Ya know, I had a good buddy of mine ask me this just a couple days ago on the golf course (my second home
) and it made me think... here is the abridged version.
The pay is almost comical, the FA's are a big hit or miss (some frankly scare me with stupidity), the CA's (at least 99% of them) are nice guys, good pilots, and are great to fly with- yet hate the company, mgmt has their own agenda which helped the stock price and investors, yet has hurt every employee (but financially and physically/mentally), and has seriously handicapped future growth with the "chess moves" in relation to the contract issues. So why would I work here, or not steer someone else away?
Well, in no particular order and somewhat personal reasons, the bases are MEM, DTW, MSP. The fleet is all jet. The upgrade is quick. The pilot group is great. Pulse and multi/comm is "competitive"- helps for those just coming out of college with low time (was not a reason for me). The possibility and probrability of a contract coming around and really changing things is growing better and better every day. All of these reasons are public knowledge and gives no "insider" or "first hand" opinions.
Now here is what I would say to anyone considering 9E using only my personal experiences. If you are looking to start off a career- whether 121 or wanting to simply build the jet time to go corporate/fractional/135- PNCL can be a blessing for you. I was "hired" as a "contractor" for 2.5 months where you will be spoonfed everything in ground school, CPT, and sims- some will make it and some won't. You will now get 400/wk, 750 after OE, 500 after 6 months, and hotel paid for in training. That doesn't sound TOO bad except you are technically not an "employee" yet- meaning no benes and no taxes being taken out. You are a "contractor" so on the 1099-MISC that shows up you get to pay "self employment tax" for training! You become an official "employee" when you pass the checkride. Thats a load of crap- but take it or leave it. When I went through almost a year ago it was hotel + $200/wk- thats it. After you hit the line reserve is short lived and you will get 10 days off a month. Within just a few months you will hold a decent line and get 13-15 days off depending on the trips you like or when you work. 2-day trips/4-day trips/weekends. I am not even done with my first year of probation and I am able to work the schedule around to get 16 days off and weekends off! Not to say that this makes scheduling an easy thing to deal with- I have been right at 100 hours a month for the last 3 months! Just a little earlier today I got a call (voicemail got a call
) for a Junior man trip- its my bday and there is even a comment on my schedule because I traded a trip to get today off! To top it off I am at 98+ hours for the month so anything they did today would cause them to change trips later in the month to keep me legal. While I do complain it is kinda nice to know that if I was just one year older I could upgrade- not many places you need to wait to turn 23 to upgrade on a jet after being at a regional for such a short period of time! Attrition here is HIGH- many reasons for that. I have never told someone that they should come work for PNCL, I don't get paid enough to be a recruiter- although a referral bonus program is now in place to try and "bribe" current employees to send their friends on over. Everyone has their own reasons to go where they go, and frankly if MEM wasn't home I probrably would not have send a resume in. I enjoy flying but the trips that we have only end because if we had another turn the pilots would call "fatigue". I am in pretty good shape and can function on little sleep but reduced rest overnights, scheduling calling at 3am to tell me that my show time is 15min later to give us required rest, and "extensions" really wear you down! These are the issues that get filed under the public knowledge "contract" column. The regional is a "stepping stone" and for those who can afford to make less than a mcdonalds worker for a year to get jet time, then by second year hop into the left seat and get PIC time (at 100 hours/mo) and make about $60K 9E can be a godsend. Its a big "to each their own" situation. I personally feel that things will be much different within 1 year because a contract will show up, we have ridiculous attrition and more flying- the cards are in the pilot group's hands. Mgmt will be forced to do something soon (contract) because they won't be able to hold onto NW and DL flying unless they can not only attract, but retain pilots. To add insult to injury Colgan is going ALPA and has Q400's showing up (I believe Dec of this year) and are short on pilots on that side! If something isn't done it will get VERY interesting for PNCL holdings!
So to sum it up- there are negatives, there are positives, and the negatives will be gone (for the most part) as soon as a contract arrives..... hopefully soon... negotiations start back up in just over a week. Hope that helps some who are not familiar with both sides of PNCL.
