Skywest to Envoy
 

27 year old, married, no kids, moving to CHS next year, second year Skywest FO.

With Envoy offering 47k in signing bonus money by the end of IOE for people with 900 121 hours, its tempting to leave.

Out of CHS, my options are commute to ATL for CRJ CA at SkyWest.

Or go to Envoy and Commute to reserve probably in LGA.

I have some debt that I could pay off with that 47k so that's the main temptation.

What do you all recommend?

Well I am not sure how much longer the OO base in ATL is going to be around. Didnt Delta mention that Skywest will be their West coast regional?

The DEC is no longer in effect, now there's just extra bonus for pilots with 500+ hours of 121 time. The bonuses have also changed. It is now $10,000 after IOE and $8,000 after a year. You get an additional $23,000 for the 121 time, not sure if that's day 1 of indoc or after IOE. The way I understand it is you'll come in as an FO and go to long term training then will get displaced to captain sometime during/shortly after training as bids are posted about every 3 months, then back to long term training as a captain. As for the LGA reserve, it's constantly changing. They recently displaced most of the DECs to LGA that were hired in the last year or so for the predicted increase in flying, but now it looks as that increase isn't coming and there will be an increase in O'Hare over the winter months, so they will probably be pushed back. It pretty much seems like all the DECs get displaced/bid back and forth between the two. Regardless you're gonna be sitting reserve for the next 2-3 years at a minimum, and we have no long call and default 4am RAP with bidding the day before for open time/different RAPs that are assigned at 5pm the day prior. I personally don't think it'd be worth it to give up your seniority and line status at your company for one that you will be at the bottom of for a few years just to pay off some debt. If you like skywest and aren't doing this for any grievance or management issue I'd probably stay there.

I'd say that currently 145 ORD appears at least just as likely, ymmv. ORD does not come with 3 months of positive space to work/unlimited commuter hotels.
Expect 2 years of reserve, give or take a few months. 145 people can chime in on flying/not flying on reserve. Reserve is 11 days off a month, 5 days on, 3 off with a 2 off in there somewhere. 4 commuter hotels. Preassigned 4 am reserve availability period on day one, you can request something else 10am-2pm central the day prior and find out whether you got it 4-4.20pm. Call in to confirm it 5pm-9pm central.
Need 2 flights at least an hour apart for your commuter policy.

Is Envoy currently giving LGA pilots unlimited hotels and positive space?

If you are placed in LGA you get 3 months of unlimited hotels and positive space tickets after the completion of IOE. "After IOE" is the important part because say if you got ORD, then 3 months later got displaced to LGA, you would not be eligible for the positive space or hotels.

It doesn’t say anything about being an hour apart for the commuter policy.

If you REALLY need the money than it’s an option or if you need to get somewhere for the flow, however I would really consider not coming here. Envoy has improved for sure, but you would be setting yourself up for a tough two years, especially as a commuter.

Best of luck either way.

Thought it did. You are absolutely right, says nothing about it in the contract. Thanks!

If you’re looking to be a CA at one of the AA WO, look at PSA. You can commute to DCA and PHL (which are junior) for reserve and drive to/from CLT once you can hold it.

Much better pay/QOL setup than the rest of the WO once you’re a line holder. PSA pay is going to increase as they get rid of their 50 seat jets (allegedly 20 going away in the next 24 months).