Gday,
Hoping anyone could provide their two cents.
Recently got the nod from VA with a potential start date in the next month or two.
Had an interview with mainline recently ( which I haven’t even heard back yet ) . Wondering if it’s worth turning down VA for a potential start date with mainline in 2026-27(if I’m successful )
I’m an internal applicant hence the super far start date.
It depends where you want your career path to end up.
if you’ve done the mainline recruitment a while ago and haven’t heard yet, you’ll likely be given the nod. The ol’ no news is good news trick. They tell you pretty quickly if you’re out.
VA has a “young” demographic of pilots, so time to command is increasing and you’ll probably be looking at 20 odd years as they’ve been recruiting massively.
QF has an “old” demographic of pilots, with many retiring in upcoming years and potential new fleet expansion with the A350. Current command time frames on the 737 are decreasing very quickly.
So if it’s career progression you’re after, QF is the way to go. If it’s variety, QF is the way to go.
If it’s domestic, flying 737s with long upgrade times and no look at expansion, VA all the way.
As for pay, the earning potential is much greater at QF. Especially if you were to take 737 day 1.
Honestly no biased opinions. That’s just the way I see it at the moment.