Originally Posted by
b190av8r
Thank you for all of the helpful info! Those FL runs don't sound too bad to me. I pretty much do that now on a regular basis at my corporate gig. What's up with getting the bus and the age thing? Do they determine seniority by age with the bus going to the senior new hires and the 80 going to the junior guys?
1. The florida turns aren't bad, they're super easy, they just don't pay very much. PIT-JAX is credited at 3.83 I believe, and PIT-PIE, PIT-PGD are around the 4.5 mark (PGD is 4.83 I think)... You'll probably get a good mix of them on your schedule and without some of the international turns thrown in, you won't be much above 80 ish hours. Guarantee is 70, so, I look at it as: bid reserve, get the 70 hrs without flying much (I've flown once on reserve so far in PIT), and pick up a trip or two on your days off and you'll be at about the same hours as a line with a whole lot more days at home (albeit not hard days off).
2. The way you get aircraft and base assignments at allegiant is by your seniority (DOB) in your new-hire class. This is a total crapshoot. New-hires here are typically on their 2nd or 3rd (or more) airline job so most tend to be in their mid to late thirties and older; guys in their twenties are the minority. As to how many 80 and airbus slots are available... that's anyone's guess. I believe the last class (Jan 17 around there) was something like 25 bus and 10 md-80 (many more bus than 80 at least). And in my class the bus went all the way down to guys 26 years of age, mainly because some of the more senior types were bidding the 80 for specific base assignments. There have also been classes of ALL md-80 and ALL airbus. There is a 2 year equipment seat lock, but they are frequently lifted depending on the needs of the company. Also, if your base transitions over to the airbus, you will automatically transition with it (seat lock or not). A lot of guys say a good conservative way to look at it is: if you're under 35, plan on the 80, and be pleasantly surprised when/if you get the bus.
But here's the caveat I tell everyone, there is so much movement right now, that as long as things stay somewhat the way they are, you'll most likely have whatever it is you want in 2 years at the most. Subject to change of course. But I don't think someone should turn this place down just because they won't get exactly what they want right out of training... it'll come.