Bucking Bar

If you need to ask, then United.

ebl14

And these two factors are pretty much identical between us and United. We have a few blemishes and so do they. If it were my choice I’d decide based on which base I want to live in.

dbrownie

Being near the young children is hugely important, they grow so fast and there really isn’t a second chance.
I stayed senior as a WB f/o in base and was around all the time for her.
Games, field trips, concerts, coaching didn’t miss anything.
Before you know it they are off to school and you can bid what you want.
JMO but it worked out well for me.

Fly4FunAA

especially if WB FO pays well these days. I’ll definitely keep that in mind for my young son

PipeMan

This is what I am trying to do. How much flying and days away did you have doing this? I debate whether WB is better than NB but I am home most nights doing the NB as well.

m3113n1a1

People always say "just stay a senior widebody FO," but what do you mean by senior? 30%?

30% on ATL 330B is currently 3900 system seniority (which is a 2000 hire right now, but with rough very optimistic math will take someone hired today at 16k seniority 24 years to achieve assuming 500 retirements a year for the next 24 years)
3900 seniority would hold 39% as ATL 320A.. so basically there isn't a massive seniority difference. Sure the type of flying is different, but that's all.

If you're on the west coast to be 30% seniority on LAX 350B you need 3600 seniority currently. So that will take a new hire 25 years or so. 3600 seniority is 21% LAX 73n A and 18% as a LAX 320A. So you'd actually have more seniority as a narrowbody captain.

I don't understand why people say staying a senior widebody FO is so lucrative or easy to obtain. When narrowbody captain pays more and you can be just as senior or more.

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TED74

It’s definitely lucrative and can offer lots of quality of life - maybe even both. But I’m not sure many people think it’s easy to obtain? Maybe that’s what a handful of already-senior WBs think, or others who aren’t paying attention.

The good days could return, but presently the junior WBBs don’t seem to be experiencing the panacea it once was. Terrible Reserve manning, unpredictable 1-day trips, excessive 6- and 7-day trips…many factors make the gig something different than I suspect it used to be. The trips and layovers are still nice, but junior folks who think they’ll sit Reserve and never fly or do nothing but efficient 3-days should look at some junior schedules to make sure they know exactly what they’re bidding for. Mama and the kiddos might not be thrilled to see Dad disappear for seven days at a time on trips he can’t shed.

contrails

Because the narrowbody captain can't do 30hr 3-day trips.

crewdawg

Nor can a vast majority of our WB FO's. Sure there are some 30 hours 3-days, and a few more 25 hour 3-days, but a vast majority of our WB 3-days are 17-19 hours.

JamesBond

The question was about staying senior as a WB FO.

The 'vast majority' in any category can't hold every weekend or holiday off.