Thread: Mesa
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Old 09-06-2014, 01:18 PM
  #2875  
flapshalfspeed
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Joined APC: Dec 2010
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Originally Posted by 24/48 View Post
Sorry flaps but your post is riddled with emotional SJS drivel, and if you knew anything about what is going on in the industry then you would understand that it's more than just getting the beloved wide body seat.

As a United pilot myself I'd like to address the hiring. We are interviewing 26 a week for the foreseeable future. Of which about 71% are successful. We need to hire 1600 pilots by spring 2016. Starting in 2015 we will be averaging 2 wide body deliveries a month, 2 narrow body deliveries a month, and are actively seeking used 737-700/A319 aircraft instead of E190/CS3000 aircraft. United and ALPA have teamed up and have been putting on job fairs for ALPA pilots ONLY.

As far as upgrade or wide body flying...all I can say is that I am moving up an average of 30 numbers a month (65 from August to September) and those numbers are expected to increase. Some new hires are currently being hired on to the 757/767 fleet flying to Europe, and Hawaii.



I know several folks at Emirates, of which some are looking for recommendations here at UAL. The main reason is that the novelty of flying the heavy jets has worn off and the abusive schedules, and long distance from family has set in. That may very well change if you can be based in the states but so goes the tax free pay, and luxurious living conditions enjoyed in DXB.

I can tell you from personal experience as a current UAL 777 FO, the novelty has worn off and I'm ready for a change. Simply put, everything gets old after a while, especially long haul/ultra long haul flying, and that is all you'll ever do at Emirates/Etihad/Qatar. Oh yeah, Qatar doesn't have a seniority list, all merit based, awesome!!!



Agreed that the railway labor act is out-dated and needs a major wholesaling. But lets talk about scope. If you understood both the DAL and UAL scope sections then you would notice that scope is being dealt with, pretty vigorously I might add. I will also add that the gauge increase in the UAL contract is a direct result of DAL's contract. In other words, we couldn't ask for all the good stuff that the DAL pilots enjoy without some of the bad. That said, both scope sections reduce dramatically the overall size of the RJ population. The UAL contract goes a step further....as they park the 50 seaters and replace them with 70/76 seaters (including the Q400's) at a rate of about 2.3:1 we also reduce the narrow body block hour percentage those 70/76 seaters can fly. This is why UAL is actively looking at the used 737-700/A319 market. We are decreasing regional utilization and increasing mainline utilization, sounds good to me.



ALPA-PAC has nothing to do with contracts dealing with QOL/pay/etc. The PAC has everything to do with making sure this profession doesn't go the way of the maritime industry. Sure those foreign airlines pay more than the regionals but they fall short of the majors and when the novelty of flying the heavies is worn out you have no recourse, suck it up because they have pilots in the pipeline from Singapore giddy about making $50 an hour flying "sparky" (787) around.

Be careful what you wish for! Also, do a little research before you post. But you at least answered a question from an earlier post of mine, apparently Skywest pilots are not actively engaged in the profession and simply wait around until the next unionized regional makes some gains that will eventually get Jerry to pony up. Awesome!
I just don't think it is appropriate or necessary for ALPA to ask regional new hires for contributions to a fund that does absolutely nothing to address the glaring disparity between mainline pilots and regional pilots. Especially when those PAC funds are going to fight airlines that can and do put direct wage pressure on US airlines.

Congrats on making it to United--fwiw I'd be saying the exact same things you're saying if I was there. Everyone should fight for what is in their own best interest--for you, that means protecting US legacies. For me, that means not protecting US legacies, and allowing Emirates & Ethiad to do as much flying here as they want.

I'm not going to devote money to a fractional possibility that one day--years from now--I might have a seat at a US legacy. I think the probability of having a seat at a foreign carrier is a much more likely near-term possibility. Until those perceptions change, I won't support ALPA-PAC (or ALPA in general). ALPA has acted counter to my own financial and career interests so many times in the last decade, I simply don't trust anything they say or do. This includes the idea they're selling with the ALPA-PAC: "regional guys--you have to help us pay to protect our jobs at airlines that you have a very small statistical chance of being hired at in the next thirty years."

For many regional pilots:

(Perceived economic outcome of getting hired at a legacy * probability of getting hired at a legacy)

is greater than

(Perceived economic outcome of being stuck at a regional for life * probability of being stuck at a reigonal for life)

Thus, those regional pilots are supportive of efforts to protect US legacies.

For me personally, my perceptions of those probabilities have shifted through my last two reigonal jobs, and I don't buy it.

Maybe that will change if legacies actually start hiring people who are not check airmen, military, or EEO hires in droves.

Last edited by flapshalfspeed; 09-06-2014 at 01:45 PM.
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