As bad as envoy currently appears; it is still ahead of most others. Ask somebody who has worked at envoy and a place like Mesa. The differences in how the operation runs are significant.

Envoy runs more like a small major than a regional, which contributed to their overall costs. They are however slowly dismantling that infrastructure to make them more like everybody else (cheaper) That said, there are little things like direct computer access to our systems, CCI apps, and all that type of stuff.

Soon they will eliminate all assistant chief pilots and replace them with plain staff assistants. Just more marginalization.

 

Does anybody know if new hires are being placed in the CRJ7's, and is NY a base for the CRJ?

 

Yes and yes. Aircraft assignments are made based on what is needed each class. They could be all EMB, all CRJ, or both. No way to know, until you show up at training.

New York is a CRJ and EMB base.

 

Yes and yes.

 

So... It sounds like the plan for Envoy may have made a turn for the worse?

 

I think the past few new hire classes have ALL been CRJ

 

Not necessarily. Very few know what the plan is at this point. It could be good; I don't see them closing shop or downgrading like they threatened. In other words it won't get any worse.

 

Nope.

To make it more regional like; yes.
(Cheaper)

To continue owning it, and eventually bring it back to 300 aircraft; yes.

It is still the place to be. The only places a new pilot should be looking to go are wholly owned carriers. Said it for years; now with flow throughs being ramped up, you'll see why. When envoy gets the first 30 of every class, and class size is reduced to 37.
30-envoy
4-PSA
3-PDT
Then there will be no way to go to AA from a subcontractor like Mesa, RAH, GoJets or any of them.
Delta will reciprocate with Endeavor.

We'll get ****ed (our APA guys) and stamp our feet, but truth be told, the company decides who is interviewed or transferred, not us. If we want to retain the friends and family plan; they will want something from us for it.

If you get hired at a outside subcontractor you will be limiting your career destinations.

 

Mason, last week you mentioned a potential PDT, Envoy tie up. Any rumblings on that? Somebody posted an "LOA" on our Piedmont Facebook page that was apparently created by an Envoy JFK FO Rep.. It was shot down pretty quick though.

 

Mason has always been very accurate...to the last detail. If he says there may be an Envoy/PDT merger I believe it. Not to mention it would make perfect sense, especially from a staffing point of view.

With all that said, I recently flew with a Captain who is on our merger committee. I asked him about this and he said he hasn't heard anything about it.

All that means is that it hasn't trickled down that far yet. Like I said, I trust what Mason says 100%. The plans to make Envoy the gateway to AA is something else that makes perfect sense and coming from Mason makes it all the more realistic.