Originally Posted by
skyemiles2
How much of this is just the shiny being rubbed off of people as they learn what this industry is actually like? No one cares that you originally had Christmas off and had plans, or about your kid’s birthday. I have my own sob stories from my current gig. I’m already used to no one giving a crap about me. You embrace it, or it eats you alive.
The people at the “better” places are complaining about many of the same things. Inefficient schedules due to hub and spoke, antagonistic management who doesn’t want to pay pilots or improve anything, low pay. A healthier regional has reserves, but that means someone has to be on reserve. There’s a ton of complaining when there aren’t reserves, too.
The only solution seems to be to not fly for a regional. Catch-22 when you want to be an airline pilot. Then you can go on to be one of those mainline dudes who sounds like the Peanuts teacher as they ***** and moan to their jumpseater (me) for an entire transcon commute, who makes a small percentage of what they do in far worse conditions.
I’m not saying the pay inequality amongst AA WOs is excusable. It isn’t. That’s some BS, but apparently few believe it won’t be addressed in time... even here.
The cadets everyone lambasts, who took financial assistance, may not be able to afford to break their contracts. They may be trapped. I didn’t have $50 when I graduated from college, much less $5k to pay back so I could go elsewhere. And these are impressionable kids who “don’t want to get up at 4am” (actual quote from my interview group, that sweet summer child) and believe recruiters.
In fact, my interview with Envoy, where the recruiters basically sneered at us, was by far the most genuine experience I’ve had. THAT I believe...
That junior man comment was kinda made in jest, yes other regionals are crappy I'll give you that and yes reserve is a necessity at an airline. Where the differences come in is where envoy lacks behind many peers. Start with reserve. 8 hour airport standby shifts with no limit on how many a month or how many in a row envoy has to be the worst they can even call in as many as they want during "OSO" as long as there are enough recliners. The reserve system is required yes, but at any given time Envoy has well over 25% of the pilot group on reserve because heaven forbid someone has a 15 minute connection. Then There's the commuting to reserve while other regionals have set in their contract commutable first days and contractual mechanisms for early release on last day. Envoy pre assigns 4 am RAP and it's up to whatever scheduler you get on the phone on your last day if they are going to release you or not.
As far as inefficient schedules go. Envoy gets the last pick of the flight file for American in each of it's bases so that leads us to get the leftovers that skywest or republic or whoever don't want. So we end up with a lot of short turns making it hard to build the most efficient schedules. That'd be fine if we had duty rigs, but we don't so we can spend 30 hours somewhere and make only per diem for that day.
And then there's the pay which as you said is inexcusable.
There's other things but I think these highlight a lot of what people have issues with. Can someone make envoy work for them? Sure, but I bet they could make other regionals work better.