onFreq

Seeing that C5 progression seems to be quicker compared to XJT, would it be better to sign with C5 and wait out the reserve time?

Would the junior FO and Capt pay difference be similiar for both companies?

marshal

Just because the reserve time is 6+ months now does not mean it will be for you. When the current reserves joined reserve was 1-2 months and it ballooned up quickly. With the slow down of new hire FOs and the upgrades coming it will drop. How much and how fast remains to be seen. Guessing at reserve time is like picking stocks. You only know if you were right looking backwards. Training is 3-4 months long. Reserve time today will not be the same 6 months from now.

As a perspective. I know people who have done years on reserve, so in the big picture, 6 months is not horrible. There is more to this job and career than how long you sit reserve. Does Airport reserve stink, you betcha, but it should only be one data point.

UnitedExpress

Reserve VS being a Line Holder is Night and Day

JediCheese

Not at C5. We're all reservists here, it just depends on how many days off you get.

Hopefully our next contract turns that around.

UnitedExpress

At first glance it’s nice to get paid to sit around but that quickly gets old.

njd1

It's disingenuous to suggest that QOL between reserve and line holders is not night and day, even at C5. It most certainly is. I know all about "conditional reserve" but aside from the occasional extension into a day off following IROPs (which has happened to me a grand total of 3 times in 9 months), I fly the schedule I'm given and go home. That is such a far cry from sitting hot reserve it's not even funny.

Captains right now are a slightly different story, as I've recently experienced two scenarios where my captain was asked to do more flying at the end of our day while the FA and I went to the hotel. But this is what happens when you don't pay enough to attract the talent needed to meet demand. Econ 101.

climb150

I know some people on reserve who lived in base and never got called in for months.

JediCheese

I worked in IT for years and getting paid to sit somewhere isn't the end of the world. My only regret is there's no shower facilities available in either of our bases (that I know of) and thus you can't do a workout (run/body weight exercises) and then freshen up.

They don't mess with CAs much recently because it's easier to just use open trips for check airman pickups instead of pulling the whole crew. The FOs on the other hand have been getting their schedules pulled and having to sit reserve while another FO flies their line and consolidates. Usually the FO/FA I fly with on day 1 will stick with me regardless of what their bidded schedule says.

I also dislike the 'conditional reserve' phrase but it's not worth the insanity it drives in others. The company should just tell pilots their on airport reserve and leave it at that. It's not like our airport reserve rules are any good

Seems like #winning (especially since we've been using short call a lot).

MaxQ

Nice way to end the year....#1 for December in operational performance of the 8 United Express operators.
Smoother ops make for fewer extensions, reassignments etc.

A Safe, Healthy and Happy New Year to all.

propoverspeed

that's not how any of this works