captjns

Miami Air... aka... one of the many Food Stamp Wage level paying companies of the airline industry.

Go on o a regional. Suck up with the crappy pay for a couple of years rather than an eternity. The 737 type eating is worthless with a training bond to dog you.

Being at Miami Air could be tantamount to sitting at a gas station in the middle of desert watching the cars go by.

Miami73

.........oh yea?

AeroStadt

I flew for Miami Air for 8-years. Good company. Depends on your career aspirations. Most of our pilots went to Emirates, Jet Blue, or international corporate. You will get extensive international experience day 1 until you leave, which will get you in the door at many corporate flight departments.

Miami73

Sounds like a management "advertising" speech. Is this what we are telling candidates so that they will sign on the dotted line and agree to pay us $18,000 for a B737 type rating?

No disrespect- but what exactly is your definition of a "good company"? We are one of the, if not THE lowest paid B737/A320/MD80 operator in the industry, the pennies they contribute to a 401k is a joke, management operates by finding any loop hole they can to "make it legal", management runs this place through fear, moral is at an all time low (and I don't know how it would get any worse), the company doesn't care about it's pilots or employees, if they can save a dollar at your expense they will (and DO), you have no control over your schedule, trip trading isn't allowed,... and I could go on and on.
Yes, we fly to some interesting places.... if you're lucky enough to be on that trip and actually fly it- you'll have minimum rest in some hotel that's no where near where you would want to be, and then be back out of there. Or, you'll fly to places nobody wants to go - Ebola trip ring a bell? Otherwise, get ready for the Concord shuttle and tons of domestic flying.

Miami Air was a much different place years ago! It's not what it once was. There is a reason we are loosing pilots by the dozen... people are fed up with the pay, the treatment by management and the lack of flight time to actually build your resume to leave for better pastures. Prior to 117 you could actually build a good amount of flight time/experience- now those days are done and you barely fly each month. Don't worry- you'll be on the road still, but won't log much actual flight time. There are a few stragglers praying that the new contract will be some miracle worker for them... but when reality hits, they too will bail as fast as they can. Most of the original Negotiating Committee quit after trying to play fair. Talk to them and see how "great" Miami Air is.

It's not fair to those looking to possible apply here, to tell them Miami Air is a "good company". Everyone is looking for their own "best airline", but go ahead and try to find a real line pilot here to tell you he likes working here and is happy. Some have more "hope" then others that things will turn around, but the truth is that everyone (all employee groups) are burnt out and unhappy. There's a few that have to convince themselves that coming here was a better move then staying at their regional... but the fact that we have guys going from here TO the regionals should tell you something about Miami Air these days as well....

Wish things were improving... but you're odds of winning the lotto are probably higher.

Miami Air is hiring because we are all trying to leave as fast as we can.....

Miami73

Another little bit of comparison... to put things into perspective.....

SunCountry company 401k contribution is 6%. (By the end of the contract it is 8%.) So with simple math = if you make $100k/yr, they contribute $6,000.
Miami Air company 401K is $0.25 per $1 pilot contribution up to 6%. So with simple math = if you make $100k/yr eventually as a Captain, they contribute $1,500.

SunCountry PER DIEM:
$2.45/hr (dom)
$3.06/hr (Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, Latin America)
$4.90/hr (int'l - Alaska, Europe, Asia, etc.)
Miami Air PER DIEM:
$1.50/hr dom (includes Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, Latin America, South America)
$2.50/hr intl

SunCountry: Deadhead pay is 75% (November 1, 2018 Dead head pay is 100%.)
Miami Air: Deadhead pay is 0%.

SunCountry: 150% of hourly pay rate above 75 hours
Miami Air: 125% of hourly pay rate above 70 hours

SunCountry first year FO pay is $48/hr @ 75 hrs guarantee. ($3600)
Miami Air first year FO pay is $41/hr @ 70 hrs guarantee. ($2870)

SunCountry top FO pay $110/hr ($135/hr at end of contract)
Miami Air top FO pay is $70/hr

SunCountry top Capt pay is $164/hr ($202/hr at end of contract)
Miami Air top Capt pay is $142/hr

SunCountry $20,000 training contract (prorated over 18 months).
Miami Air $18,000 training contract (prorated over 36 months).

SunCountry current fleet: 737-700: 7, 737-800: 13. 2 new planes per year.
Miami Air current fleet: 737-400: 2, 737-800: 4. No planned growth. Both 737-400 aircraft scheduled to exit fleet end of next year.

