Originally Posted by
DawnPatrol
I’m looking for guidance. I have offers from both Mesa and SkyWest for upcoming CRJ classes. QOL is most important to me. Currently live in Phoenix. Pay is low on my items to make a decision. Concerned with having to sign a training contact with Mesa. What would be the areas I should most consider before making a decision? I know nothing is a sure thing but would like informed input from those that have been there and done that.
As others have alluded to, the 50 seater is going away. For UAX that would 5 years or less. Mesa dumped their 50 seaters (except 1), and about half of their employees in BK, and the current contract is a leftover from that period as well.
Skywest will be in that same position, though they probably won't go in to BK, they'll just shove 50 seaters towards the ASA/XJT side of the house and watch them wither away. However, Skywest will experience displacements, and stagnation as about half of their fleet are 50 seaters.
Both UA and DL are hiring 200+ per month combined. The Military pool has been mostly exhausted so we are seeing most new-hires coming from the regional ranks, and the average TT for UA new hire classes has fallen. The applicant pool is still currently strong at about 12,000 qualified. Of those 12,000, I'd say about 8,000 have clean backgrounds. Doing the math, we are less 5 years from draining that pool, and with the new FARs the hiring at regionals to back-fill the mainline demand will be almost non-existent in the next year.
Mesa is in a good position right now because it has taken the steps to right size itself for what the market will bear in the future. The pilot CBA certainly is at the bottom of the regional industry, but the gap between the top and bottom is pretty narrow.
Good luck.