I love bashing PSA as much as the next guy, but I didn’t have a clue about any of their scabby behavior until I hit the line and ran into someone who got burned by it.

 

Just for the sake of argument & the original question, let’s assume it’s a good thing to look forward much more than back.

What changes to the flow are most likely at the 3 WO’s during the next round of negotiations? (More/easier flow but less overall compensation than other regionals? Less/harder flow but a significant increase in overall compensation?)

 

Thank you and I appreciate your thoughts a great deal!

 

The most recent TA that PDTs pilot group shot down included zero flow changes, scheduling concessions and bottom of the industry pay in the form of Envoy rates.

 

Anyone at Eagle at that time got burned by it. I do personally believe that PSA would have been shut down very quickly had they turned down that 3rd attempt (they voted no 2x previously). PSA was a roughly 500 pilot airline at that time.

And call PSA pilots what you will. But the word scab is reserved for a special type of person in this industry. And to refer to PSA or any other airline pilots as scabs when they infact aren’t is to lessen the impact of the true meaning of that word.

 

Interesting and thanks a lot.

If WO direct compensation doesn’t increase (perhaps not the highest but at least in the ballpark with the top paying regional airlines), isn’t American (mainline) concerned that the WO’s won’t attract a high enough caliber individual today to represent AA well tomorrow as an FO & CA? In other words, at some point with EDV paying first year FO’s $50/hr & RPA paying $45/hr and now XJT & SKW paying the same or better than EDV, isn’t AAG worried that the only folks who will want to work for the WO’s (and eventually flow to AA) are those who would likely have essentially no chance of being competitive for hire at a legacy or WN if they didn’t have flow to AA?

 

No.

No.

AAG wants the majority of their pilot pool from its WO. They check more than PRIA records & employment records before flow/Indoc just like any other mainline. AAG has advantages by having flows from its WO.

AAG is very smart in having a no interview flow. They entrust their WO regional recruiting department. They know everything about its WO pilot’s history. Data collection through saber and other programs in the training department is huge! From detailed training records and sim performances to weaknesses and strengths. From attendance record to details regarding disciplinary issues with CPO. From Sick time usage and troubles to line item data like on-time DP to fuel score card, to many other things you can imagine but are unaware that is data driven and tracked since WO NEW HIRE CLASS DATE. Im sure even your Line Check Airmen’s comments and scores in Saber are accessible/transferable to AAG. Overa AAG knows who they are getting and have a recorded history of behavior patter and how that pilot will fly at Mainline, how they will learning and how they will perform, or if they will have performance regressions, etc.

Most of this is what I have heard from multiple sources. Overall Mainline knows the bad apples when they flow before they step foot at Mainline Indoc.

The flow benefits mainline in a great way. Overall word is they are very pleased with the large majority of WO Pilots performance not only at the regional level, but when they arrive at mainline training, during IOE, and during probation, and while on the Line. More so than military and non-WO who are unfamiliar with the operations and have to take a bit long time getting adjusted. AA WO have overall knowledge of the operation similar & almost identical to AA FM-1 as WO FM-1,. From what i know WO Pilots, especially Envoy, are told to relax and to let go of the PTSD treatment they received from regional flight operations and scheduling at Envoy.

AAG is not worried about the quality of Pilots. The WO are churning out great pilots for AAG’s operation. The WO regional carriers have a great training programs, many rumors and feedbacks from those that have flowed are that WO training programs are even tougher than mainline. Overall Line flying experiences from great captains and ALPA’s safety programs have produce high quality aviators & top notch training departments & overall safety records at Envoy, PDT, PSA. AA Mainline seems to trust its WO (ENY PSA PDT) production and product representation & integration unlike UA & DL which has to test/re-interview its aspirants from EDV-Delta/CPP Regionals-United already flying it’s products and customers which to me is TURD IN THE FACE.

 

AAG cares about cost efficiencies in its work force. Their goal is to get the job done as cheaply as possible, with quality a secondary consideration.

As far as being worried about people leaving, part of the WO setup is the idea that folks recruited into the WO won’t want to/ be able to leave, so they get 12 years of them working at a discount rate as a WO pilot and the rest of their career at AA working at a rate that’s lower than their peers at Delta et al.

 

Those pilots should apply and get hired at Delta that want to work for Delta and do their best to meet Delta’s requirements. Obviously easier said than done. So people come to the WO for a ticket to the big leagues. Nobody will say it loud, but truth is, ALPA mainline is to blame for a two tier union system, thanks to scope relief decades ago. All for financial gain for mainline pilots, large majority of whom were military aviators. Facts.

 

That’s some strong kool aide. Take it easy on that stuff...Regionals are regionals are regionals. Doesnt matter if you’re a WO/CPP or anything. $ is always the the bottom line. “Flow” is nothing more than a recruiting tool to keep their low cost operation staffed for 10 years.