Upgrades seem to be faster currently at SunCountry as well.


SunCountry was one of the lowest paid B737 operators until this TA was approved. (Congrats to them!!! ) We are told that we are the "Premier Charter Airline"... so why do we get compensated and treated like the "cheapest charter airline"?
Our management team always says that there is NO money in scheduled flying. So with that logic, charter flying makes more money/profit than scheduled flying. So if SunCountry can pay this new contract, and since we don't operate any "money loosing" scheduled flying, we should be able to go above this! Not only match it, but go above!

Don't hold your breath though....


*SunCountry info from AirlinePilotCentral



...and for those that do the AMS TDY:
you currently get roughly $1,800/month per diem..... SunCountry would get $3,528/month per diem.
This should show you below par we are in everything. This is not even considering what Delta, United or American pay/compensate for similar sized aircraft....

Miami73

Going back to the statement by our management team that: "scheduled flying makes no money".... Allegiant does both but mainly schedule flying. So according to our management team, Allegiant is loosing tons more money then "our" business model of doing only charter. But, Management is always making statements that they want to be more like Allegiant..... well, how about they start with compensating the crews more then we currently get!!!

Some how, the "money loosing business model" at Allegiant is also able to pay more then Miami Air. If you thought we were being compensated more then Allegiant pilots... think again! (And the Allegiant pilots are still fighting to get a higher paying contract as well.)


Allegiant -vs- Miami Air

First Officer pay:
Year 1 $41 $41
Year 2 $70 $51
Year 3 $83 $57
Year 4 $87 $63
Year 5 $93 $66
Year 10 $97 $70


Captain pay:
Year 1 $138 $82
Year 2 $141 $88
Year 3 $143 $94
Year 4 $144 $101
Year 5 $145 $106
Year 10 $155 $126
Year 12 $160 $135
Year 14 ---- $142

I've said it before, but I'll say it again..... We are one of the, if not THE lowest paid B737/A320/MD80 operator in the industry!

Allegiant also has a much faster upgrade then Miami Air.... "most Junior Captain [at Allegiant] doh december 2014".

At Miami Air, once you upgrade (if you aren't by-passed, like many people have been): "First Officers who upgrade to Captain shall move to the first year of the Captain scale."
That happens for 6 months, after you're moved over to the Captain side of the seniority list, before you go back to your longevity pay. There is no limit on how long they can keep you a Captain Qualified First Officer though...


401k match:
at Allegiant- 100% up to 3%, 50% up to 5%
at Miami Air- $0.25 per $1 pilot contribution up to 6%


Growth potential:
Allegiant- Further expansion in medium-sized cities like Indianapolis (IND), Pittsburgh (PIT), Cincinnati (CVG), and Memphis (MEM).
19 A319s to be added as growth and eventual fleet replacement of MD80s.
... although they are phasing our the 757s and the MD-80s, they have a plan to replace those aircraft with Airbus and keep growing.
Miami Air- further plans to continue to shrink by returning -400s to lessor next year and no active/concrete replacement aircraft on the books. Management's "BIG" investment in our aircraft meant we replaced some covers on some old seats (kept the old nasty seats though), and put some new ceiling lighting in the 800. Didn't upgrade to sky interior, but put some new lights in.




*Allegiant info from AirlinePilotCentral

Miami73

For those excited about the possibility of doing international flying at Miami Air... you will likely have the opportunity to do some international flying, but it's not as glamorous as one may think. The company is cutting costs in every corner they can and goes for the cheapest hotel accommodations they can. That means they book rooms at the hotels that nobody wants to be in or near.... They literally will save a dollar if they can. (Their logic is $1 saved per night, per crew member, spread across the year is the difference between a small management bonus and much better management bonus!!)
As far as our contract goes, the wording should give you a great peak into the mind set of how Miami Air management thinks and treats their crews/employees.....

--------------------------------------------

Layover Lodging

The Company shall provide Pilots with adequate single occupancy lodging for scheduled layovers.

Layover Standard:
• Clean rooms in good repair;
• Adequate means for heating/cooling each room;
• Safe location;
• Twenty-four (24) hour room service or restaurant availability, or transportation to a dining facility;
• Availability of non-smoking rooms;
• Rooms furnished with double or larger size bed.

(Note: It is not intended that the guidelines in this paragraph be absolutes. Hotel selections are done considering many factors, without any particular hierarchy.)

