Originally Posted by
FODhopper
Congrats on the job offer...however.
I haven't seen the other parts of the company presentation but pay and benefits have an equal if not greater benefit than upgrade time. Yes some other places move you up faster, but that doesn't mean you move-on any faster. Plus you are going to want to enjoy where you work...I haven't heard that often from pilots at other companies.
Curious that you require that the upgrade time "needs" to come down from four years...that is a pretty interesting demand. What happens if you don't upgrade in that amount of time at the airline you choose...ask for a refund?
Pick a job...work the job...be thankful for all that you learn and gain...then move on.
Just want to be clear... I am not chasing an upgrade nor do I have any unrealistic expectations about upgrade times. I want to be ready for the position before I upgrade and will fully invest myself to which ever company I end up at.
Maybe "need" wasn't the right word to use when talking about the AWAC upgrade times dropping. What I am doing is weighing all of my options and researching every variable. I think this is important in such a volatile industry.
The reason I would like to see upgrade times drop from four years at AWAC is because I have a family to support. The sooner I make captain, the better off my family is financially. We have a mortgage, student loans, car payments etc... Most of us do. FO pay will be tough. This does not mean I want to chase an unrealistic upgrade. I want to be fully prepared for it. I simply see that many airlines have shorter upgrades (2-3 years) when compared with AWAC and this has to be a factor I at least consider when making my decision, as is the contract.
AWAC is my number one choice right now. I am very impressed about all the positive things I continue to hear about the company. It really does sound like a great place to work, and it does sound like a different atmosphere than most regionals. I just want to make sure I make the best decision for my family.
Hopefully, I will get to fly with some of you in the future. Very excited right now.