DAL To UAL
01-07-2024, 08:17 PM
#101
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: Window seat
Posts: 5,534
I currently have a CJO at United with a class date in early March. I'm trying to make a decision of whether or not to make the jump from DAL to UAL while I'm still fairly junior at Delta (I have about 900 below me on the seniority list currently). I am aware that United has hired a similar ammount of pilots as Delta in the past decade, but it seems that the retirements and planned growth for United will translate to a similar (if not better) seniority situation. I also really like that United has more widebody flying and oppurtunities to upgrade quicker on the narrowbodies.
I'm not sure what to do and this decision has been weighing on me for a few months now. I'd really appreciate any advice or insight that anyone may have!
I'm not sure what to do and this decision has been weighing on me for a few months now. I'd really appreciate any advice or insight that anyone may have!
Keep in mind United has more large w/b's (not the small 757/767 pay bump) but you have to factor in how many of Delta and United's current 767's will be replaced by 787's (that's the large w/b pay bump that matters). Given UA's overall larger international route structure and subsequent larger large w/b fleet the same seniority number at Delta is less valuable at the end of your career. IE #400 at DL might have the same w/b bidding power as #500 at UA.
Get the data and work it out. Then figure out the value of driving to EWR for every trip vs the major pain of driving to JFK instead. Over decades it's almost "who cares! Just go to United and avoid all the pain!!"
01-07-2024, 08:20 PM
#102
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: Window seat
Posts: 5,534
So he'd have approx. 700 guys less behind him at UA vs staying at DL by the end of 2024. Is that worth decades of drving past EWR to go to JFK? I doubt few that have lived that drive wouldn't go to UA if they had the chance earlier in their career.
01-08-2024, 04:28 AM
#103
New Hire
Joined APC: Mar 2019
Posts: 4
dilemma
Here is my dilemma that I am trying to figure out.
I am 55 years old and a captain at a AA wholly owned regional and live in base in CLT.
I have a class date at Delta in 2 weeks and a class date at United in 6 weeks.
I don't have the option of moving so will be a commuter for 10 years.
I am initially prepared to commute to NYC. I have family in Queens, NY and also in Wayne, NJ which is about 20 miles from EWR.
Delta could eventually offer me ATL which is a 3.5 hr drive from my home in CLT.
Given I only have 10 years, I would like to upgrade soon.
It seems given the seniority situation at DAL, it would take 4 years to upgrade based on when I will be joining.
UAL could give me CA in NH bid or within a year, however I would lose the option of driving 3.5 hrs to ATL and also give up the supposedly DAL 'stability'.
Which is a better airline for me?
I am 55 years old and a captain at a AA wholly owned regional and live in base in CLT.
I have a class date at Delta in 2 weeks and a class date at United in 6 weeks.
I don't have the option of moving so will be a commuter for 10 years.
I am initially prepared to commute to NYC. I have family in Queens, NY and also in Wayne, NJ which is about 20 miles from EWR.
Delta could eventually offer me ATL which is a 3.5 hr drive from my home in CLT.
Given I only have 10 years, I would like to upgrade soon.
It seems given the seniority situation at DAL, it would take 4 years to upgrade based on when I will be joining.
UAL could give me CA in NH bid or within a year, however I would lose the option of driving 3.5 hrs to ATL and also give up the supposedly DAL 'stability'.
Which is a better airline for me?
01-08-2024, 07:59 PM
#104
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2015
Position: Gear slinger
Posts: 2,983
Here is my dilemma that I am trying to figure out.
I am 55 years old and a captain at a AA wholly owned regional and live in base in CLT.
I have a class date at Delta in 2 weeks and a class date at United in 6 weeks.
I don't have the option of moving so will be a commuter for 10 years.
I am initially prepared to commute to NYC. I have family in Queens, NY and also in Wayne, NJ which is about 20 miles from EWR.
Delta could eventually offer me ATL which is a 3.5 hr drive from my home in CLT.
