Originally Posted by Arliss

Disclosure: I created a new account for this post to enhance anonymity.

I'm feeling torn while considering a lateral move.

I just started at L-Xjt. Only 2 months on the line. I came here because I'm local to EWR and I had always heard great things about the contract and such. So far it has been a pleasant place to work and I do like the work rules, including things like the downtown hotels on long overnights. The training was excellent and I like that I have that on my resume. I was also lured in with the promise that things would improve drastically with the new pilot pay and CPP pulling away captains to allow upgrades (the instructors were telling us we'd be captains in 2 to 4 years).

I'm now seeing a bleaker picture from the inside. There hasn't been a vacancy bid of any kind in 5 months. We keep losing planes. Relatively few captains are getting hired through the CPP (I heard only 40% success rate). Several I've flown with have no plans to leave at all short of a shutdown.

I'm considering a lateral move and am looking at Envoy, RAH, or Endeavor. But is it a jerk move for me to bail from a company so soon after starting? Does it look bad on a resume? I'd also feel let-down since this was traditionally the place I wanted to go.

And anyone care to share their personal perspectives on these companies?

Envoy: New pay package is really great, as is the flow to American. But can reserves who want to fly expect to actually fly and break guarantee? The $20000 up front will be a great help for me, but to do what I want to do financially I'd need to be doing better than min guarantee and no per diem. My friend who works there has been a good salesman and is a believer in 2 to 3 year upgrade and 6 to 7 year flow. He tells me just to maintain the fleet with the planned flow they'd need to upgrade 300+ a year. The LGA base is good news but LGA/JFK can be a brutal drove from NJ. I've heard reserve has been running long but would drop with movement.

Endeavor: Heard it's a much better place than it used to be, great financial incentives like Envoy, NY base, possibly very short upgrade (one new captain I know there believes street captains are a possibility sometime next year). I've heard minimal reserve time.

RAH: Also heard it's vastly better than it used to be, exiting BK in a stable position, ability to be EWR based, dropping upgrade times, though they don't offer nearly the bonus money that the above are, and no flow or interview programs. I've likewise heard minimal reserve time in the junior bases.

I'm so torn. Any thoughts?