Analysts and union officials said a resulting shortage of captains — who function as head pilots — could cut the number of flights available to travelers by next summer.
Anderson is one of many who have passed on that promotion at United, and analysts and union officials said a resulting shortage of captains — who function as head pilots — could cut the number of flights available to travelers by next summer. One industry official dubbed it the "no one wants to be a junior captain syndrome."
A first officer helps navigate and operate flights, but a captain is the pilot in command of the plane and is responsible for its safety. While both are union jobs, they fall in different categories and have different pay rates. United did not comment for this story, but CEO Scott Kirby on LinkedIn previously said the deal would deliver "meaningful" quality-of-life improvements for pilots.
"It's not necessarily what's in the agreement, but what happens every day in the real world," Mann said. "The biggest complaints come with the least reliable schedule." Seniority affords pilots some schedule certainty as it lets them choose and trade trips, and plan vacations. But a change in their job category or airline base or the equipment they fly can affect their seniority.
"If I did that, I would've ended up divorced and seeing my kids every other weekend," said the Indiana resident, who has three young children.
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