My decision - What would you do?
You go through and analize everything again and again until it makes you sick, then you make a decision and you wonder if you have done the right thing.
I am currently a FO for pinnacle bidding between a little bit less than half way up the seniority list, I am about to start my second year with the company. I get about 14 to 15 days off a month, and with trip trading and swaping, I can usually get 2 of 4 weekends off with about 85 to 90 hours of credit. I also live 25 minutes from the airport = no commute
I have been frustrated as hell about the lack of progress with our contract, the nwa rfp, our fo pay, and our work rules
I have thought about seeing what else is out there, and recently I was invited to a skywest group interview. I am going to the interview, and I have decided that if i get the job, I am going to make a lateral move, and commute to chicago. Am I crazy?
The way I saw it was: Pinnacle has cancelled classes in august and september, there is no end in sight to our crappy contract negotiations, our fo pay is the worst in the industry, if mesaba gets what they want from their pilots, there is no way we will get better. I got called to be junior manned twice last week when we are supposidly overstaffed.
Skywest has orders coming, only 17 right now but they have plans for more growth. Even if they don't have a pay rate for the 90 seat plane, it is better than pinnacle (especially if they get this raise), and I am borderline broke. They have way better work rules, they pay bonus and holiday pay.
Their eggs are not all in one basket. I have a place to stay in chicago for free so i wouldn't have to pay for a crash pad and the commute is DTW to ORD.
I know that the potential is there for bad things to happen to any airline, and the day i leave pinnacle they could announce a new contract and 50 more planes, but i don't see that happening in the near future.
Pinnacle airlines had some great pilots, and there was potential for this place to be great, but it is falling apart i believe.
Lateral moves are really risky, but what would you do?
Last edited by PinnacleFO; 08-10-2006 at 07:22 PM.