Originally Posted by Sliceback

Need/want to be in CT? Or would west of the Hudson work? If that's doable United might be the best bet of all in NYC. Worth looking into if west of the Hudson works for you and your wife. The reality is Delta's international footprint is much better than AA's in NYC. It's not just about pure seniority but also what options you can hold in a specific base. Keep in mind the 767 replacement is a 787-8, 330-200NEO, and to a lesser degree the A321XLR (that's a 757 replacement). If you dive into the weeds youi might be able to figure out your relative senority on the various a/c and what that flying, and pay, is like. That might be worth more than perhaps having a better seniority number at AA. With UA's large percentage of large w/b's (larger than 767's) EWR might be the best bet depending upon exactly what flying, and the size of each fleet, is done be EWR crews.

If your resume gained traction at AA and DL United might not be far behind.

Good luck.

Originally Posted by bstorm83

So after talking with several people and my wife of course, I think staying is ultimately the best option. The biggest reason is the seniority issue which would give me control of my life faster. I talked with a chief pilot at base indoc and he flat out told me I would be able to have a chance to become a captain in a widebody in NYC in about 10 years. I had a 777 pilot also tell me the same thing as all those people are the ones retiring in mass over the next several years. So for me I think that is the best thing I could ask for. Worst case scenario I become a very hightime FO on a 777 and control my life.

Originally Posted by Sliceback

I would do my own analysis to figure out how I become a 777 CA in 10 yrs. Currently junior Captain is around 3300? When does your seniority show you getting to that seniority? Next question - what will your seniority be in 10 yrs? How far is that from 3300? How many w/b's will the company need to buy to make 777 Captain drop to your projected 10th year seniority number?

Originally Posted by Brillo

I think he’ll do great with AA in NYC. A few years to 777 FO and life on SC there will be nice. But I agree, whoever said WB CA in 10 is on crack. That’s having to move up 13000 seniority numbers in 10 years, or 1300 a year, every year. Not going to happen. It’s moving maybe 1000 per year now at the bottom of the list. As you move up, the number you move up decreases. In the same year, a 16000 pilot could go to 15000, because basically everyone leaving is ahead of him, but number 3000 isn’t going to number 2000. Realistically he might be around 7000 in 10 years, so AA would have to probably more than double their widebodies, and I don’t think even then WB CA would hit 7000.

Originally Posted by HostileCombover

Well said… They were promoting WB CA at ten years when I interviewed at AA 3 years ago. Might’ve been true then, certainly isn’t true now. Drive to work, live the dream… The rest is fluff.

i went to Delta, if that matters… Guess what, the “culture” is exactly the same as it was at my regional and LCC(s).

Originally Posted by thrust

The origin of this whole "10 years from newhire to WB CA!!!!" thing started around 2018, when the hiring folks did the math and saw that yes, a 2018 or earlier newhire could likely hold 767 CA in 2027-2028 (or less) timeframe based on retirements. They even added it to their hype slideshows, etc. It was dubious at best, as even in 2018 the 767s were slated to be retired by the mid-2020s, and most people mean true top-of-scale WBs when they talk about WBs, but they didn't let that pesky fact stop them.

Then COVID happened and the 767s were retired even sooner than planned. No idea why folks in management still make this silly claim- either completely out of touch, willfully ignorant, both?

Originally Posted by bstorm83

So after talking with several people and my wife of course, I think staying is ultimately the best option. The biggest reason is the seniority issue which would give me control of my life faster. I talked with a chief pilot at base indoc and he flat out told me I would be able to have a chance to become a captain in a widebody in NYC in about 10 years. I had a 777 pilot also tell me the same thing as all those people are the ones retiring in mass over the next several years. So for me I think that is the best thing I could ask for. Worst case scenario I become a very hightime FO on a 777 and control my life.

Originally Posted by PilotJ3

That sounds like “get hired today at psa/envoy/pdt and you’re in AA in just 5 years”. The math doesn’t support that upgrade. I was hired at the peak of DAL hiring and will take me 16yrs to be WB CA (8 more years from now aprox).

NYC at DAL moves quick, you could be top 30-40% in the NB FO in about 1 yr. WB FO will probably trend more towards 5-6 yrs at best, unless you go 757/767.