Regionals are offering these DEC bonuses because they don’t have enough CAs to fly the FOs they’ve already got (all of which are senior to you) meaning you will likely fly your @$$ off your entire career on reserve or with the crappiest schedule around for your entire career at the regional or until every current FO has upgraded, whichever comes first.

 

You gotta keep your nose to the grindstone if you want to fly HEAVIES som day. It will happen. Just keep working hard and believing in yourself.

 

As a DEC that has left CommuteAir, I can say that you WILL be abused. The contract and (by extension) MEC are very weak on behalf of the pilots. Don't count on your days off being your days off, I was "operationally extended" into my day off at least once a month I was there - often when I had requested, and received, days off that were really needed. Once it was into my 7th day! (for a deadhead...legal by 117 but....) and another was into day 6 because the CA that they pulled off didn't have 30 hours prior to his next week....they could have just removed the first turn of his next rotation and called a reserve, but decided to abuse someone instead....which leads to: If they do you a favor, it's likely to be in the most malicious or uncomfortable way possible.

And your bid? Yeah don't count on that ever staying the same, with the "Line Improvement Period" they can and will adjust your awarded days off however they want. Very hard line and "we own you" was implied.
(To be fair I felt sorry for the schedulers, the ones that we talked to anyway. They were almost always brand new with virtually no experience and someone was whispering in their ear with what to say.)

The bonus: it's real, paid by Big Daddy, but there are strings attached they won't tell you about until they put the paper in front of you to sign. You'll be on the hook for the entire pre-tax amount, even though Uncle Sam will take about 32%. (It's a 2-year deal and if you stay 1 year you only owe 1/2 back). Most of the pilots in my class put theirs in a money market account in preparation for leaving, many left within the first year and paid it back...said their accountant would file an amendment to recoup the taxes paid. I had an attorney check the contract, and it's pretty solid, and they told me that C5 has filed at least 9 lawsuits in the last 18 months to sue pilots who were balking at paying it back. Also, the credit for your 121 time? Yeah they give it BUT it is frozen until you stay there long enough (ex: you get 5 years credit. You won't get a raise until year 6, and it's to year 6 pay). The bonus only gives credit for pay, not for any other benefits. PSA is a better choice for that, they give credit for 121 time for both pay and all benefits.

Leaving: rumor has it they are currently losing 8 pilots per day (in fairness, balanced partly by hiring). Keeping in touch with the few I still know there, I know of 3 DECs that left in the last month and paid their bonuses back. There is a mass exodus going on right now, and it started while I was there with most everyone talking about leaving and how bad we were treated. Since C5 pays pretty much bottom barrel in the industry, engages in abusive scheduling of Captains, has First Officers sitting airport reserve for 6-8 months, it will likely only get worse. Apparently the union has put out an email saying they are meeting with management to address the pay situation but I would take odds against any meaningful results.

There are some good people there for sure, and the Chief Pilots are decent guys for the most part. If you're high seniority you have it good; but as a Captain on reserve, not so much. Maintenance is top notch, no complaints there and no one complains if you write up so much as a light bulb.

Bitter a little? Yup. Especially since "Caring" is one of their core values. They only care about keeping the schedule, at the expense of the hardworking pilots - which I understand - but read the above again.

Looking back, I should have chosen a different path.

 

Why would the pilot not be on the hook for the cost of the "bonus?" Why should the pilot not be responsible for the taxes? The company had to lay out the full amount. Whether it went in your pocket or you had to render unto Caesar, or you lost it in gambling debt is irrelevant to the company. The deal is that you get X amount, you pay back X amount. Gross, not net. The company shouldn't be responsible for your taxes simply becasue you decide to not live up to the commitment that you made.

As you noted, pilots put their money in accounts because they planned to violate the agreement. They knew what they were doing.

It's always good to check with an attorney to see about the legality of any agreement into which you enter, but your comment comes across as having checked to see if it was something ou could get out of . Likewise, there should be no surprise at pilots being sued because they failed to keep their word.

Honor: it's implied by the signature.

 

Dude, you're not getting it. I put out straightforward true information from experience to try to help other pilots trying to make their decision. You however managed to impugn my honor, ASSume my motives and ask questions designed to put my statement into a bad light. Pardon me for illuminating aspects of C5's agreement and behaviour. Try to keep on topic next time, rather than being some sort of Karen Police and cherry picking information to be wrongly critical about.

 

Your reading comprehension is lacking. I said nothing about your honor. Have you a guilty conscience?

The simple fact is that those who enter into an agreement intending to break it have no integrity and no honor. It's not merely a matter of paying back a "bonus." The "bonus" is simply leverage to attract an applicant, and encourage retention, with a penalty attached for those who don't honor their agreement.

If you entered the contract with full intent to breach it, then yes, I am stating that you have no integrity. If you didn't, then that doesn't really apply to you. You seem to have applied it to yourself, by your response.

I made no assumption about your motives. None. Your speed to take offense speaks to your motivation, as I said nothing about it. You did cite other pilots that you knew, who put their money in an account because they fully intended to breach their contract and never intended to uphold their end. Why would you assume that my comments did not regard them? Were you one of them? The truth only hurts, if it should. Does it?

I've cherry picked nothing. The industry has a long history of curtain climbers who are more than happy to take, take take, and will sign anything to get what they want, but who moan and cry and whine about the cost, when they fail to honor their obligations. You're new, apparently, or you'd know of the past two decades of posters whining and crying and begging for help to get out of the contracts they signed (rather than honor their obligations). There are multiple threads going on this site presently about companies suing their employees for failure to honor their commitments. Those employees were slathering at the bit and more than willing to sign when it benefitted them. They were all too quick to cry unfair, when they jumped ship.

Do you find unfairness in an operator requiring the money back, including any taxes taken out, if one fails to live up to one's commitment?

 

ohhh yeah now I remember you from awhile back. True to form. Carry on, sir I will not play your games.

If anyone wants to have a factual discussion or more info, please send me a PM. I'm out of this one.

 

ohhh yeah now I remember you from awhile back. True to form. I'm not interested in playing your games this time.

If anyone wants to have more info or a discussion please send me a PM. I'm out of this one.

 

This is 200% correct. I know so many people who took the bonus because they assumed they’d be treated to industry standard at the company. They all happily gave it back to move on.

 

Do internal captain upgrades get bonuses too, or is the cash only handed out to DECs?