I want to be an airline pilot someday? Should I fly for United Airlines or Northwest Airlines? Plz help!!!!?

Question

I would like to fly for United Airlines what is your opinion on that??

Answer 1

Neither.  Both are in bad financial shape.

Alaska Airlines is one of the very few carriers NOT cutting flights or laying people off.

Answer 2

United just announced a cut of 900 pilot jobs (20% of its force)

United was in bankruptcy.  One of its big plans to reorganized was the creation of TED, the low cost airline.  United has discontinued TED.

Northwest - recently in bankruptcy, in precarious financial condition.

Midwest Airlines - almost 50% of its pilots are facing layoffs, and the rest face wage cuts of between 30 and 50 percent.

What does this mean to you?  Not much, except for this:

1.  You will probably have to start at a regional airline (SkyWest, Air Wisconsin, etc.) and work your way up.  Very few start with the big carriers.

2.  Flying a big airplane for one company is the same as for any other company.  So you will (should) take the best job offer you can.  Its still driving a bus in the air.

3.  With all the layoffs, you will be competing against experienced pilots with union seniority.  So, keep your hopes up, but your expectations realistic.

It is quite likely that, over the next several years, the airline industry will contract.  Companies will be going out of business, and there will be more and more cooperation agreements.

A cooperation agreement allows an airline (United, for example, just announced such an agreement with Continental), such as United, to cut back on flight service to various locations (served by its partners) and focus on those routes that are profitable (and still ensuring that its passengers can get everywhere).  However, this also means that less flight (and therefore less pilots) will be required.

One never knows where the world will be in 10 years, or where any particular industry is heading for certain, but I would not be focusing on which airline I drive for, I would be focusing on  a plan to get you hired by an airline (ANY airline), ahead of the competition, to get you started on the plan.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Take up Aeronotical Engineering

Flying with Northwest Airlines is better