SF20007

I received my class date today- hoping DCA shows up in my drop like it has pretty consistently the past few months. Any thoughts on the type of trips between the 2 airframes? I’ve flown Boeing my entire career but I’m leaning toward the Bus right now. Curious about upgrade times as well. Thanks!

aa73

I’ve been DCA based for over a decade, all on the 737. Staying on it until I can hold PHL 787 CA, no desire to go to training on an equally paying fleet (nor do I have any desire to fly the Bus).

Two simple things regarding your question in DCA. 1) Bus will be more junior, more comfy cockpit but crappier trips, and it is combined domestic/Intl so you’ll see some island flying out of other bases. 2) 737 slightly more senior, way less comfy cockpit but much better trips overall. Strictly domestic, no intl (except Canada and Mexico.)

Good luck and welcome aboard!

SF20007

Thanks! My dream would be 787 CA but I think I’m too late to the game at age 43. Curious why does the bus get crappier trips? Also will I be used approximately the same amount of time between the 2 if I bid short call?

aa73

They do tons of shuttle flying (DCA/BOS/LGA) as well as shorter former regional routes out of CLT so lots of 4 leg days. Not saying the trips are all bad but they do a lot of those… I barely do more than 3 legs on the 737 and I think I’ve only done 2 trips with 4 legs in 10 years. Most of the DCA 737 trips have 2 legs per day.

Short call on the 737 varies from month to month. I bid short call during vacation months and the first time I got used just once for the entire month. Second time they flew me to 70hrs. Just depends.

av1atrx

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think the 737 trips suck and the 320 trips are better. True, there are a lot of four leg trips, but there are also trancons, and the 737 doesn’t get those. But AA is definitely using the Bus to cover the regional flying.

As a long-time regional pilot, I often complained that our regional flying should have been mainline flying. As soon as I get to mainline, we start doing the “regional” flying, and it sucks! Haha

USAFBulldog

What determines good or bad trips? Just wondering because I wouldn’t care too much where I fly. When I’ve traveled for work with previous jobs I mainly spend most of my time in the hotel anyway.

airbusflieger

All things being equal, I choose comfort. I flew the dump truck for nearly a decade and never will again :-))

After 18 years on various Boeings 737, 757/767 the little Airbus is by far my favorite airliner to operate. It is quite comfortable, and even in the middle of summer can keep you cool. All the Boeings (787 could possibly be an exception) are hot on the flight deck even in the winter.

"worse" trips? Meh. I like trans-cons. Flying a NEO on a trans-con is awesome-sauce. Now, with improved over rides on NEO pay scale, it pays more than the standard 321 pay rate (I don't remember the old Group III rate but it may be better than that or equal to). Also, going ETOPS on a NEO/321 carries pay scale over rides.

Can't do that on the 737....

As for which is more senior.. the Airbus has eeked out ahead in seniority after being junior to 737... the word is out among the LAA that the crazy b__tch Airbus is actually all right, the training is not that bad, and it's really easy to fly.

Most jr Airbus CA 11,3xx

Most jr 737 CA 12,3xx

As for shuttle flying, it's been decimated. Mostly RJ's with a sprinkling of mainline Airbus and 737.

The last bid or two there have been no dedicated Shuttle pairings/trips. The shuttle flights are imbedded into various trips anywhere from one to four days in length.

Four day trips are not common, and you'll advance to stay out of what you don't like quickly. You may work weekends for a bit if you want to hold a line right away, but feedback from new hires is that they are holding decent lines in 2-3 months. In DCA this is unheard of.

In the current bid package for DCA in DEC, there are more block hours on the Airbus, more pilots on the Airbus, more choice on the Airbus for the types of flying, and a slightly higher average credit per day (trips pay more per day).

Currently, there are only two trips with Caribbean flying in DCA on the Airbus. The Caribbean is covered by MIA and elsewhere. Possibly the 737 in DCA but I have not looked.

There is a little MX flying, but it's easy. Mexico City is a challenge, but between doing Mex City in an Airbus or 737 at night in the rain.... I'll take the Airbus (I've flown both into Mex City).

Look man... the Airbus is a better plane. Full stop. The Guppy fans will hate me, but that's okay, I understand as I was a "Boeing or I'm not going" fanboi for 18 years.. until I got my hands on the 320's.

The 319's are fun. The 319's with winglets and the big A5 motors are downright monsters. Closest you'll get to a 757... a derated 757 not full thrust 757, LoL... but they are sporty.

The 320's are weird because we have so few, and no one can seem to flare them well. The trick is to pull the power before the 20 foot call and let her settle on in. Unless you're low on energy, then hold to the 20/retard call, bump the stick real quick nose up and release and she'll settle right on down.

The older 321's are what the Boeing folks poke fun at Airbus over... slow climb rates, step climbs, don't like to slow down, wonky descent planning software, not great off the runway when it's hot out.. the older 321's are kinda pigs. Oh well.

The 321 NEO's are the bees knees. Powerful, quiet, can full payload and fuel for coast to coast. It's no 757 mind you, but it does 95% at half the cost. HALF the cost of a 757 and 30% less than the old 321's.

Long story longer... a wide variety on the Airbus from airframes, to destinations, pay rate over rides for 321's and certain flying.

Plus, a better safety record if you care about that stuff. The Airbus's crash pretty well and keep the fuselage together. The NG 737's seem to crack open like eggs at the plugs just fore and aft of the wing. Google image around a bit and you'll see what I mean. We've had a couple of Airbus go four-wheeling and the fuselage stayed intact. Heck we had one in PHL reject a takeoff airborne onto its nose and it stayed together. That would have broken an NG open like it was made of ceramic...

I admit... I'm biased. Look at my username.... But I have flown both, and other Boeings, and the Airbus is a great fleet to be on IMO.

YMMV, everyone has elbows etc etc etc....

There really is no wrong answer. You'll love either one of them. The 737 is a big dumbo that is friendly to fly, as long as you control your speed on final, don't float, and in the rain use a handful of autobrakes and plant that sucker on in the near end of the landing zone. ;-)

cornerpocket

Speaking of DCA 737 - is there a list anywhere of iPad protectors that work on the 737 BESIDES Otterbox?

I seriously hate them...I feel like I'm just paying for a name.

skruts

Any of the $15 cases on Amazon work perfectly fine.

TallFlyer

If the question is 737 vs 320, 99% of the time the answer is going to be 320.