Originally Posted by
NotMine
Direct entry captain: to go or not to go??
While they’re all dangling the carrot of 45K sign on CA bonuses.
You’re 7 months into employment with what everyone calls a “bottom” feeder regional. You’re experience allows you to upgrade but you can’t hold the seniority and it’s so unpredictable. You’re desperate for TPIC since you have 0, coming back from time off from flying and need to advance ASAP to get to your dream job to enjoy maybe 20 or so yrs. You need the left seat $$.
It’s Reserve for life no matter staying put at your current company or moving on. You’ll commute no matter the company.
Work rules are so much better at anywhere else vs your bottom feeder. So you hope. IE: you don’t get commuter hotels, commuter clause is terrible, DH is not 100%, pay/per diem is lowest, now real effective “flow” which is used as a terrible recruiting scheme. No incentive to continue doing this for anymore SIC time.
Do you jump ship to:
1-Piedmont
2-Commutair
3-GoJet
4-Or any other regional hiring day one/two into the left seat?
5-Stay put and wait your number while saying this place bites in all ways.
Jump ship to a U/LCC and keep your apps in with the legacies... and hit hw job fairs... I have a buddy at Delta who made it with 2500 jet SIC time and no TPIC so it’s possible.
Go to Endeavor or Republic. Get paid as much as DECs as a FO and make a lot more $ when you upgrade. Have a good QOL as well.
DEC is a dicey proposition for many folks. Learning a new jet and a new FOM can cause problems. PDT apparently has had a low DEC success rate. The folks who’ve had the best performance either know the jet, or flew at another AA WO.