United Houston base: the Latin America flying, the Spanish speaker's advantage, the humidity, and the line in year two
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#1 United Houston, and Jim wrote Newark, Kevin writes LAX, Renee writes SFO, and Houston is the base nobody outside United knows about and inside United knows is the good one. Here it is.
The base
United's hub for Latin America and a big domestic operation. Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, South America, plus the transcons and the domestic trunk. Some Europe and a little Asia. 737s, the A320 family, the 787s and 777s for the long ones.
The Latin America flying
Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Cancún, San José, Panama, Bogotá, Lima, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago. Layovers in cities that the Newark crew never see. The Latin American passenger is warm, family heavy, and travels with a lot of luggage, and the cabin is loud and kind. It is the flying I came to United for and it is why I bid Houston.
The Spanish speaker's advantage
A language qualified flight attendant (LODO, in our jargon) gets a premium on the qualified routes and gets bid priority on them. A Spanish speaker at Houston is, effectively, a senior crew member on the Latin America flying regardless of their number. I have B2 Spanish from the Navy and a Mexican grandmother and I am on the Mexico City run more than my seniority would ever allow. If you speak Spanish and you are choosing a US base, Houston, and get the qualification in month one.
The humidity
Houston in July is Doha with more rain. The crew car park at 2pm in August is a physical experience. The thunderstorms are Atlanta's. The hurricane season is a real thing that has closed the airport. It is the price of the base and it is a sweaty one.
The line in year two
Held a line at 22 months. Same logic as Cassie's Atlanta: a big hub, a moving list, lines to spare. The Houston reserve years are short and the crew who come here from Newark for that reason are many.
Living in Houston
Cheap. Big. A car is required. The crew live everywhere from the Heights to the suburbs by the airport, and the rent for a real apartment on a first year salary is a real apartment. The food is the best in the network, and I say that having flown to Mexico City.
Who should bid Houston
Spanish speakers. People who want Latin America. People who want a line by year two and do not need a coast. People who can live with humidity and a car. It is not glamorous. It is a very good base for a career.
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#2 Also Houston, and the LODO advantage is the thing every new hire with Spanish should know before they bid. It is the fastest route to good flying at United and it is a test and a form. Take it in month one.
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#3 LAX, and I have Mexico flying too, but Houston has the Central and South America that LAX does not, and the line in year two that LAX does not. Jay is underselling it by calling it not glamorous. Bogotá on a Tuesday is glamorous.
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#4 Aeroméxico, and the United Houston crews are on the Mexico City run constantly and they are the friendliest of the US carrier crews in our terminal, and now I know why: they chose Latin America. It shows.
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#5 @rafaelmex we chose it and it shows. That is the nicest thing an Aeroméxico crew member has ever said about us.
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#6 Viva, Mexico City, and the US carrier crews who speak Spanish in the terminal are noticed and appreciated, and the Houston ones do. Small thing. Real thing.
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#7 East Coast, and the humidity paragraph has confirmed why I have never bid Houston and the Latin America paragraph has made me reconsider. The line in year two would have changed my first three years.
