Trip Flexibility
 

I'm curious how flexible things are at Envoy - can one drop a trip easily without pay - or trade a trip out with someone? I've heard there is a new PBS coming - and curious how this will change things once implemented. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

PBS is coming, sometime. No word recently on when it might actually happen.

There is a trade process, but it is fairly restrictive and rarely allows to trade for fewer days work. Dropping has been getting better as staffing has been improving again, but dropping an entire trip is probably never going to be a thing. Usually it’s dropping an overnight or turn (out and back). That being said, trips have more and more consisted of trips that leave the hub and don’t transit through again until the end of the trip. Not sure if they will let you drop something if it required a deadhead to get back and get a replacement pilot in place. Won’t even let someone pick up a portion of a trip that does begin and end in the same base.

This is very informative and helpful - thank you! Any details on what PBS will offer or how that will change things? I've asked around and no one seems to have much information about this.

No one has any information because there literally is no information. The negotiations still have not happened, so no one knows what it will entail or when it might be implemented.

Any news on whether or not Envoy is hiring R-ATP FOs? Somebody responded on the Republic forums saying Envoy was hiring again. I just submitted my application yesterday and I am wondering when, or if, I'll hear back with 830 hours (need 950 for R-ATP).

Without the appropriate hours, you will not be on their radar at all. Keep updating your application, when you hit the required hours, radar engaged.

yep, I got automatically denied haha. I thought the idea was to apply a few months away from minimums. That's what my former CFIs did a few years back. but times are changing...

How often are reserve FOs flying between calls and OT?

I literally had a recruiter tell me last week that one should apply within 200 hours of required mins.

Well I did that, (100 hours to go) and I got an automated message saying I've been denied due to not meeting the minimum requirements. Then again, I do still need 70 more hours of XC, and I applied with R-ATP mins, not ATP. Maybe they want 1300hr applicants, not 850.

I have seen many pilot interviewees at the training center this week. There appears to be plenty of applicants.

Hello! I have an interview with Envoy. 1600 total time, 200 multi turbine.

Do they do a sim ride during your in person interview?

I don’t have ATP but meet all the hour requirements. Will that be an issue?

Thanks!

How much is the Pilot Referral Bonus?

No sim ride at the interview. Most FO candidates are hired without an ATP. If you are hired, Envoy will send you to a CTP course and you will then take your ATP written. Good luck.

Sim ride is dependent on recency of experience. Not sure what the hours and time frame are but if you have been flying in the past year, shouldn’t be an issue.

Envoy has been hiring lots of prior part 121 time pilots lately with no recency in the last year and no sim ride and no interview. Whether they get assigned a jet refresher course at a later date seems to depend more on when they got hired than how long they have been out, maybe it depends on how good a mood the captain review board is in that day. I am just a new hire pilot, but none of the people I have met in training recently have had to do a sim ride as part of the interview.

There is no recency requirement for 121 to apply the time towards upgrade. In an effort to hire as many pilots as possible that can be rapidly pushed to the left seat, there were a lot of things that went out the door with the assumption being that you did it before, you can do it again. That has not proven to be entirely true. That being said, a lower time pilot who has not flown recently will have a much higher learning curve, though usually nothing that can’t be overcome with a little extra time. Most training programs assume a certain lowest common denominator and so have limited remedial training. Lots of people wash out and I would venture to say that a lack of basic instrument procedures and skills is a big reason. I’ve seen people hired that struggled for just that, even though they were “current”. The jet refresher is a step in the right direction.

The technical portion for the interview the “jepp interrogation” - is that all this is? No regs, systems, weather nothing like that? How long does it usually last?

Also curious
 

Also curious about this- especially new FO's. How long to hold a line?

I am sure it depends on the base. I just flew with an FO that was a July hire. He just got off of reserve in DFW with a composite line. Probably a long way away from a hard line.

Just got a call for an interview next week. Once hired how far out are classes being assigned?

50% pilot premium
 

I just read about the 50% pilot pay premium. Is that really a thing until Aug 2024? Is it just base pay plus 50% for hours flown post IOE?

The rates have actually been extended until December 2026.The rates on Envoy’s APC page reflect the 50% premium. All pay is paid at the premium rate, including training, not just actual hours flown. Once you reach 750 hours part 121 or other time that qualifies toward captain upgrade, you get paid at captain rates.

Getting paid at CA rates prior to a CA upgrade would seem to imply that the upgrade will be forced when you do reach 1000 hours. Is that specified? or at least a safe assumption?

While a forced upgrade policy is not a disincentive to accept a CJO, just curious how a forced upgrade policy actually affects pilot retention in reality. I've heard recently that at least one Regional (Republic) is now including in their CJO that not only will a new-hire be forced to upgrade when eligible, but will also sign a contract to remain with the company for 2 years after upgrading to CA. CA retention at the Regionals may the Achilles Heel of the entire business model?

yes to the displacement to the left seat
no to the self-destruct mode that other regional activated

Actually, the displacement to the left seat can occur at 950 hours. You get 50 hours of captain IOE, during which time you are still considered a FO. The reality is even if you had 950 on the last day to be eligible for a bid window, it would be several months before attending training anyway.

New Hire training freeze
 

Does Envoy have a new hire training freeze? When does it start?

What kind of freeze are you referring to? There is only one plane, so that isn’t a thing. You can bid captain as soon as you have the time and bid on the first vacancy to transfer to any base you have seniority for.

Can anyone explain what happens during the one day Orientation? All I know is that it’s half a day and benefits and payroll start that day. Thanks!

You get a slide show presentation on what to expect in training and about Envoy. They help you log into the Envoy website for the first time, assign you a few onboarding tasks, and give you a study packet on the E175 they expect you to learn before starting class. This is good for you, because you get paid, and good for Envoy, because they can’t give you company material until you are an employee, and if you start learning limitations and profiles they don’t have to spend as much time training you later and they don’t waste time in Indoc talking about benefits. Each Orientation group is about twice as big as an Indoc class so it helps them onboard more people at once. Wear business casual and come a little early to meet your potential classmates. It’s nice to make a few connections and keep in touch while waiting a few weeks for Indoc.

So after Dec 2026 the top captain pay drops to about 150/hr?

Nobody knows wth happens 3.5 years from now

that a problem

that's like 20 years from now in regional years.

True but if nothing changes this is what the CBA side letter calls for? I’m guessing that is how it was set up.

Does anyone have a copy of this agreement?

That’s a lifetime away in the regional world. If they drop the pay back down, go where it it’s higher. I imagine they are aware of this and will have to do something, but 3+ years in the regionals…anything can happen.

Wondering if anyone here knows what the current wait time is from getting hours to initial orientation date. Applied and was offered an informal CJO at about 1300 hours. I have my time now and submitted a few days ago, but have yet to hear back. Was hoping someone would be able to shed some light.

Classes
 

got a cjo on 6/3 waiting on captain review board and prias to be sent back. Does anyone know how far classes are out at the moment?

MIA base
 

Chance of MIA base out of training? Can someone check bids and tell me when the low man started. Thanks.

They run bids for bases every three months. Some FOs who started in February were awarded MIA in the bid that ran the first week of April while they were still in training. Next bid should run in early July. Miami is senior for captains but not for FOs.