I don't work at Silver, and never have. Take what I have to say with a grain of salt.
But.... here's the situation. The regional airlines are beginning to have issues with staffing. We're seeing it almost across the board. Eagle and RAH are offering their bonuses, and still struggling. Silver is struggling. Lakes is in trouble. I'm not one to shout "pilot shortage" because that's not what's happening, and will likely never happen.
But as was pointed out a few posts above me, in order for upgrades to happen, new FO's must be available. When a company cannot attract applicants, they will be unable to upgrade people. PIC time is an important qualification, but not a requirement at most places. Traditionally, the companies that offered the shortest upgrade were also the companies that offered the worst compensation package and quality-of-life. Lakes, Go-Jet, Mesa, Gulfstream/Silver.... Poor compensation generated attrition off the top, and that created movement top-to-bottom. The supply of new FO's was virtually unlimited, so it was easy to move up the list. Like some places are now finding out, it doesn't matter if the most junior captain at your company was hired 9 months ago.... if there's nobody showing up below you.
Here's what I predict. In the next 3-4 years, the regional airlines with the shortest upgrades will be the ones that can actually attract new-hires. Everyone will be hiring. Most places are hiring now, and that's not going to stop. This is why chasing the short upgrade now is not a great individual strategy, not to mention the compensation issues that it breeds industry-wide.
The solution? Value yourself. If your company can't attract new-hires, don't go whining to former employees at your company who have left, and are now trying to educate the public. If it is a place worth applying at, an honest description of it's positives and negatives won't drive away potential employees.
My company has it's issues. It has some fairly major problems as well as a selection of smaller blemishes. I'm more than willing to give my honest opinion of it, and provide all of the information I can about working here. That is the responsibility I have to other pilots, in order to help them make a good decision for themselves and their families.
Originally Posted by
Chrisw
I can not think of a regional that will pay more than 3rd yr silver captain pay within the first 5 years of FO pay somewhere else.
Well, that depends. Do you have trip or duty rigs at Silver? Quarterly bonuses? Annual profit-sharing? How's the per-diem rate? Any pay multipliers for crediting extra hours in a bid period? Is premium pay readily available? What are the minimum day rules like?
The hourly rate isn't everything. But from looking at the pay scale, the 1900 captain scale at Silver is a pay cut at every year when compared straight across to some FO Q400 pay.
Originally Posted by
Chrisw
Your new regional is a great example of the way things should be for other regionals, but the upgrade at delta is shorter than that place. I need the pic and with the people I know in places I can get interviews. Do what you want but letting people ask questions about potential employment without being told to go somewhere else will help us hire and then upgrade.
Upgrade time changes rapidly in both directions. A snapshot when you're a new hire is mostly worthless when it comes to estimating how it will actually be when you are close to 50% on the list.
You "don't believe it will be a year or two" on one hand, but are quick to point out the current figure for another carrier. I don't believe that one is going to be accurate either. Who's right? Neither of us.