I have an Endeavor interview next week, let's say I get hired. Can you explain the process. I live in Minneapolis and pretty much refuse to commute, one of the reasons I am even giving regional life a try is because I live in MSP.

SO, how does ground school work, choosing an airframe (200,900) and then how does the admin go about deciding who goes where? When do you find this information out, I'm sure it's after you have gone through the whole process.

If I did get stuck in Dallas or New York, how long will it take me to get the opportunity to get to MSP?

I read somewhere most is based on seniority, but that some of this is based on age, I am 33 does that help?

Thanks.

 

Have you looked at Skywest? Their junior base is msp

 

During class they'll have a bid. THere will be openings for the 200 and 900 (or just one), and specific bases (200 in Minneapolis and Detroit, 900 in Minneapolis, Detroit, and NYC JFK and LGA). You'll be able to bid on what you want according to preference. The oldest guy in your class will get his first choice, everyone else will go from there depending on the openings and their preference.

If you want to be MSP based, either plane will do it, but there has to be an MSP opening. If you get it, great. if not, too bad. You'll be commuting to JFK, LGA, or DTW. New bids come out every few months and you'd be able to get to MSP pretty quickly, I'd imagine. It's week 2 or 3 that you bid and find out where you are going.

Being 33 used to put you as the old guy in class. Maybe not anymore. I've seen some of our new hires and they are as old as you or older. YOu'll know where you stand when you start class. The last vacancy had 17 unfilled FO positions in MSP, 6 in the 900 and 11 in the 200. I'm sure you'd be able to get MSP.

 

As suggested by IFLYPLANEZBRO earlier. Go with Skywest. MSP is junior base and it is the best regional out there...

 

Age is irrelevant. It's all seniority.

That said, since a new hire class all has the same DOH, they have to assign them seniority within that DOH. Some airlines used to use age to assign seniority within a class, ie oldest = most senior, but most or all have gone to a random system, sometimes based on last four of SSN, etc.

So if endeavor still uses age, you will likely be in the top 50% seniority of your new hire class. That may help with your initial assignment (unless they just send the whole class to the junior base).

 

I was faced with similar circumstances a year and a half ago. I interviewed at both SKYW and Endeavor. I was a former Mesaba intern and really wanted to go to Endeavor, but unfortunately it just didn't make sense for me. MSP base was the most important thing to me and it just wasn't going to be attainable in any form at the time. My roommate basically interviewed at the same time and went to Endeavor. He commuted to reserve in New York for a year before he got MSP. He is still on reserve here, though at least partly because he refuses to bid the 200. In the same amount of time, I've been based in MSP the entire time and have risen in seniority to bidding <30% in base. Maybe looking at upgrade in 9-14 months, but who knows, I will at least be a senior fo until I do.

That's been my experience, things have certainly changed since I interviewed though. I didn't have to consider the 20k bonus at the time, nor was the ssp on the table for new hires. Don't let anyone tell you which regional is better than the others, they are all crappy compared to the mainline carriers who facilitated their creation. Take all the information you get and make an informed decision based on the factors that are most important to you, and understand that literally anything in this industry can change in a heartbeat.

Good luck, we're all counting on you.

 

 

Endeavor's headquarters are in MSP and there are lots of opportunities to work in the training department, pilot hiring, or some other department and be home based if you want while still flying. Since there is quite a bit of movement these positions are constantly opening up.