Is Compass a Lateral Move?
 

I have been offered an interview at Compass. Now I get an e-mail asking if I can move up my interview date.

I just upgraded at AWAC and am happily building PIC time, though not at a rapid rate. That will of course change with further attrition and getting a line eventually.

It seems like a waste of everyone's time to make a jump to Compass at this time.

Given that my career goals are not to end up at Compass, it seems as though it would be sticking it out at AWAC makes more sense and moving up and on when my chosen company really becomes available.

I have heard that things at Compass are not as nice as they were expected, but that it's not bad either and once the dust settles it'll probably be OK.

Plusses

- Upgrade likely within 12 months
- Corresponding good seniority
- Fly in the midwest again
- Bases in the Midwest
- Possible flow-through to NWA

Negatives

- Downgrade to the right seat again
- Go through training again
- Paycut
- Don't live in MSP anymore and don't want to move right now.
- Flow-through agreements have a way of biting people in the @$$ sometimes.


Thoughts?

dont do it man.. it is not even a lateral move for you. you will be back to being an fo again. the flow through wont exist very long (if it really even exists now). mesaba and compass will be built up and sold to the highest bidder. then the supposed flow through will cease to exist. i also heard from a reliable source that they have a training contract you have to sign and that you will owe them money for training if you bail early..12000 for the year if i remember correctly (if someone knows the deal with this then please correct me if i am wrong). even pinnacle doesn't have a training contract. just keep building your pic and move up, not down.

You can get hired at mainline NWA in a year or less.

Don't do it...although you *are* senior to me....so best of luck whatever you decide!

Saab,

If I were in your shoes, I would only be going to the right seat if it meant a move to a major. I think the negatives far outweigh the positives. As Boiler said, if you stay where you are for a year or two you're going to be competative at a lot of places that are a step up from any regional.

If you were a 5 year t-prop captain that was unable to "break in" to the majors, I'd say go for it. But, given your situation, you'll have the quals to apply virtually anywhere shortly. Hang in there.

You would be crazy to go there since you just upgraded.......

The only way going to Compass could make less sense for you is if you were already at a major.

No, it's not a lateral move. It's a step backwards for you.

I'm with Sharky. You're building valuable PIC turbine time, which is very important to some of the majors. From what I read on APC, you have to be a CAPTAIN at Compass for 30 months before being eligible for Northwest. Is your end goal to be at Northwest?

It's in the top 5.

Seems like the consensus is that it's not a great move. This is what I had suspected. I have felt the same way. Had I gotten in on day 1 it would have been different. I applied as soon as they started accepting apps, but now it would be a step backwards.

If I still lived in MSP it'd probably be worth it, but given my current situation it seems to make sense to stick it out here.

Thanks for the opinions.