Live in your base!

 

Move to anchorage. Got it. Thanks.

Anyone else have advice?

 

Or only bid for trips that start somewhere other than your base then Atlas has to get you there on your first day of work (gateway travel to your base will happen on a day off) and on their ticket..
JFK is best for this but it will not be where a new hire would get based. A new hire will go to ANC if on the 74 and CVG if on the 76. More and more trips seem to be starting from base.

 

As with all things Atlas, it depends. My first base, I got hit with every hotel stay (before/after my trip) and every airline ticket. In my current base, I have yet to pay a cent. I've heard from guys in the same base that one gets hit, while the other does not. Some guys appeal every taxable charge. You won't have a choice of bases initially, of course, but you can ask around when you get on line.

As WTFover said, you could opt to live in base, or bid one within driving distance (the company will pay mileage up to the cost of an airline ticket). You could also elect to jumpseat and not utilize Gateway travel - the risk being that if you don't make your trip, you could be subject to disciplinary action. To minimize the tax hit, you could talk to Travel 4-5 days prior to your trip to get a cheaper ticket. US Air is pretty much $250 anywhere in the US if they have seats.

For all its limitations, Gateway travel is still pretty awesome. After almost a decade of commuting, it's fantastic to not have to pay any attention to anything except my departure time. Even if you're paying the tax, it's likely a lot less than having a crashpad, paying for taxis and whatnot. I would prefer that we move to a home-basing system with no tax exposure, but that's a fight for the next contract.

 

It's been covered, but here's a broader explanation. It does NOT apply to EVERYONE at EVERY airline/carrier, but it's an axion that's held true for a LONG TIME. Pre 9/11, the little 2007-2008 blurb, and now;

ALL hiring is driven by hiring at "the major", or what are commonly referred to as "legacies". However, that DOESN'T IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM MEAN THAT EVERY PILOT wants be hired at a "major"/legacy.

There are jobs that suit guy's needs JUST FINE where they are at, and they are MORE THAN FINE where they're at, and won't leave.

But you will always have "tiers" of carriers, or the proverbial "brass ring".

You will alway have say, a corporate guy that was let go and maybe gave up his number and got the corp gig, and is now BACK in a position interview at a legacy. If he gets hired, his corp job needs a new pilot or pilots to replace him. And all down the line and various avenues. The LCC's used to have this problem in a big way before, it's not nearly as bad now.

A pilot was coming up through the ranks when NOBODY was hiring, yet Southern, Atlas, Kalitta, whomever was hiring so they took a job there. And now, they decided they'd like move on. The legacy hiring created that, which created attrition and said carrier, and created hiring at said carrier.

It's a GREAT JOB, but not a GREAT JOB FOR EVERY ONE. That saying in INCLUSIVE of A LOT of things mind you. Changing personal needs for a schedule, retirement, W2, seniority progression, whatever.

Circles back, ALL HIRING is driven by hiring at "the majors".

 

THIS!

International Gateway/Home Basing.

Everyone's gateway is their base. No imputed income for anyone. All trips start your first day of work and end your last day of work...no more travelling on your days off (unless you volunteer to work more days).

Atlas will need to go back to the Preferential Bid System (instead of Line Bidding) to make this work. I have not talked to a single pilot at Atlas who prefers our current system of Line (What's a line? Hahaha!!!) Bidding. We had PBS in our last contract.

 

For some it is Great, for others Good, for others Fair, and for still others...they would never consider it in a million years.

Don't want to be gone from home more than 4 days in a row? Atlas is unacceptable, for example.

Everyone's situation is different...here are some different examples:

Pilot #1: At Atlas, wants to leave for JetBlue (nowhere else). He will stay here until he gets hired at JB. If they never call, he will stay here for his career.

Pilot #2: Currently flying overseas. This pilot wants Vietnam Air or Atlas. He is trying VA first...if they don't hire him, then he's applying at Atlas, and nowhere else, at least initially. Has no interest in AA/UAL/DAL/FedEx/UPS.

Pilot #3: Comes to Atlas to get away from his dying regional. Plans to leave for UA/AA/DAL/FedEx/UPS ASAP.

Pilot #4: Came to Atlas because they were the only ones hiring, when he had the mins. Wasn't sure he would stay at Atlas. Turns out he likes it a lot. Has no plans to leave.

Pilot #5: Came to Atlas from a defunct carrier. Turns out he can't stand the schedule changes. Is leaving for UA/AA/DAL/FedEx/UPS, and maybe Alaskan.

Pilot #6: Came to Atlas directly from the military. Loves it.

Everybody has a different situation, and ranks Atlas very differently....

Most guys leaving here are going to AA/UAL/DAL, with some others leaving and going to a number of other carriers, including overseas, or non-flying jobs.

 

Any rumors if the HR folk will be at the Great Alaska Aviation Gathering? Seems like the interviews coincide with them possibly being in ANC during the show this weekend.


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Are the written tests still going out? A buddy in indoc said he thinks the hiring pool is almost full and that hiring may slow down a bit (I believe nothing I hear and half of what I see).

 

I got one early last week. Have yet to take it. I've been in the right seat forever, recently been upgraded at a regional. Not sure if I should pursue Atlas or stay for some PIC time..