn't check the month by month opportunities but it can be fairly quick or could take the better part of a year.
Don't make rash decisions like "i don't want to commute for a year" for a 36 year career. You're not going to fly 737's forever at SW. In 20-30 years the current 737's, probably a majority of them, will be replaced by something else. But the Airbus is a much better job. Worse airplane, better job (quieter, larger cockpit/more comfortable).
At this point SW doesn't appear to have w/b's in their future but who knows. AA does have w/b's and will have them in your future. Of the top 1,000 CA's at AA 91% were on w/b's when I checked a couple of years ago. Of the top 1,000 FO's 87% were on w/b's. There's about 10% that can't stand the sleep cycle but the majority love the w/b flying. It's a vastly different airline doing 8-12 pushbacks a year flying 'one and done' days. The w/b's also have more support and the entire process of boarding is significantly different. There's plenty of AA pilots who've gone to w/b and have spent less than a year, or sometimes none of their career, on n/b flying.
^^ The only way you'd do w/b flying, given current thinking, is if you'd commute.
Junior PHX FO was hired in January 2023. He probably had to commute for 2 months. But in previous months it took more like a 6-7 months, or longer, to get to PHX. I didn't check the month by month opportunities but it can be fairly quick or could take the better part of a year.
Don't make rash decisions like "i don't want to commute for a year" for a 36 year career. You're not going to fly 737's forever at SW. In 20-30 years the current 737's, probably a majority of them, will be replaced by something else. But the Airbus is a much better job. Worse airplane, better job (quieter, larger cockpit/more comfortable).
At this point SW doesn't appear to have w/b's in their future but who knows. AA does have w/b's and will have them in your future. Of the top 1,000 CA's at AA 91% were on w/b's when I checked a couple of years ago. Of the top 1,000 FO's 87% were on w/b's. There's about 10% that can't stand the sleep cycle but the majority love the w/b flying. It's a vastly different airline doing 8-12 pushbacks a year flying 'one and done' days. The w/b's also have more support and the entire process of boarding is significantly different. There's plenty of AA pilots who've gone to w/b and have spent less than a year, or sometimes none of their career, on n/b flying.
^^ The only way you'd do w/b flying, given current thinking, is if you'd commute.
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