E9 vs PSA QOL VS COMMUTE
 

I’m trying to explain to my wife how the airline commute vs driving to work equals a better work vs life balance which inturn a higher quality of life whilst at the regionals.

I have Job offers from E9 PSA and AW. I’m leaning towards E9 but dreading the commute based on the comments posted about commuting . I live in Richmond va and could drive to ORF that seems ideal.

What points would you bring up to a spouse when choosing between higher pay vs a drivable commute.

Feel free to add in anything I should also consider as I will have her read the thread.

Depends how you look at and your long term goals. Personally I think a little pain in the front end for a higher QOL/ payrate is better than a sorta easy commute in the long run.

For what it’s worth we operate a lot of the Delta Connection flights in and out of both RIC and ORF.... and we overnight there frequently. After you get a little seinority under your belt you might have some success bidding for overnights “at home” or swapping to operate your commute.

Can’t speak for the 900 drivers but the 200 passes though Richmond a lot out of nyc. You also have Charlottesville that has a lot of flights we do to lga and atl. (200 as well) Also, since they are out airplanes we get jumpseat priority over everyone else. I don’t know how the commute would be for PSA but I think u will have pretty easy based on nyc here at 9E.

Something like 5 LGA flights on Endeavor, 5 on American Eagle, and then also 3 Endeavor flights to JFK. Lots of 30 hour overnights in Ric on the 200 from what I’ve seen of their schedules. Having two airlines operate your commute maximizes your ability to use our unable to commute policy.

Have a 7:45 am show time? Take the 5:33 eagle flight. If you don’t get on, take the 6:08 am Endeavor flight (with positive space if necessary). Not many cities are commutable for this early a show time.

I used to be based in ORF with my previous airline, there’s quite a bit of commuters out of there. It’s almost like Florida. So it can get tricky. Especially in the summer when vacationers start pouring in. I’d fly out of Richmond, endeavor has quite a bit of flights there. Better to fly on your own metal however we operate nyc, but Atl is all mainline. Also if you drive up to DCA, there is shuttle on both AA ans DL to New York so hourly flights and Atlanta is basically every 1:15. DCA to really anywhere is pretty easy from my experience. The biggest headache would be I95 traffic

Does E9 have many overnights in CLE ?

Please.. For the love of God stop calling us E9. It's 9E...thank you for your time

Why would Evelop of Spain overnight in CLE?

I like E9 better. I will call you E9 from now on.

Yes, lots. I see a 16 and 17 hour overnight in CLE as part of open time right now.

In my opinion, Endeavor should be #1 for anyone living in Cleveland as there are 6 UA flights to LGA, 6 Delta flights to LGA and 4 to JFK (all Endeavor), 4 American flights to LGA and 3 to JFK. That’s a total of 23 a day, 10 on our metal and all 900. Yes, express jet has a base there but it’s probably senior as it’s been a shrinking “hub” for United.

Great! Would it be better to drive to DTW which is just over 2 hours from CLE or fly to New York? I don't know much about your DTW base.

The problem with Detroit is you live further than the reserve call out and there are far fewer flights to Detroit than NYC and it is more senior than NYC. I would suggest NYC until you’re senior enough to hold a comparable line with similar days off in DTW, then switch to DTW at which point you can use your car as your backup to a single flight to base or just drive (since it’s only 4 round trips a month generally).

If nyc reserve is looking like it will be long when you start DTW might be a better place to sit it as well. Crash pads are cheaper and nicer, you can bring your car up, etc.

Thanks, how realistic is it to rely on a bus to NYC. Is this a method pilots rely on.

Lol. Sorry about the E9/9E mix up I’m prior enlisted navy.

I would definitely say the tone in this regional chat under my thread is Totally different from the same thread I created on the PSA side!
Kind of a major sign.

Has there been an announcement on the GROWTH? I interviewed at Oshkosh and the HR REP SPOKE OF GROWTH?!?!

I’ve never heard of anyone doing that. Why pay to get to work when you have flight benfits with a commuter policy

There are two: they almost always go, and they tend to have a late night/overnight option.

I haven't heard of it in NYC, but it's common in Boston.

I was waiting for it...

My personal opinion: Go to 9E. PSA was a great deal for those hired 2014-2015. New hires in 2018 and 2019 aren’t going to experience the same career at PSA.

At PSA you will be senior-manned (read: forced) into an upgrade as soon as your eligible and possibly displaced out of base to sit reserve as a junior CA for what will most likely end up being at least 2 years. Your earned seniority as an FO means nothing except for the few short months you get to enjoy the quality of life as a “senior” FO in base.

At PSA you will be at the back end of a pilot group that is almost 1900 large at the moment. While this isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, you have to consider the fact that American Airlines Group (our overlords) and our management place a lot of value on the flow. So much value that they think it offsets an over $20,000 /year difference in what our peers at 9E and Republic are earning compared to us. And the flow language at PSA is simply not as good as at Envoy or Piedmont. We flow 10 /month from what will be an almost 2000 pilot company by the end of 2018. That is 0.5%... It will likely go up, but just let that paltry flow percentage sink in for a second. Again, for those hired in 2014 and 2015 not a bad deal. For those looking to come now, the flow shouldn't even be a factor other than the monthly seniority-list movement it generates.

There are good things about PSA too. I just think a new hire in today’s market has a ton of great options available to them. I can genuinely only recommend PSA if your current situation falls within a somewhat narrow category. Hopefully that changes in the future, but I don’t think we will ever see financial compensation to the tune of what 9E and Republic are making. AAG puts a lot of value on the flow. Which is both deserved and at the same time perhaps foolish. But we shall see what the future holds.

Currently they're saying big announcement any day now, somewhere between now and september bleh-blah-de-blah. So... You'll make good money here and for now it's good here. Theres no crystal ball otherwise most of us old timers would be md88 captains after flowing from compass.

Its a good time to get in the industry, dont agonize. If you feel like youre worth more come here. If youre feeling like its important to move through the seats as quickly as possible and you're willing to trade in, do that. You're gonna feel dumb if in less than a year we announce another 20 aircraft, and there's no cure for that, because there is no crystal ball.

He would, however, have the option of finding a comfortable place to sit within the call out distance and just drive part way. I've known of people who will spend the day at a waffle house or library or other establishment while on short call like that.

Lots of way to play it, but either way it's doable to either base if needed.

That’s what I would do if I were to accept the PSA offer.

LOL, it can easily get under one's skin I guess!

E9 is a real airline and it just shows ignorance to ask a question without referring to the correct airline in your posts.

It was a &@??ing typo dude. Pardon my "ignorance".