Given I only have 10 years, I would like to upgrade soon.
It seems given the seniority situation at DAL, it would take 4 years to upgrade based on when I will be joining.
UAL could give me CA in NH bid or within a year, however I would lose the option of driving 3.5 hrs to ATL and also give up the supposedly DAL 'stability'.
Which is a better airline for me?
I am 55 years old and a captain at a AA wholly owned regional and live in base in CLT.
I have a class date at Delta in 2 weeks and a class date at United in 6 weeks.
I don't have the option of moving so will be a commuter for 10 years.
I am initially prepared to commute to NYC. I have family in Queens, NY and also in Wayne, NJ which is about 20 miles from EWR.
Delta could eventually offer me ATL which is a 3.5 hr drive from my home in CLT.
Given I only have 10 years, I would like to upgrade soon.
It seems given the seniority situation at DAL, it would take 4 years to upgrade based on when I will be joining.
UAL could give me CA in NH bid or within a year, however I would lose the option of driving 3.5 hrs to ATL and also give up the supposedly DAL 'stability'.
Which is a better airline for me?
01-09-2024, 08:22 AM
#106
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2016
Position: Looking left
Posts: 3,418
I’m a relatively new Delta pilot. I commute from Denver and I’m considering applying to United because I’m miserable commuting and don’t see myself doing it for the rest of my career, and I don’t want I leave Denver.
Can you tell me what overtime/open time pay looks like at United? Is it similar to Delta’s green slip callouts (calls go down seniority order, double pay for trip coverage)? Where would a 30 year old be on the seniority list in 5,10,15 years if they were hired in the next 6 months? How quickly can you go from a new hire drop of IAH 737 to Denver? How long does a move from narrow body to wide body typically take with a new hire seat lock? Any juicy rumors on new contract QOL improvements? Anything else you think I should consider?
Appreciate any info, thanks!
Can you tell me what overtime/open time pay looks like at United? Is it similar to Delta’s green slip callouts (calls go down seniority order, double pay for trip coverage)? Where would a 30 year old be on the seniority list in 5,10,15 years if they were hired in the next 6 months? How quickly can you go from a new hire drop of IAH 737 to Denver? How long does a move from narrow body to wide body typically take with a new hire seat lock? Any juicy rumors on new contract QOL improvements? Anything else you think I should consider?
Appreciate any info, thanks!
Go to UAL ASAP’ly!
01-10-2024, 04:29 PM
#109
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2022
Position: 73FO
Posts: 356
I don't think commuting from CLT-DC would be miserable, it would likely be pretty reasonable. 6-9 daily flights to IAD, 8-13 flights a day to BWI, 9-16 flights a day to DCA with the pretty easy metro connections to BWI and IAD. CLT to ATL has 15-21 flights a day, so you're looking at about the same in my book. Commuting sucks for sure, but that looks like a pretty good situation to be in if one had to commute. 6 hour drive to DC vs 4 to ATL (although needing to drive through ATL could take 2 hour. If it takes 6+ months to get captain, and you get a year of PSC, they only have 8.5 years from there. If it got bad take WB FO and cut the number of commutes drastically.
01-10-2024, 07:01 PM
#110
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2022
Posts: 704
I don't think commuting from CLT-DC would be miserable, it would likely be pretty reasonable. 6-9 daily flights to IAD, 8-13 flights a day to BWI, 9-16 flights a day to DCA with the pretty easy metro connections to BWI and IAD. CLT to ATL has 15-21 flights a day, so you're looking at about the same in my book. Commuting sucks for sure, but that looks like a pretty good situation to be in if one had to commute. 6 hour drive to DC vs 4 to ATL (although needing to drive through ATL could take 2 hour. If it takes 6+ months to get captain, and you get a year of PSC, they only have 8.5 years from there. If it got bad take WB FO and cut the number of commutes drastically.
Commuting for WB would be worth the pain though to IAD
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