During the 3 months of your life away from home in their “training program”. You can’t go home. No jumpseat agreements, and they will NOT buy you a ticket home until your training is complete. Some guys buy their own tickets or weasel out a jumpseat somehow.

You stand a pretty good chance of being sent to IOE right out of training from MIA. Another two weeks plus away from home… Initial training can realistically take you 3 months or more in some cases. During that time you are NOT getting paid. That’s right NO pay. You get per diem only.

All schedules are reserve with 20 days on. They will call you out and stick you in a hotel if they don’t need you. They can extend you, and you do not get your days off back. Only 3 hours extra (per day) for the extension into the off days… To me $150.00 does not mean much when you have not seen your house for 2 ½ weeks +.

You can get hosed on the bid and get two back to back 20 day schedules…. How do you pack for a 40 day trip? What do you tell you wife?

No deadhead pay first year. Does not sound like a big deal? Wait till you have to deadhead to Hong Kong and Korea a couple times a month, and you don’t get 1 cent for it. Yes, nothing like deadheading for 14 ½ hours for free! (woo hoo!)

The do have a 401K – However there is NO company matching.

They have Great West medical. Family plan is $180.00 per pay period. ($360.00/month) I suggest you log onto greatwest.com and make sure there are providers in your area. Or else you are gonna pay out ying yang.

Airplanes are all B-747-200’s. Three with Carrousel INS (only holds 9 waypoints – lots of fun constantly loading the lats and longs). The other 74 has the Canadian Marconi system which is nice.

No duty day limit. Some trips will have you on duty 24+ hours and you will log 12 hours or more in the seat for that day. (Lots of checking the CB’s going on.)

Maintenance… nothing positive to state there. Lots of little MEL stickers to count.

The Chief Pilot is a nice guy.

The VP of Op’s is Mike Hartley. (no comment)

All the PFE’s are a hoot and good guys.

Captains... Southern has more then it’s fair share of A-Holes and Scabs in the left seat.
That being said, there are a few good Captains there as well.
You will CONSTANTLY hear of how they are getting more airplanes. That is managements favorite line over there. Believe it when you see it.

60 hour guarantee (after completion of IOE) which you will not break most of the time. So, do the math and see what you will be making… (not pretty)

You are home based. Which is a positive. They purchase you an airline ticket to and from work. You keep the miles. However, as stated above… no pay for dead heading to and from work for first year.

No training contract. No seniority resignation. So you are under no obligation to stay.