Originally Posted by
bluepilot
I was at MAI for over 5 years. Now I'm at JetBlue. Are u seriously calling it your career airline? I also live in Miami. Something isn't right with you. Commuting is better than MAI commercial flying to your destination, any day. Wait until you 3 leg to Boston out of FLL. Or limo to MCO, TPA, Etcccc.
Flying the 737 vs a regional? Hahahahah. You think anyone cares about what plane u fly , when u are getting poorly compensated? I flew the 737 since 1999 until 2011 before I came to the blue. It didn't benefit my family at all. Now, I'm home every night, drive to work just like u claim MAI is about. You're gone for dayssss, back side of the clock flying, limos everywhere, 300 hours of flying a year if lucky. Your 737 type rating isn't any good if u don't have the time on the plane. Again, don't settle for mediocrity. Don't let MAI tell u that you're a special type of pilot because u fly etops on a 737 all around the world. Almost all the captains at MAI with a couple of exceptions, are there because they can't get hire anywhere else. They are scabs from eastern or have DUI, violations,skeletons ,etccc on their closets that MAI covers for them, including check airmen. You have no idea about what u are talking about. You'll learn the hard way when u get to fly with some really incompetent captains. The only reason the TA was passed, because they can't find pilots. Ask Miguel Martin what are the background of the pilots they are picking up. By the way, I was in the training dept . I know exactly what kind they hire. MAI isn't a place to be proud to work for. Remember, if u don't fly 200 hrs within 12 calendars month, airlines won't consider u. That my be the case at MAI where u hardly fly.
LMAO
I have been here just shy of 3 years, no skeletons in my closet, no DUIs, not a scab. I came to Miami Air after spending 4 years at Colgan/Pinnacle/Endeavor and before that flying 135 freight.
While I may or may not consider it a career airline. I have thus far enjoyed my time here for the most part. Every airline will have problems and you should obviously consider Miami Air's problems before coming here. For me, other than the pay, I love the lifestyle. If it gets old then I will move on. What I won't do is lurk on a thread about an airline I worked for 6 years ago and complain about it.
As far as compensation, it is what it is. We will never pay what JetBlue pays, if that is what you are looking for then you are in the wrong place. Perhaps one day if we grow, we can change that but right now its just not in the cards.
This new CBA fixed a LOT of problems we had before. The pay scales are not great, whatever. Like I said if that is all you are looking for then you probably should move on because we will never get paid what major airlines make.
A lot of the negative stuff here is being greatly exaggerated. Yes we do limo, I get a limo somewhere maybe once every couple months. Commercial flights with crazy connections? Not often, most of the time its a non stop or maybe a connection in DFW if they are sending me out to somewhere west. Obviously sometimes you will have to connect if they are sending you somewhere that a non stop flight from MIA/FLL does not exist. Middle seats? So far in my time here it has happened exactly 1 time on a short 2 hour flight to CLT(and middle seats are no longer a thing in the new CBA). Gone for days? Max is 7 days unless you agree to extend or bid for it. Most of my trips are 3-5 days. Back side of the clock flying? Sure it happens, but I fly just as much during the day as I do at night. I spend on average about 15-16 days at home. 12 days off plus a couple 30 hour breaks at home. We have new lines that actually give you 14 days off if you bid them.
The only thing that you said that was really true was the flight hours. You will fly about 200-300 hours per year. Just about every supplemental 121 charter carrier has the same problem. I have managed to do 350 per year thus far but that is because I bid for the Amsterdam TDY for past couple years. Which by the way if you enjoy spending time in Europe is a great experience and something that we do every summer for 2 months.
Most of the Captains here do not have skeletons in their closet, we have like 1 scab left on the seniority list and a couple in management. So please quit saying most of us are scabs, that simply is not true and you know it. It is true that the top half the CA list are older and thus don't want to start over but that does not mean they "cant". For the most part we have very knowledgeable and competent Captains who do a great job. Obviously sometimes there are personality conflicts but that happens at any airline.
I am sorry if some are really not enjoying their time at Miami Air and I am glad those that did not left and found something they do enjoy. It is not for everyone, just like the majors/LCCs/regionals are not for everyone.