DEC - Envoy, Piedmont or PSA?
 

If offered employment as a DEC at Envoy, Piedmont or PSA at the same time: which is the better airline in the long run? I am not geographically bound, but prefer warmer weather if possible...

Honestly, I don’t know much about any, but personally, I’d say Envoy because of the 175. The 145 (Piedmont) although a great airplane, is a dying airplane and PSA has CRJ 700/900.

Simply as a matter of personal preference, I like the 175 over the 700/900. YMMV.

If you can live in base with one of them pick that one. If not I would say Envoy with the 175. Regionals are regionals.

Far and away go to Envoy. Piedmont and PSA were original US Airways wholly owneds and have never been run to the level of Envoy. Envoy was always wholly owned by American and their infrastructure, training, aircraft type and quality of personnel are all far superior to the other two. PSA and Piedmont have made strides but much of their old management is still in place and they don't have the capacity or infrastructure that Envoy does.

Again, for those new here, disregard the posts by the management plant above.

He seems to forget that the main problem at Envoy is the management.
A "CEO" who doesn't really even speak English and during the whole pandemic sent one comm that was a copy paste from Doug Parker. VP of flight ops who furloughed a few hundred pilots for fun, then called these furloughed pilots and said it was the remaining pilots who wanted them furloughed. Director of crew scheduling who proudly says the contract doesn't apply if it may cause a delay, and so on and so on.

I'd take Piedmonts management all day long over Envoy.

unless it’s changed. You will on be paid at FO rates while you’re in training at PSA. Also you get to pay Dayton taxes on that FO pay.
pretty sure PSA is the only one that still has Airport Standby

Well Envoy certainly has airport standby.

Piedmont has airport standby, RAS, too….

that’s my mistake. Sorry

Envoy has airport standby because their lineholder rules are pretty decent.
The airlines without airport standby use their lineholders as standby. Pick your poison.

I hope anyone considering a DEC position expects regional treatment. You are likely to be on reserve a long time and will have better quality of life if you live in base.

Long term you will have better quality of life if you aim for a LLC or legacy airline, especially if you are more than five years away from retirement.

Short term you will have to weigh the pros and cons and decide what is most important to you. PSA’s training department has a bad reputation. Piedmont has a reputation as a workhorse company; lots of short legs for low credit months and lower block time. I did notice Piedmont is advertising that they will put you on long call reserve after 250 hours as DEC now. Envoy’s training department has a good reputation, but their management does not. Compare bases and aircraft and choose one, but have a realistic idea of what you are getting into.

Isn't American technically a US Airways wholly-owned?

He’s a management stooge…..

however, in this case, he’s right.

Employee relations is better at the other two though. Envoy is still run by a lot of the old AMR crack the whip style managers.

It seems 1. Envoy 2. Piedmont and 3. PSA
 

Thanks that seems like a reasonable reply I can use for a decision. I am once again reminded that there is a price to pay everywhere, there is no way around it and there is ALWAYS "something" at each air carrier one has to put up with. It seems 1. Envoy 2. Piedmont and 3. PSA is a possible ranking.

Thanks guy's seems, Envoy/Piedmont & PSA 3:rd
 

Thanks guy's seems, Envoy/Piedmont & PSA 3:rd it's a start to work with. Cheers, Chrabb

Envoy has been offering a CJO to everyone with a healthy amount of Part 121 time or qualifying time who applies. I don’t know the exact cutoff, but if you qualify for DEC you will qualify for the quick CJO, no interview. They will then fly you to DFW for a logbook review, drug test, and paperwork. Your file will then need final approval by the Captains Review Board. Pilots who have not flown in about 1-20 years are offered a Jet refresher course in an Envoy Level D sim as an additional condition of employment to help them get up to speed and make sure they are trainable. Then, assuming the background check goes through, you are given an Orientation date where they put you on the payroll and assign you a class date.

I believe Piedmont and PSA are still requiring interviews. If you want Envoy and qualify, you won’t need to interview with the other companies.

All three suck but Piedmont is the most mismanaged. I’d probably recommend Envoy. Take the first class date and then go to Delta or United.

If you plan to move, consider where the different carriers actually have bases. If you’re thinking of MIA, it might take a little bit to get there.