Originally Posted by
Wynncore
For those of you applying to and chasing Alaska Airlines (or Virgin America) know that this is a well ran company with a bright future ahead of it. Additionally, it is a great place to work and is staffed with outstanding people in all departments, especially flight operations. As many of you see from the posts above a lot of people are very frustrated and annoyed with the direction that our negotiations have taken. While many have very valid points and their anger is certainly justified (even I am perturbed by what is going on) do know that emotions are high and nerves are raw and some have allowed their emotions affect the way they perceive the situation at hand. Ultimately, this will be settled by October and the odds of us capturing the raises, retirement and scope protection we rightfully deserve are strong. If Alaska is where you want to be keep applying and keep networking and don't be dissuaded by the people who'll never be happy regardless of where they are. Life here at AS is far better than that of a regional and your time spent here if you choose to come will not be a waste.
You have some valid arguments, Wynncore. True, emotions are high and nerves have been struck but pilots in general are well informed and make intelligent choices based on facts. In my opinion, Alaska used to be a good a career airline and it certainly is better than any regional airline but in today's climate, it definitely isn't an ideal place to plant your roots. I doubt that folks who are leaving are basing their decisions with emotions but rather objectively. Per management (and a direct quote), pilots are (were) willing to work at Alaska Airlines for slightly less pay than the big three because of our bases, more specifically the Pacific Northwest. Our pay, benefits, and scheduling has been, is, and and will be always trail behind the big boys. With DAL's presence in SEA, management's reasoning no longer applies. So, what else is so appealing for future pilots of Alaska Airlines? Tell me. Some will probably cast stones my way for saying this but management has done an excellent job of making this place into a stepping stone mega regional and an ultimate last stop.
Through arbitration, we will get a pay raise. There's no way but up because we are literally the lowest paid narrow body pilots, by a big margin, in the legacy/major airlines in category. Historically, arbitration has never really worked out well for any pilot group. BTW, the -900 pay was a fluke and that sort of thing will never happen again. It's almost certain that we will not be the highest paid 737 pilots through arbitration nor will the 401K match that of the big three. Besides, even if our hourly was $300/hr, our W2s will never be that of the big boys due to our ludicrous work rules. The only unknown is scope and it's anyone's guess at this point in time.
So, is Alaska a good place to work? I guess it's in the eye of the beholder but apparently for many younger FOs, it's not. Just as some of the more vocal FOs on this forum have stated, be objective with your planning. Me personally, I wouldn't stick around if I were well qualified and in my 30s or younger. If you decide to come here, I'll be buying the drinks for the unforeseeable future since you'll all be poor for some time.
