USA Jet Airlines Furloughing in 2019
 

Management just announced voluntary pilot furloughs for one week at a time and forced furloughs for other jobs in the airline. You'd think in this pilot hiring economy they would be careful about announcing the F-word, but the non-airline management that owns us (Roadrunner) doesn't think that way nor understand how to operate an airline. This will scare off more pilots and accelerate attrition even more!

Take a look at Roadrunner's 2019 quarterly earnings statement. The Active-On-Demand side which is what the airline is a part of was the only entity that made money. We bailed them out as an airline and now they want to furlough us?!

Parent company Roadrunner lost $165 million in 2018 while USA Jet Airlines made its record breaking year in revenue and profit. Now that Roadrunner continues to operate on a losing streak they want to cut costs by furloughing a profitable entity? It's not looking good for Roadrunner. If you're still at USA Jet, get out while you can!

Don't come to USA Jet. It's a sinking ship!

They’ve probably transferred all of their debt to your company, will declare bankruptcy and pay pennies on the dollar to the creditors, or if that fails liquidate you and all of your (their) debt. Sorry! Many on APC have been through that very process.

They rescinded this, in fact are severely undermanned. The money is still the best that you will find and the days worked are the least with no pressure to stay on the clock. I'm not a financial guru, but think they'll make it out. CEO seems to be changing the culture, but if not, a million places to bail to, and no hurry because this industry will not improve pilot QOL. All have warts, right now, this one has the least.

Pm me if you currently work there. Thanks

No pilot furloughs
 

Pilots and mechanics are not required to take time off. It is voluntary. Still planning on hiring four Diesel nine Captains in September.

Still a place for many to come to to get the resume fluff for next move. Pretty good bunch of guys to work with. We got a bunch of guys been here 15 years +. Made in through furloughed laid offs down sizing. Not for everyone but I am glad I came here 22 years ago. I made out much better than if I had been hired by UAL at the same time

How is the 727 operation going? 3 now total?

this is laughable. you might have been furloughed after 9/11 (maybe not) but you would be a widebody captain now making 300K+

5 year Spirit Captains are making $300k+...

yip would be closer to $400-500k on a wide body...

I wouldn’t say “laughable” as context matters. Age matters and pay scale now is significantly different than UAL back in 2011 or thereabouts.

If furloughed, only the individual would have known what they might have been doing during the lean years had they experienced it - perhaps stuck at a regional or on the ground, back with their Guard/Reserve unit, creating their own business or just barely skating by until recall / and there were a few who never returned.

Depends on how many earning years left. Slated for retirement soon, then it is quite possible to have done better at the current company. Of course (living in the now) 5 or more years remaining will result in significant gains if all goes according to plan. 30, 35, 40, 45 (maybe even 50 if your base is your hometown of choice=lifestyle) you’ve technically got it made at a Legacy or LCC’s, etc. barring economic, business is war takeovers, management persecution/folly, and of course perhaps the most important unknown future impact - your health. Stay fit, stay frosty and keep the rubber side down. Life happens, make the best of it.

Then there is the single pilot deck, but that remains to be seen. Hopefully well after my time!

pilotyip has been around a long time, he lives in his own world and numbers don't matter in that world but he is happy. There's a lot to be said for being happy and not worrying about if you are making + or - 10% of the next guy based on your circumstances. But yes, he is delusional in the end.

I'm curious how one makes $300k+ at a rate of $206 per hour, limited to 1000 hours per year. Where is the other $100k coming from?

Work rules.

I made 1140+ credit hours in 2019 and blocked a hair under 300 hours.

You’re limited to 1000 flight hours a year. There is no limit on soft time.

I flew 600 hrs at 268 hr yet made 310k at AA. Soft time and work rules. Also once you max out the 401k the 16% DC gets paid as normal income.

United/Delta/Southwest also get hefty profit sharing

Theres block time you actually fly and credit time in accordance with your PWA. One month I credited well over 100 hundred hours and blocked approximately 80 hours. PWAs have quite a bit of protection for certain reroutes. Also have to be flexible with your schedule when picking up flying on your days off for premium pay. It's not always 1000 hours per year at your hourly rate. Including profit sharing and 401k contribution, one boost that hourly pay rate up significantly towards an additional 32%.

The Present
 

Hi all, first time poster here. I was wondering what the present situation was at USA Jet. I have had my eye on the place long before covid came to be. How are things looking over there? Thanks.

Pilot YIP
 

Still hanging out at USA Jet. Take care of yourself Randy.
Lorenz

I think they'll be gone after this.

There have been many pilots that flew at USA Jet Airlines that have moved on the many different jobs. I heard it's a great place to get quality experience.

It’s a cyclical business. it may shut down for a bit but I doubt it goes away. All the planes are paid for 20 times over and there’s pretty much no work rules there. The day the plants open they’ll be gang busters making money hand over fist. Same thing Happened in 2009.

Agree, the day Gretchen frees michigan, they will be flying their butts off. The big question will be what comes of the dc9 replacement plan.

With all of the aircraft soon to be flooding the market?

Probably anything they want.

(likely choose from the sea of MadDogs becoming available)
((Delta retiring ALL MD-88 and 90 this June))

Saw a couple DC9’s in the Atlanta area the other day. Any word on the street of things picking up at USA Jet?