At what age is it “too late” to move to a “better” airline?

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554TangoAlpha@reddit

My guy there’s 60 year olds jumping ship the majors.

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

That made way more sense when you could upgrade in 2 years or less.

Word is 10-12 year upgrades are coming back.

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

Let’s keep it real. You and I both know that isn’t going to last at all. Those days are behind us.

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rkba260@reddit

According to who? We haven't even hit our retirement peak yet, and we're still hiring.

Quit the woe is me attitude, reapply and this time pay for an interview prep service, because you obviously need it.

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554TangoAlpha@reddit

Alright man be all doom and gloom then

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

Not “being” doom and gloom, it objectively is doom and gloom for 90% of us remaining.

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554TangoAlpha@reddit

There’s still ALOT of retirements. Real doom and gloom is the lost decade.

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

Says the legacy captain. If it’s so great why did you upgrade? I’ll wait.

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swakid8@reddit

Because I made a choice to give up great seniority to make some extra cash as a commuter.

Just like if you got hired at 40, you will have the at same choice to upgrade in your career….

You act like if you got hired at 40, you will br stuck as a legacy FO. News Flash, you won’t.

But you will not even be a legacy pilot at all if you want to have a bad attitude about it…

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

People are looking at 35+ years as captains at delta/united and people like me will be lucky to be captains for 13 years at best. It feels like shit. I don’t want to be a gear slinger for some 35 year old nepotism hire when I’m in my upper 40s.

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swakid8@reddit

Sounds like a personal problem……

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

Thanks for admitting that we are screwed and that we have justification for our concerns.

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CompleteEffort1@reddit

I can’t wait to see your grandkids question if you’re a real pilot because you’re retiring as an FO.

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swakid8@reddit

I didn’t say or admitted you guys are screwed…

I said earlier that legacy FO is still a good career and you will still have the opportunities to upgrade. It’s not the end of the world…

Go ahead and stay your ass at a ULCC if you want to wine abd complain….

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CompleteEffort1@reddit

The fragile ego on this one

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

Found the nepo hire

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CompleteEffort1@reddit

Ok you got me, now go make me a sandwich you 60 year old FO

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IgetCoffeeforCPTs@reddit

Why dont you worry about making your own application stronger rather than calling those that were more qualified to be hired than you at the time "nepotism hires."

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

We all know for a fact that a majority of those mid/low 20 somethings hired were nepo hires. Stop it. It’s okay to be a nepo hire. Just admit it and don’t be an entitled fraud about it.

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

I’ve flown with FOs who have been in the right seat of a 737 for 30 years by choice because they want the schedule. They work 7-10 days a month and make 300k or more, depending on if they ever feel like chasing premium when it pops up.

If you can’t make that work then that’s on you.

I upgraded for the challenge and because LTD at my airline is tied to pay RATE, regardless of how much or little I work.

I didn’t start at my legacy until I was 48.

I’ll tell you what, though…being your attitude into any interview and you’ll never get hired.

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EHP42@reddit

I’ll tell you what, though…bring your attitude into any interview and you’ll never get hired.

As someone who has interviewed a lot of people, this is spot on. The defeatist attitude always comes through loud and clear.

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CompleteEffort1@reddit

I get such a boner just imagining the rage that you’re going through right now

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NuttPunch@reddit

I want to know the response to his quip.

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PullDoNotRotate@reddit

This is somehow more arousing than various corners of this website, even!

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Shinsf@reddit

What making over 200k a year not enough?

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Remarkable-Shirt-217@reddit (OP)

When your peers are making $300k+? You’re happy with being under paid for bad timing? Get fucked.

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CompleteEffort1@reddit

You can still make $300k at a ULCC you whiny cunt

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Equivalent-Web-1084@reddit

right lol

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Altruistic-Cod1330@reddit

Y’all have to stop making what happened a couple of years ago the norm. Too old to go to a legacy in your 40s? That’s crazy…

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Snoo-48784@reddit

Pretty much every Mil pilot doesn’t move to a legacy until mid 30s at the earliest, more often late 30s/early40s. Still worthwhile for all of them.

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Flying21811@reddit

That’s 25 years to move up. Is that not enough time ? Jeeze.

