Originally Posted by
Student01
IAH has Mesa, ExpressJet, and SkyWest.
Everyone says don't go to Mesa due to all the problems.
ExpressJet is losing ERJs which will make the base smaller. Unless some CR7s are coming in for UAL operated by XJT.
And SkyWest's IAH base is getting smaller due to less CRJ-200/700 flights and no E-Jet Ops yet.
I understand your situation. I also live in Houston and came to Mesa solely for the IAH base. I know a few individuals who came to Mesa from ExpressJet to be able to stay in IAH after being displaced to another ExpressJet base.
That's the problem with ExpressJet, the company is very senior, and Houston is one of the senior bases within the company. That means that you will have to go trough a lot of hell (i.e. commuting to reserve) before you can hold IAH. Having said that, once you pay your dues and finally get to hold IAH at XJT, you will be happier than you would at Mesa.
Mesa does have a few things than look good on the outside. For example, IAH is the only E-175 base (as of right now) so you don't even have to worry about being displaced. Also, reserve is still very short here, though you will not get the quick upgrade. Finally, the E-175 has better routes than the E-145. And believe me, those are indeed nice things, but the company has so many problems in other areas that it is not worth it anymore.
To summarize it, the company is not labor-friendly at all. It is a deep-rooted culture that will take years to change if the current management team left today. Our contract speaks for it self. Our pay scale is considerably lower than that of other regionals, on top of that, the company passes the costs of basic things such as KCM and EFBs down to us the pilots. I'm pretty sure we are the only regional where pilots pay for their own KCM. It's does not cost much, but it tells you a lot about the management culture. Hotels are another hot topic... The management team has very low ethical values, they are not nice people to work for. Also, the early signs of a staffing crisis are showing, and seem to be creating a snowball effect. People leave, staffing gets tight, people get junior assigned (forced to work on days off) to cover for the shortage, those who are forced to work on days off get frustrated and start working harder to leave the company, staffing gets even tighter. Not a good trend.
Normally I would have told you to come to Mesa if IAH is important for you, but I can't say that anymore. If you really want to fly airplanes out of the Houston area, and don't want to commute, even temporarily, you should consider a
good corporate gig out of HOU.
It's unfortunate the way things have turned out in the industry. Historically ExpressJet should have been the only logical choice for Houston pilot's. Globally, airlines have historical ties with geographical regions, not the case in the U.S. I love flying, and I can't see my self doing anything else, but I have to say that this industry is not fair to us.