snackysmores

No. Current Q400 seat lock is 4 years. Jets will be for new hires and super senior captains only.

Aurora8

Horizon has been treating their pilots badly for as long as I can remember...at least back to the mid 90's when I had friends working there, so I find it hard to believe they're going to change any time soon.

150Aerobat

Can someone help explain what this means? Its from the QX profile on this site.

"All aircraft currently are operated under a CPA agreement with Alaska and have Alaska livery."

What's a CPA agreement?


and...

"Alaska Airlines non-Horizon pilot candidates offered immediate class dates. Horizon pilot candidates placed in 9-12 month hiring pool. Horizon pilots made up 24% of Alaska new hires in 2014, 18% in 2015, and 24% so far in 2016."

The stats make sense, but I don't get the 1st two sentences there.

Also, I'm thinking of applying, but flying 6 legs a day at $31 an hour is really not something I'm excited about. What is it that you all like about working there? All it has going for me is to keep living in the Pac NW.

Nightman

CPA is capacity purchase agreement. The agreement between Alaska and Horizon saying that Alaska will purchase the seats on Horizon planes and pay Horizon to fly for them.

As for your other question it is exactly what it says. If you get hired at Alaska from anywhere except Horizon you get an immediate class date. If you get hired at Alaska from Horizon you don't get to go to class for 9-12 months. It's a **** deal. If you want to stay in the PNW go to Skywest or Compass.

150Aerobat

OK thanks. the wording didn't make sense to me. Seems kind of backwards. I would have thought there would be some help in w/ Alaska as a QX pilot. Unfortunately for me neither CPZ or Skywest are options. I'm looking at moving then.

snackysmores

What it means is that pilots who fly for other airlines (Skywest, Compass, Great Lakes etc.) gain preferential treatment over Horizon pilots during the hiring process. For example, on a day of Alaska interviews you find yourself waiting with a Skywest pilot in the lobby. You are both successful that day and are offered a job at Alaska. The Skywest pilot will be in the next available class 2 weeks later, while you will be stuck flying at Horizon for another 8-12 months because you're placed in a hiring pool. You will also not get a seniority number, so even though both pilots were hired on the same date the Skywest pilot will have a year of seniority before you ever set foot on property. I hear the wait times in the pool are getting shorter but it's still a giant slap in the face to the Horizon pilot group. A Horizon pilot will also have to surrender his/her total employee records, training records, disciplinary records etc. while the Skywest pilot will not.

That's why we always say on here that if your dream is to fly for Alaska the fastest way to get there is to go to literally any airline BUT Horizon.


The only reason I'm here is because I will upgrade soon, and bailing for a different regional would hurt in both QOL and a longer upgrade time. That's it. Some people decide to come here because they *have* to live in Boise, Spokane, Medford etc. and they don't want to commute. What they don't realize is that their base is eventually going to be on the chopping block and they will have short term gain, but long term pain as they're forced to commute later on, especially when they upgrade.

There is no reason to come to this airline right now. The market rate for a new hire first officer is $60k, and you will barely break $27k your first year here. Alaska management and certain Horizon managers hate our pilot group with a sincere passion and will do everything in their power to pay us as little as possible as long as they can. Nothing is going to change here until Alaska starts losing money from cancelled flights due to lack of crews. If you come here you will fly with some great people and we will welcome you to the family, but you've been warned.

Nightman

Yeah it doesn't make sense. After you work for Horizon you see that Alaska routinely treats Horizon like garbage.

Ratso

Is it true that you don't get a minimum daily guarantee?

full of luv

But you get to fly the Huskies Q-400 around the PAC NW!

snackysmores

Correct, no daily min guarantee. We have a duty rig (2:1) and trip rig (4:1).

Two days average from 6-9 credits. Three days around 10-15, and 4 days worth 17-21.