Originally Posted by
thepotato232
I agree with almost your whole post, JB, except the implication that anyone who no-shows for a class is in any way "less than honorable." It's an industry-wide arms race for qualified pilots at the moment, and for some reason, the ACMI carriers seem to have this attitude that they are drawing from a different pool of applicants than the rest of the airlines. I see it all the time at K4 - perhaps a throwback to the days when management felt entitled to a newly dying legacy carrier to pick the bones of every five years. If a newhire gets a better offer, their loyalty should be to their family who expect their breadwinner who will maximize their dollar value per day away from home, not a hiring department who have chosen to believe they can justify middling compensation because of vague intangibles like "lifestyle" and "culture." ACMI has been a welcome surprise for me, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from exploring their options at the earliest possible opportunity.
You may have missed my point and I may have failed to elaborate; this has been covered in other threads on this site, specifically on that topic.
I have run into enough individuals in recent times who had class dates or tentative offers from the majors ("dream job"), who took a job with an ACMI while waiting, knowing and planning to take the training and run. There is nothing honorable about this act. Some, who have had their training given them, may feel that having more training given them before running away to the brass ring is an okay thing to do. It's not. I don't care which carrier or employer it is. If you accept a job offer and show up for training, knowing you plan to take the type rating and the training, class slot, and pay, and then run away, then you're lower than whale filth. I mean that very sincerely.
Those who accept a class date, knowing they won't be showing up, just taking that class date as a "backup," aren't much higher, in my opinion. The company has reserved a training slot. Someone else got a reject letter after they interviewed. Money has been spent. If someone thinks it's okay to accept an offer then run when they have something more preferable in their pocket...it's not.
I've had some damn good offers come up after I've accepted a job, and I've turned those damn good offers down...because, as I explain to the damn good employers, I wouldn't screw them over, and I won't screw over the operator with whom I have accepted employment.
It used to be that a handshake stood for something. For me it still does. For those for whom it doesn't mean anything, I have nothing but vile contempt, zero respect, and utter distain. Ranks right there with those who bought their jobs. I have no use for such dishonorable individuals, regardless of their excuse. "But, I want it," just doesn't cut it. If you make an agreement, then keep the damn agreement. It really is that simple.