Originally Posted by schloppy1

The upgrade time to wide body at Delta is sub two years. Every month hundreds are hired above you. If you’re waiting for a new contract, that could be months or a year away. That’s a lot of lost seniority. The pro’s of this job with a little seniority are pretty good. I bounce around the planet with a schedule I like and take two entire months off each year. One con I’ll add is just how easily the company will walk over our contract. They threw the already terrible section 24 in the trash and the grievance was settled with just a small amount of cheddar thrown our way. If you’re hired in the next year, plan on many years of 757 reserve. If hiring picks up, plan on years of 757 reserve while new hires are brought in above you to the wide body you’ve been awarded. Things are slowing down here and FedEx is slapping us in the face. For the time being, the legacy’s are offering better pay and a hug on your first day. But don’t think for a second they won’t slap you with a furlough when times change. Choose wisely and good luck.

Originally Posted by busdriver12

…schedule medical procedures on reserve (but call off sick and pull at least one day)..

Originally Posted by FXLAX

Can you elaborate on that? I’m not sure I understand.

Originally Posted by busdriver12

Interesting posts from people who’ve only been at FedEx for a few years. People who have only had a small sample of the life cycle at FedEx and are ready to jump ship.

I retired last year after 26 years at FedEx and a couple of years at American before that. No comparison. I always thought I’d rather be the bottom seniority holder at FedEx than the top at a pax carrier. Easy for me to stay, even during the tough times. Was able to retire at 58 because FedEx still has a pension, definitely couldn’t have done that at AA.

Understand, everything is cyclical. Before you know it, the pax carriers will have a downturn, people will be downgraded and many will be furloughed. This would have happened in 2020 and have been very ugly if both the Trump and Biden administration had let the chips fall as they should, and not ponied up billions of taxpayers dollars. Next time, they might not do so.

You can always improve your life at FedEx with a bit of effort. You can make the best of every situation, whether it’s 4A2B (or C), reserve, being very junior, there are so many ways to work things to your advantage. Pick up good trips that drop into sick time, drop crap trips, check open time often for extra pairings, schedule medical procedures on reserve (but call off sick and pull at least one day). Get a friend who uses mil leave and has a healthy sick bank to pass onto you, get a group of people that you trip trade with (so instead of dropping good trips, you offer them to each other). I could write many paragraphs about how to make your life better, it’s all there at FedEx, no matter your seniority. I never understood why people flew garbage trips, I never did (unless CRS mangled the trip). Never could do any of this at AA, though maybe their rules have changed.

Originally Posted by brn2fly1

Please show me a Delta pilot actually flying a wide body that is sub two years! The senior pilots in those domicile fly the 767 not the junior guys.

Originally Posted by brn2fly1

Please show me a Delta pilot actually flying a wide body that is sub two years! The senior pilots in those domicile fly the 767 not the junior guys.

Originally Posted by busdriver12

…..Get a friend who uses mil leave and has a healthy sick bank to pass onto you …..

Originally Posted by busdriver12

Sure. For example, I know someone who had a major surgery scheduled, and it was during a time when reserve utilization was low. He bid reserve during the month that he had scheduled the surgery. Pulled a couple of days on reserve, called in sick for the rest of the month (was charged very little to his sick bank due to low reserve utilization). Called in sick for the entire next month, and the month after bid reserve, calling off sick for the last few days of the month (once again, charged very few hours to his bank). Totally legal, ethical, within the contract. Smart utilization of bank for a scheduled procedure. They will not charge your sick bank for the entire month when you've pulled a day of reserve, only for what trips you would have been assigned. This works especially well during those times where they are barely using reserves.

Originally Posted by busdriver12

It perplexes me as to why people are comparing FedEx's 2015 contract to those other airlines who have recently achieved contracts. I would surely hope that FedEx's 2023 contract will be similar or better. Very curious to hear what the retirement improvements were.