If you’re the recipient of an email inviting you to apply for DEFO on the 737, caveat emptor.
There’s a reason they’re 30-40 FOs short on the 737 next training year.
The overall package is worth more as a 737 FO but you work a lot harder for it. Expect 15 days work plus 3 days (unpaid) reserve in a 28 day roster at the bottom. That will include some pretty ****ty day trips for 3 hours or less, and multi day trips with back of the clock sectors for less than 3 hours a day.
Driving to work in Sydney is about to get a whole lot harder too, with the loss of car parking next to the domestic terminal adding at least 45 mins to your daily commute to and from if you’re on day trips in that base. ADL, PER and BNE are better. MEL is about 25-30 mins per day waiting for buses and getting to and from the terminal.
Alliance, NJS and Network have gutted large portions of the 737 operation so you’ll spend extended periods in ports like DRW getting paid 6 bucks an hour for it, while Alliance flies eJets all around you with QF call signs.
Rosters improve as you climb the PSN and you’ll get weekends off, and fewer days at work (as low as 8 or 9 in 28 at the top). That’s where you can pick up extra hours, or ignore the pleading messages from crewing, if you choose. At the top, you’ll likely get assigned some stuff though as there are relatively few pilots assignable due to inefficient rostering practices.
Delays where you don’t get paid, loss of flying if you get delayed, cancelled sectors (unpaid), unpaid reserve and general lack of support these days across the domestic operation all add to the frustration.
That said, it’s a great bunch of people to work with, the flying’s fun and there’s WiFi.
SOs get paid less, have little responsibility, don’t work as much and get more days off. Haven’t seen a SO roster for a while but senior LH pilots didn’t work much more than 21 or 22 days in 56 last time I did. Lots of LH trips have home transport - and that makes a huge difference to your lifestyle. Don’t underestimate it. That ability to walk off a jet and just get driven home is great.
Please, stop worrying about allowances. You’re paid allowances for a reason, and that’s to eat while you’re away. Unless you plan to be a hermit, expect to spend a significant portion of them. Considering them
as take home salary is pretty sad.
Horses for courses. Lots of SOs have joined the company with window seat time and are happy to sit in the back seat for a while with a seniority number locked in - and probably wait for the 321.
Last edited by DirectAnywhere; 2nd Aug 2023 at 09:48.