TwinTurboPilot

Hopefully the mods will allow this thread as it may be better suited for the corporate forum, however I would like to hear from current major/legacy guys. In my short career I've done a lot, a short stint at a 121 regional then 135 and 91 corporate. Ive been strongly debating making the move to a major/legacy carrier specifically Spirit, UAL, AA, or SWA. Im currently the CP (a term I would use loosely) at a small corporate flight dept flying a midsize jet (40 series Lear). MY QOL is great only flying 5-8 days a month all scheduled, (130-160 hours a year) very rarely work weekends, holidays always off, only 1-3 nights gone a month, GF gets to come along on fun trips, and requesting time off is never an issue.
Pay is $100K plus car/fuel allowance, medical/dental paid in full, cell paid in full. We do have a 401k however its not great only 4% match from company. QOL of life on the road is also great, high dollar hotels and $250+ dinners at fancy joints is the norm.
It really is a great deal, however one always seems to think the grass is always greener. Money is not everything to me but long term earning potential will obviously be much higher at a legacy/major along with much better retirement. Where currently I will only continue to get small 3-5% raises every few years. Job security is obviously probably equal at a small corporate dept as it is being junior on a long list. The company has had a jet for over 20 years and even during a financial hard time a few years back(08-10) parked the plane however kept the pilots on staff with current salaries. Obviously something that is very rare, I attribute that
to being a small family run company versus a large publicly held company.
My dream was always to be an airline guy and never ever considered corporate. At 30 years old I feel like if I'm going make the move the time is now. So what do you airline guys think? Is it worth turning my back on a gig such as this to take a gamble or keep her steady with whats been handed to me. I am seeking honest real world opinions and you won't hurt my feelings. As the saying goes in the end you won't know if you made the right career decisions until your 65. Let me hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance.

402DRVR

My only fear would be the job security of the corporate world. In my experience it is less there than in 121legacy given he perceived future of retirements etc. but it sounds like a great gig and not knowing the company its hard to judge.

I love 121 over corporate having done both, bad corporate is really bad, good corporate is really good but hard to find.

Launchpad475

I love 121 over corporate having done both, bad corporate is really bad, good corporate is really good but hard to find.[/QUOTE]


Couldn't have said it better. I had WAAAAY more time off flying corporate, but never knew when it would be. I flew 604's and 300's for a fortune 500, I'm glad I came back to 121.

At 30 you have a lot of time left, your current job won't be around in 30 years from now-

kansas

Wow, your situation is eerily similar to what I faced a little over a year ago. I had gone from a 121 airline to a very nice part 91 corporate gig in my hometown. Fun trips, treated like kings on the road, great company, decent benefits, lots of opportunity for advancement and leadership, especially outside of flying. The pay was good but we worked pretty hard for it, and our schedules were wildly unpredictable. Quite a bit of time away. Raises weren't annual, but on a merit basis, so they weren't as "reliable" as your situation.

But I had always wanted to be an airline guy, and I found myself wanting to jump back into the 121 game. To do so, I would have to walk away from making $100k/year at my 91 gig. I had worked for many years with the dream of making $100k, but I left it for first year pay at one of the airlines you mention above. Financially, the first year was pretty brutal. However, even during that first year, everything else in my life was better than ever before. I was happier, my family was happier, and my marriage in particular improved dramatically.

18 months later, I'm still very, very glad I made the decision I did. It sounds like you know what you want to do, so I encourage you to bite the bullet and see if you can make it happen. Get out there, apply, network, and give it a go. Odds are you will stand out from the crowd with your diverse experience. Once they make the offer, then you have a decision to make...but I think you already know what you would do if you had that chance.

Best of luck to you.

galaxy flyer

I've done both and AD. Now, in the twilight of a dim career, I'm a chief pilot at a large corporate dep't. I was a EAL grad, having walked out at the strike.

UAL, DL, AA is definitely the best deal going now and worth leaving all but the best corporate departments. Spirit and the like maybe not. Job security at the Lear-size operators is chancy for most. Your personal situation counts, too. Where do you want live, willing to commute, kids. I see lots of happy corporate pilots who settled into a great deal, but it's hard to find.

GF

gringo

Definitely not Spirit. Working for the most profitable airline in North America suuuuuuuuuucks.

galaxy flyer

But for how long...... I'm skeptical of all the LCCs except WN. Why would a legacy buy a LCC? What is their growth strategy except eventually running into a well-financed legacy?

GF

TwinTurboPilot

Thanks for the advice guys this is exactly what Im looking for. I did not mention DL as I do not know anyone working there. I mentioned the above airlines because I know at least 2 people currently flying there especially SWA and UAL where I know 10+ at both carriers, and they have bases where I would like to live. Ive commuted before will never do it again, just move to the base. Unfortunately the airlines is not like corporate and your buddies can't really help you out as its all HR based selection, or so I've been told.
That being said would I even be marketable at above mentioned airlines? Roughly 5100TT, 4000 jet, 1200 TPIC, 4 type ratings all in 20K plus pound jets, Only about 2000TT is 135/121 time. Im out of touch with hiring practices so I'm not sure what they are really wanting flight time wise? Thanks again everyone, keep the info coming.

gringo

We've got half a billion in the kitty and zero debt, yet everybody thinks we're gonna be bought out. I love it.

If Apple or Google made a bid on us, I'd maybe believe it. Otherwise, who's gonna purchase us? WN? Please.

Ponder this- Europe as about the same population as the U.S... How big is RyanAir over there? 300+ aircraft? AND wildly profitable???

We're just stretching our legs.

But who needs QOL and profit margins when you can sit reserve in EWR for the next God knows how long, right?

gringo

Of course, this debate is purely theoretical, because everybody on this board knows the answer, and it's Delta.