Southern Fried

Pilotstuf is either new and doesn't know our pilot group, or is management trying to blow smoke up your behind. Pay no attention to "him."

FlyRight2876

He’s clearly management/recruitment, which by the way are flight attendants and even not even pilots.

Nothing has really changed since the purchase. Pilots from the bottom and middle of the list are still leaving in droves and the pilot group is still SHRINKING not growing.

The E-170 fleet is growing but at the loss of 145’s, so no net growth in hulls or pilots required.

United is content to make this a larger scale version of Commutair, but with E-170’s. That means low pay, sham CPP (17% success rate), cruddy contract and no real identity or connection to the mainline they serve.

Flow will NEVER come.

predhead

There wont be any growth if we can't outpace attrition, and we are not. 222 new hires on property for 2019 and 256 have left for various reasons, of which only 106 went to United through the CPP. The CPP pool is drying up and many haven't been given their 2nd chance Hogans or even their 1st chance for those who transitioned from the CRJ. I'm curious what's gonna happen when there is no one left to go through the CPP. I wonder if new hires are even aware this is happening and what they think about this CPP and how it's being ran.

DoSomePilotStuf

Well answer the original question then, he specifically asked YOU what makes this place a dumpster fire. A dumpster fire, in my mind, means a place that is “going up in flames.” Or is “on it’s last leg.”

So, a year ago this place was just that. Going up in flames. United buys it and starts bringing new planes.

The pilots leaving, by the way, have 0 impact on the opportunity for new hires. The only thing that matters is hiring. Every hire that happens behind a new hire moves that person up in seniority. The only time someone leaving doesn’t impact your seniority is when that person is leaving behind you. So no one cares if it’s from the middle or “bottom” (not true) of the seniority list.

Every statement you have made reflects your personal displeasure with QOL and the CPP. Please explain to these potential candidates what makes XJT so different from other regionals in that regard.

DoSomePilotStuf

Ok so let’s assume the airline doesn’t grow and there is all this attrition and the new hiring is barely keeping pace. Again, why is that bad for a new hire?

And CPP, go to the page for every other CPP carrier and read the IDENTICAL comments. It’s a United thing, not an XJT thing. Go to the Endeavor page and read how well they are successful in getting to Delta. The CPP is a sham. No one cares!! That’s what new hires think of the CPP!! They are comparing it to options at other regionals and it has absolutely no bearing on their decisions!!

Av8tor8710

New TA with better rates, work rules, QOL, trip;duty rig etc could change all that....like it did for others. IJS, outsider looking in and will be starting soon. I know easier said than done though.

CLE to IAH

It’s not.

Filler.

itsmytime

Thank you. That’s what I figured. And I’m also trying to figure out why United rejecting pilots makes xjt suck? United has the final say on who comes over, not xjt. So I’m confused as to why United screwing your over is xtj’s fault? That’s like Delta not hiring me, and in my anger at them, I refuse to ever fly southwest again!

DoSomePilotStuf

It really only makes sense if you put yourself in their shoes. Imagine this scenario:

You are hired at XJT. Within 3 months either 9/11 happens or the historical downturn of 2007. Both, by the way, 1 in 100 events that happen within a few years of each other. After each of these events all airlines contracted. Hiring stopped at all levels. To make matters worse for you, XJT gets bought by SkyWest and they now start cannibalizing your company. You go from 4,000 pilots down to 1,400. You are not going anywhere on the seniority list. There are quarters where you even go backwards in seniority.

Now fast forward a little bit. The airline industry finally turns around and you, the 15-20 year vet, are just salivating because it’s finally “your turn.” (may even feel a little entitled) United buys XJT and you and all your peeps are feeling very optimistic about “flowing” right over to United via this CPP program. It sounds great. United pledges that they will take 25% of their new hire classes from XJT. This is practically a guarantee!! You are accepted into the program only to be turned down during final review of your employment file. Why does this happen? No one really knows. Turns out this CPP thing is a big joke.

It’s very easy to understand the frustration. Now that you are good and ticked off, everything about this place makes you angry. Your attitude is understandably not very good. So it’s all XJTs fault. Combine that with summer flying season and everyone getting min days off, last minute schedule changes, etc (which does suck) and you are foaming at the mouth and your employer becomes your enemy. Logical? Not really. But you are a product of your environment.

But you do have 20 years of seniority. You are supposed to have the easy job. You live in base, where you have lived for a long time. Your family is here. You should get the best schedule. Other regionals are starting to pay better. You are at least due a raise. Would it make more sense to go to Spirit or Frontier? Heck no!! You are at the top of the food chain at this “dumpster fire!”

So you stay, but you don’t like it. Then this mentality develops that we must communicate to these potential new hires just how bad things are! If they keep showing up we will never get a new contract!!

So is this the place for you? What does it have to offer? You can be out flying and building time as fast or faster here as any other regional airline. You can also hold almost any base you want immediately or within a very short time frame.

When the flying slows down and the staff is adequate, things will get better for those who are unhappy. Once enough new hires make it through training that you can’t just have any base you want and there are adequate reserves the crazy schedules and min days off will get much better.

PhantomHawk

^^this guy is certainly not very likable....but he’s got his facts STRAIGHT! The above post shows a level of XJT history that a new hire just wouldn’t have. Most likely a management (ownership) troll......but definitely not full of $hit when it comes to ugly truths.