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NuttPunch@reddit

That’s 25 years to move up. Is that not enough time ?

I think his concern is it's not enough time for CA on widebody.

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

Which is the dumbest argument ever. I can’t be captain on a widebody, so I’ll just stay at a crappy airline that has zero widebodies.

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NuttPunch@reddit

The argument there is that they are already flying a 737/320 so why bother cutting pay and seniority? I agree, it's dumb but that's what they think.

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ThatLooksRight@reddit

Then I guess they should stay and quit posting about it.

I’ll never be WB captain. And I don’t really care. I’m making more money than the vast majority of people on earth and I like the job. Plus, I hate redeyes and I don’t sleep on planes very well.

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PullDoNotRotate@reddit

Sounds like 7+ years at your current (regional, ULCC) job to move up.

That's just "Regional Airline, Normal Stay Edition." Sorry all the hyenas have given you inflated expectations that reality has now vigorously deflated. I can't stand some of them myself, either.

Also: I had a blast being a ULCC pilot, and those jobs are a damn sight better than being an RJ pilot. The worst part of working there was having to tell people I worked for said ULCC. I didn't make the completely gobsmacking money you might (might maybe; efforts to eliminate premium pay are actually sort of working) at a legacy, but I was quite comfortable at my ULCC. I know things aren't economically great in that industry sector, particularly if the jets are bright yellow, but they're still particularly good job. (My hope is they get out of it and get back to business, as healthy enterprises can sign fatty pilot contracts.)

So, sure. You don't make the huge stacks of money, but you're quite comfortable, and ULCC pilot groups are full of wonderful, weird and entertaining people, and sure, they've got bucket seats in back, but still.

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NuttPunch@reddit

So, sure. You don't make the huge stacks of money, but you're quite comfortable

Except they do make huge stacks of money. Most regionals top out around what a year 1-2 ULCC CA starts at and that isn't including the soft pay from having better contracts. When looking at total compensation, the starting 401k at ULCC completely blows regionals out of the water. If you are having to sit 5-7 years at a ULCC before moving on to a legacy, then you are taking a paycut to make that move.

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CompleteEffort1@reddit

Also a ULCC guy here, just came here to say I feel incredibly lucky to have a job right now given the number of people out on the streets. Boo fucking hoo it’s gonna take you a few extra years of flying a 320/737.

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ndem763@reddit

For real, so many people are upset about getting "stuck" at an LCC. I'm among them but I try to keep perspective by remembering before I got sucked up during the hiring wave, they wanted 4000 hours and PIC time, and I barely spent a few months at a regional (where I got hired immediately at 1500 hours) before getting to move on.

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PullDoNotRotate@reddit

4000+ total, 1000+ TPIC was the norm in my ULCC new-hire class circa 2018.

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ImTalking@reddit

Got my app pulled last week by one of the big 3 last week with 1100 SIC at a regional so despite the doom and gloom I believe there’s still hope

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Worried-Ebb-1699@reddit

It’s too late when the company files ch.7. Yes spirit is in a predicament but unless you’re chasing TPIC or a new company based off YOUR desires (cargo, 135, etc…) I’d stay.

Unless you’re 2+ years seniority then please do go :)

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redditburner_5000@reddit

Sounds like 7+ years at your current (regional, ULCC) job to move up.

Well...yeah. That's not all that unusual in the grand scheme of things. What were you expecting?

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NearPeerAdversary@reddit

It's really just a matter of math when it comes to money and life/location priorities. I'm on the downhill side of my 30's and waiting on a class date at a regional. What can ya do? I'm focusing on the next step, then I'll worry about the rest when the time comes. You're probably not going to get a lot of sympathy here.

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RedPill_or_BluePill@reddit

🎻

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rFlyingTower@reddit

This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:

regional to ULCC/LCC or ULCC/LCC to legacy, what age is too late?

Headed home from NGPA and have to say the news isn’t good! Sounds like 7+ years at your current (regional, ULCC) job to move up. So given im probably looking at having an option to move in my 40s, it seems like it might not be worth it by then…

And this is especially important to consider post COVID with all the 20 year old captains the big 3 have now. Talk about a seniority wall of stagnation coming in the near future.

a sad, sad ULCC pilot.

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