Count your blessings.

 

Howdy y’all. Considering making the jump but have some concerns about the doom and gloom that is AS currently. Born and raised in the PNW and the goal is to return eventually. Currently an E175 CA with a CL-65 type to pair and low PIC time. I enjoy sitting in the left seat and my airline has aviate but is really struggling to attract and retain pilots like many regionals right now. Pilot group has shrunk almost 25% with a massive training back log and unable to swiftly get new hires up to speed. I’m worried it’s starting to sink and quicker then expected. Grew up seeing Alaska and occasionally riding on them and always enjoyed my experience and the crews whenever I JS. Great base locations but obviously the major issues between management and the pilot group coupled with AS’s content-ness to not grow and maintain size while LCC’s merge and potentially begin to push into their route territory worries me about AS as a long term location. Got apps out at UAL, DAL, and AS currently with interview offer for F9. 24 Y/O, 3,800TT, 2,300 121, 300 PIC, and two types. Any advice would be great. Just don’t know to stick it out and continue to accrue PIC or try and get to AS and at least be somewhere that if **** hits the fan I’m content with being.

 

I'll let the Alaska peeps handle that part of it, but I'd interview and take the job at F9 while you wait. No way would I hang out at a regional in this environment, PIC be damned.

 

I would take your offer at Frontier and continue applying to Delta and United. You will be very disappointed should you be offered a job at Alaska and accept it.

 

I second this. I have been at 8 different airlines over the last 35 years and Alaska’s quality of life is the worst of all of them including 2 regionals flying turboprops and a adhoc charter cargo airline. Staying at ANY regional right now is risky. Go to Frontier and if that’s as far as you go, you will be fine the rest of your live long days.

 

🤔,............

 

unless your ultimate goal is to live in Seattle or Portland, take the F9 job and don’t look back. If it is to live in Seattle or Portland, take the F9 job anyway to get out of your regional. Go anywhere that sells their own tickets.

 

Let me fix that…..If your goal is to live in Southwest Washington or across the river in ZooLand then being Portland based is all that Alaska can offer….Every other base has other options…Think of Alaska or Frontier as great stepping stones should you need a stepping stone…

 

the ultimate goal is UAL/DAL. Delta for the Seattle base and united for the eventual Denver base although I could handle commuting to SFO for some time I’m single with no real responsibilities besides myself. I just feel I’m getting antsy watching my regional like all other regionals sink like a rock and not wanting to get stuck at a regional. Just didn’t know if PIC was still the biggest ticket to getting an interview at UAL/DAL.

 

Your quickest way to UAL is getting out of the Aviate carrier. Why would they hire you any sooner than they have to? You’re already flying their pax for penny's on the dollar. Go to F9 yesterday, and work on getting out from there. If you manage to get “stuck” at F9, making 250k+ a year is a lot better than 68k at Mesa.