--------------------------------------------

I think most would agree that those items listed above should be basic standards that any company would/should abide by, especially when traveling abroad (even more so with places in Africa, etc). But the company clearly states "It is not intended that the guidelines in this paragraph be absolutes." The company always looks at ONE, and only one, factor when booking hotel rooms- and that is price. Crews have stayed in hotels without air-conditioning (check out the AMS TDY a few years ago- in the middle of summer, and no cooling in the rooms), hotels without food options, hotels with only smoking rooms available, etc.


Although there is the rare occasion we stay at the nice hotel, where you would want to be- more often than not you will be debating if you want to just sleep because you're so tired or if you are up for fighting with the company about the poor accommodations.

We have turned into a company that doesn't respect or care about our crews and employees. As long as we save a dollar, we've achieved our goal, and the crews should just be thankful they have a job apparently.

captjns

Miami Air management has declined to the to the mentality where they will step over a dollar to pick up a penny. Tsk tsk.

Don't remember it like that when Ross was there.

HVYMETALDRVR

I wouldn't recommend G4 at all, we do make more than the Miami Air guys but the QOL and general treatment is pretty bad here too. Even if you do live in base.

I'd just say stick at your regional and upgrade, or go to one with a quick upgrade. Or, if you got the big airplane bug? (And are already at a regional) try for SouthernAir. I know that's not the best carrier either, but you'll get long stretches of time off and get 85+ hours of credit/month and work at a company that actually fixes they're airplanes.

Good Luck.

Miami73

Latest regional to get a new contract…. CommutAir. Operating Dash-8 aircraft.

A regional carrier operating 37 and 50 seater turbo props now has better language in their contract then we do ... a 168 (or up to 183 at times) seat Boeing 737 “premier charter” carrier!!

Some of the highlights of their new contract -vs- ours….

Deadhead
CommutAir: Deadhead pay 75% (increases to 100% on July 1, 2018.) Deadhead pay applies to air and surface deadheads.
Miami Air: Deadhead pay 0%. applies to air and surface deadheads.

Cancellation pay
CommutAir: pay protected for cancellations
Miami Air: no pay protection for cancellations

Guarantee
CommutAir: 75 hour guarantee
Miami Air: 70 hour guarantee

Per Diem
CommutAir: $1.70 on DOS; $1.80 on DOS+2; and $1.85 on DOS+3.
Miami Air: $1.50 (applies to North America, South America, and the Caribbean Islands) $2.50 for Europe, Asia, Africa

Travel Benefits
CommutAir: travel benefits on United, United Express, etc.
Miami Air: no travel benefits (no ZED, ID90s, etc)

Training
CommutAir: pilots receive 4.0 hours credit for a training event.
Miami Air: pilots receive 3.5 hours credit for a training event.

Training Contract
CommutAir: no training contract. Paid lodging.
Miami Air: $18,000 training contract for 3 years. No paid lodging.

Sign-on Bonus
CommutAir: $7,000 sign-on BONUS plus $5/flight hour or every 121 equivalent hour for a total of $15,000
Miami Air: No sign-on bonus. Chance of a few hundred dollars bonus if company reports a profit. (Only paid out a few times in the last decade)

Vacation
CommutAir: Four weeks of vacation (pilots with 11 years service.)
Miami Air: Three weeks of vacation (pilots with 10 years service.)

Records
CommutAir: Company will mail free hard copy of pilot’s personnel, training, and PRIA files to him upon request.
Miami Air: Company charges pilots for a copy of records.

Uniforms
CommutAir: All pilots now receive an automatic $17.50 monthly payment with no need to show receipts. ($210/year)
Miami Air: Company gives pilots $50 a year for uniform expenses.

Retirement
CommutAir:
Months of active Company service completed -> Company match
3-24 -> 50% up to 2%
25-48 -> 50% up to 4%
49-72 -> 50% up to 6%
73-108 -> 50% up to 8%
109-156 -> 50% up to 10%
157+ -> 50% up to 12%
Miami Air:
$.25 per $1 pilot contribution up to 6%


Commuting
CommutAir: industry leading commuter policy with paid hotel rooms
Miami Air: no commuter policy and frowns against commuters (pretty much impossible to commute)

Flows
CommutAir now has some sort of an agreement/flow with United for their pilots. The CommutAir guys will have to expand on the details.
Miami Air has no agreements with any carriers for flows, etc.



As you can see…. the turbo prop regionals are now getting superior contracts to what we have here. Do your homework before you accept any offers at Miami Air.



*CommutAir info from AirlinePiotCentral/AirlinePilot Forums