I have an interview coming up. I won’t be attending it though. I would like to point out I really wanted to come to Allegiant initially. The more I researched the company, the more going there seems like a terrible idea.
I am a captain at a regional airline currently. I take home about $5,000 a month after taxes insurance, 401k contribution and union dues. If I really bust my tail I can take home around $6,000. I am the sole income earner with a wife and 2 children. I am also not willing or able to fly for food stamp wages. I’m looking for a place I can settle down and spend the rest of my career at.
I live a short drive from a junior base. Not commuting would have been amazing. I knew about the relatively low pay rates, but the real devil is in the details. I did a phone interview a few weeks ago. I was pretty excited when I got called for the interview in Las Vegas. Once the reality of possibly being hired set in I started to really wonder if it would be the right decision. Pay during training is only $2,000 per month. That is well below what I need to pay my monthly bills. From what I have heard, training has been strung out for 4 months or more recently. $2,000 per month for an extended period of time would break me financially. I led to believe during the phone interview that I would credit 100 hours or more every month. After a little research in speaking with some Allegiant guys, this is only partially true. During the busy months you will credit 100 plus hours. The slow months are min guarantee. At $2800 a month pre-tax I am unable to live without going into debt. Even second your pay is much lower than I make now. Factoring in my current annual pay increases, it would take me until about 6th year pay to equal what I make now. Then you add in the TDY’s to other bases where they expect you to drive un-reimbursed, inferior travel benefits (compared to what I currently have) low number of days off and the strong possibility of a upcoming strike, it’s all not worth the jump for me.
I am really disappointed. I really hoped Allegiant would be a good fit for me. I guess it’s better I find out it isn’t now than later when it’s too late. I can’t think of a single major airline that isn’t better in almost every way possible than Allegiant. I really hope you guys are able to fix your pay and work rules soon. It’s going to be depressing to have to drive right past one of your bases on the way to another airport for my 2 ½ commute. If you’re single with no bills or your spouse makes a ton of money, maybe Allegiant will work out for you. For me I just can’t make it work and that makes me sad.