Originally Posted by
AKNGPilot
Here is a question from a potential new hire.
Would you come fly for Horizon today given the new contract?
I was at Horizon for a year and just recently left for Compass. I left a month before the results of the TA because I realized that my decision would be the same no matter the results. I was Seattle based and live 15 minutes from SEA. It was a comfortable job, but it's hard to be swayed by jets when you realize that you'll just be stuck in the Q400 flying shorter legs, and more of them. Keep that in mind if you choose Horizon. The route structure for the Q400 will shrink after the jets arrive to only legs under one hour. Your friends at all other airlines will be flying all over the country while you go no farther than Idaho if you end up in the Q.
The top 1/3rd of pilots at Horizon have been there for decades. Those guys will get the left seat in those jets. As an FO I'd have been too far down in seniority to get the jets. If I had upgraded at Horizon it would have been back into the Q. If you go to Compass or Skywest you can be West Coast based and guarantee that you'll fly a jet, even after upgrade. Given that logic I don't see how Horizon expects to attract new pilots unless they hire into the jet. It actually makes sense as it would reduce training costs. Of course if it happens that way I have some FO friends back at Horizon that will be very unhappy.