Originally Posted by
Ravenwing
Envoy has zero time lines for Miami FOs and captains for the month of August. This is the opportunity to take a month off and not get paid. Zero time lines are entirely voluntary, but you need to remove them from your bid if you don't want them or you might accidentally get one. Envoy tries to staff all their bases appropriately, but the amount of flying assigned by AA in each base varies month to month. Miami has fun flying routes into the islands but the quantity of flying there has dropped off a bit. AA decides which regional partner to award flying to and Envoy has to adjust to whatever they get.
Sometimes in the winter Envoy offers part time lines too--work half the month for half the pay--and these went very senior among DFW captains in January and February. Zero and part time lines are a way for Envoy to save money when it suits them, but they usually continue hiring while this happens in some bases. They still have to plan to staff flying during peak travel months.
I suspect Aero Crew News made a sensational story to get attention out of the common practice of offering zero time lines. The slow down in attrition has affected all the regionals, and the better ones have mostly caught up in pilot hiring. Most people given a choice will choose a job without a contract, so Republic and SkyWest are the airlines still scrambling to hire pilots after the more desirable jobs were filled.
When I had recurrent training in mid June, I heard there would be small new hire classes through the summer and training would pick up in the fall. I heard we no longer need DECs. Envoy is constantly recalculating their staffing levels and they are not good with communication--they will keep you hanging until they need you. You probably won't hear from Envoy until 3 weeks before they have a class for you. They figure if some pilots go elsewhere, there are more waiting to take their places. It's a business. The biggest factors affecting Envoy's hiring are AA's quarterly loss and the slowdown in pilot attrition. I expect pilot hiring will continue, just not at previous rates. The people who know what is going on in the training department aren't posting on here. I know lots of people are desperate for information right now, and unfortunately, they are going to have to wait and see with the rest of us.
No airline plans to offer zero time or part time lines. It is not normal. it is likewise not common except by mismanagement and poor planning. It's an indicator of being overstaffed, nothing more. FedEx offered reduced time lines a year ago, months ago they offered help getting a DEC job at PSA, they now say they are 500 pilots overstaffed. Spirit offered leaves, low time lines, and is now furloughing 240 pilots. Yes, in the past envoy has offered low time lines, zero time lines, and even extended leaves.... right before they furloughed in 2008 for example.
Skywest and Republic are not scrambling to fill classes (unfortunately) and I wish they were. The fact that they aren't is a clear indicator that the job is becoming competitive again and fogging a mirror won't cut it anymore. I know Republic and Skywest are washing people out now rather than holding their hand through training like they were before. They definately are not scrambling. I'd submit it's the better regionals where you're treated much better that are able to require contracts because pilots actually want to work there. No airport standby, no junior manning, no ready reserve, reserves being able to pluck trips from open time up to six days in advance gives the pilot a lot more control over their schedule than proffering the night before and hoping for something commutable..... all regionals are not the same,mand those saying that are liars. Those saying they're all the same, get your hours and get out are not giving good solid advice. Yes, get your hours and get out, but do it at a place that when the music stops you could stay at for an extended wait if need be. A toxic management at envoy would not be my first choice unless I lived in base at DFW or ORD. Every other base they open and close every 6-10 years. Living in base is the single biggest QOL factor there is.
AA's quarterly numbers are irrelevant to hiring at Envoy. It's the pause in hiring at EVERY legacy and major that is driving the temporary surplus at the regional level. As a result FO's are upgrading rather than focusing on moving up and out. That is why the DEC demand is reduced temporarily.
funny, almost every point you made was somehow a misinterpretation.