Uh, seriously??
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-05/the-futures-trader-turned-airline-baggage-handler
The Futures Trader Turned Airline Baggage Handler
By Ben Paynter
December 05, 2012
As an independent trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Groupâs Chicago headquarters, Bruce Bere exchanged futures contracts. He started as a pit runner and then became a desk manager at a small firm before entering into business for himself, e-trading his own portfolio of futures and options from an on-site office. By early 2011, the 25-year-old was making at least $75,000 a year. But in March 2011, Bere abruptly stopped trading and took a job as an airline baggage handler for United Airlines at the Chicago OâHare International Airport. âI have always been a big aviation geek,â he says. âI got the job because it allows me to be around airplanes, which my friends give me crap for.â
Technically, Bereâs title is âramp agent.â Heâs in charge of parking, loading, and helping airlines push back from the gate. Instead of a sport coat, he now wears a reflective orange vest. He earns the standard $10 an hour. And while he enjoys working around the giant aircraft, Bere isnât shy about boarding them, either. âI wanted to see the world,â he says.
Non-revenuesâânon-revsâ for shortârefer to the industry practice of letting airline employees fly standby, any time to anywhere, if there is an unoccupied seat available. In the year and a half since he joined United, Bere has personally logged 116 flights covering 158,344 miles; thatâs about six and a half times around the earth. Total airtime: 402 hours and 20 minutes, to be exact. And Bere is exact. He keeps meticulous track of his trips on a website that tracks everything from what class seat heâs assigned (often economy) to what seat position (itâs often the window). âPeople say non-revving is either a good system or a terrible system. Itâs all about what you make it,â he says.
United allows employees to trade shifts, so heâll often work doubles, freeing up several days in a row for travel. According to his own statistics, he then flies most frequently on Tuesdays, a slower day for commuters so the planes are less bookedâthough sometimes, he admits, the gamble doesnât pay off and the planes are full. âThings can change rather quickly, but Iâd be lying if I said I didnât enjoy the risk. It makes for a fun, puzzling little game. If you canât get nonstop, you can try to go through another hub or city. I enjoy that,â he says. Plus, it beats paying full fares.
Thanks to Unitedâs fairly lenient non-rev policy, Bere can also take some designated family members with him. He and his wife, Lauren, who works as a nurse, have had several spontaneous âdate nightsâ in Montreal, Seattle, and Boston. For a recent wedding anniversary, the couple hopped over for a short visit to Madrid.
As for the downside of his new careerâhaving to throw luggage in the harsh Midwestern weatherâheâs fine with it. While heâs still in his 20s, the physical work appeals to him. âOn certain days when itâs pouring rain or a blizzard, do I miss being inside? Absolutely,â he says. âBut there are pros and cons to every job.â
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-12-05/the-futures-trader-turned-airline-baggage-handler
The Futures Trader Turned Airline Baggage Handler
By Ben Paynter
December 05, 2012
As an independent trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Groupâs Chicago headquarters, Bruce Bere exchanged futures contracts. He started as a pit runner and then became a desk manager at a small firm before entering into business for himself, e-trading his own portfolio of futures and options from an on-site office. By early 2011, the 25-year-old was making at least $75,000 a year. But in March 2011, Bere abruptly stopped trading and took a job as an airline baggage handler for United Airlines at the Chicago OâHare International Airport. âI have always been a big aviation geek,â he says. âI got the job because it allows me to be around airplanes, which my friends give me crap for.â
Technically, Bereâs title is âramp agent.â Heâs in charge of parking, loading, and helping airlines push back from the gate. Instead of a sport coat, he now wears a reflective orange vest. He earns the standard $10 an hour. And while he enjoys working around the giant aircraft, Bere isnât shy about boarding them, either. âI wanted to see the world,â he says.
Non-revenuesâânon-revsâ for shortârefer to the industry practice of letting airline employees fly standby, any time to anywhere, if there is an unoccupied seat available. In the year and a half since he joined United, Bere has personally logged 116 flights covering 158,344 miles; thatâs about six and a half times around the earth. Total airtime: 402 hours and 20 minutes, to be exact. And Bere is exact. He keeps meticulous track of his trips on a website that tracks everything from what class seat heâs assigned (often economy) to what seat position (itâs often the window). âPeople say non-revving is either a good system or a terrible system. Itâs all about what you make it,â he says.
United allows employees to trade shifts, so heâll often work doubles, freeing up several days in a row for travel. According to his own statistics, he then flies most frequently on Tuesdays, a slower day for commuters so the planes are less bookedâthough sometimes, he admits, the gamble doesnât pay off and the planes are full. âThings can change rather quickly, but Iâd be lying if I said I didnât enjoy the risk. It makes for a fun, puzzling little game. If you canât get nonstop, you can try to go through another hub or city. I enjoy that,â he says. Plus, it beats paying full fares.
Thanks to Unitedâs fairly lenient non-rev policy, Bere can also take some designated family members with him. He and his wife, Lauren, who works as a nurse, have had several spontaneous âdate nightsâ in Montreal, Seattle, and Boston. For a recent wedding anniversary, the couple hopped over for a short visit to Madrid.
As for the downside of his new careerâhaving to throw luggage in the harsh Midwestern weatherâheâs fine with it. While heâs still in his 20s, the physical work appeals to him. âOn certain days when itâs pouring rain or a blizzard, do I miss being inside? Absolutely,â he says. âBut there are pros and cons to every job.â
