ExpressJet base
 

I live in Iah I was wondering what is the most junior base and which would help me the most?

EWR, but you would be insane to commute when you live in base. They’re so short you’ll fly more than you ever hope to and then some.

You’d also be insane to want to come to this dumpster fire of a place so what the heck, commute to EWR! Welcome aboard!

EWR is but also you can get any base in training except TYS. In the last bid the most junior person to hold a line in IAH was at 7 months DOH.

So what makes it a dumpster fire?

Depends on who you ask

I’ll ask you. Your reasoning?

And I’m interested in “flyrights” perspective. Why is it a dumpster fire?

Because it’s a regional. There are worse regionals and there are better ones. At the better ones you will be on reserve in DTW or somewhere around NYC for foreseeable future. If you want an immediate TX base it’s XJT or Mesa.

There are some pilots that are pretty unhappy with the way things have turned out for them over the last year or so. They are all pilots that have been here for a very long time and have not moved on successfully and have a severe case of the raw arse. If you are looking around for a reason to be unhappy it’s not too hard to find in any walk of life. You have to remember why you chose this.

That’s all well and good, but none of the reasons you listed make the place a “dumpster fire.” Those are all reasons for an individual to be personally disgusted. I’m looking for specifics on why xjt is a so-called “dumpster fire.”

It’s not a dumpster fire. It was a year ago before being bought by United. Right now it is quite the opposite of a dumpster fire. New planes coming in weekly, growth and tons of opportunity.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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.

It’s not.

Filler.

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!

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.

^^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.

Got 6 words.

Oh man, those poor new hires.

Pilot stuff is a bit of a pompous jerk.

Did he say something that wasn’t true or did the way he said it give you an ouchy?

Sarcasm? Pretty good time to be a new hire at XJT, IMO 🤷*♂️

Yeah if you come in knowing what the regional life is like, it’s definitely not a bad place to be right now. I start Monday and look forward to it. It’s all in perspective. Strike while the hiring is very active.

DH

I don't know him nor his posting history, but based on my 12.5 years at XJT his post about why pilots are angry at XJT is 100% accurate. A good, nuanced post.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

An ouchy? No.

I’m sure what he’s saying is largely true. Alot of the reason I left XJT. I just said (and it’s just my opinion) that he’s a pompous jerk about it.

That’s all. Does that give YOU an ouchy????? :-)

I’m not the one who got his panties in a wad about someone stating facts and opinions.

Sure. Whatever makes you feel better.

6 months ago, there were 1-2 new hires per quarter at best There’s a reason no one was applying. There are approximately 256 new hires this year. There are 4 times as many people that are NOT new hires. Ask those folks if it’s a pretty good time to be someone other than a new hire.

Point is, it won’t take long for the “new hire” treatment you are getting to turn into what everyone else experiences.

Enjoy

Sorry things haven’t turned out the way you were hoping. Maybe I’ll have the same experience, maybe not. I hope not and I hope your luck changes and you move to the left if you’re not there already or you move on to where you wan’t soon.

I was a victim of the above too. 17 years at XJT. Great company but got set back due to 9/11 and the economic downfall of 2008. The last setback was my getting the middle finger from the UA CPP by Bill Kennedy (they still have that schmuck FA running the show?).
So I sent out apps, never went to a job fair or joined any goofy pilot clubs, and got to UPS a few years ago. Never been happier.

Point is, don’t plan on the CPP. What I tell perspective new pilots to the industry is to look at the regionals and see who has; quickest upgrade, best signing bonus, a flow thru (like PSA to AA in case you don’t get called by anyone else), and finally the QOL (pay, bases, etc.) then make an informed decision.

Good luck. I loved XJT and still have many friends there. Some by choice and some ‘stuck’ as I was. Regardless, have fun and enjoy the ride. It sure was a blast!

This is not a matter of luck or want. It’s a simple matter of a system that has everything to gain by deceiving unsuspecting pilots. I’d say I was where you are at now but things were totally different then. Although the regional deception game was in its early stages, actual career progression existed and far fewer people were aware of how bad things would actually get at certain regional airlines.

Something tells me, I’m not the first person to point all of this out to you. Actually, I highly doubt you’ve ever interacted with a person that has had more than 6-7 years of flying experience with XJT/ASA and would tell you “it’s a great time to be there”.

“Point is, don’t plan on the CPP. What I tell perspective new pilots to the industry is to look at the regionals and see who has; quickest upgrade, best signing bonus, a flow thru (like PSA to AA in case you don’t get called by anyone else), and finally the QOL (pay, bases, etc.) then make an informed decision.“

Yes, Expressjet doesn’t really tick any of those boxes.

Our contract is far from great compared to others now. (Zero duty rigs, min day pay of 2 hrs, no commuter hotels, etc.)

Upgrade will not drop below 3.5 yrs for some time. All other carriers are 1.5 - 2 yrs.

EWR is the junior base with uncommutable lines so 11 days off on reserve becomes 8. Oh yeah, that reminds me. I think we’re the only regional that still does 11 off for reservists. All others get 12 at least.

For all you new hires that don’t understand the significance of 11 vs. 12 days off on reserve, you get to find out the hard way in a few months.

The carriers that seem to have it figured out are Skywest, Republic, PSA, Endeavor, and Envoy with the new contract.

None of United’s “exclusive” carriers come close.

12 days off a month when the month has 31 days for reserves. Other bases are obtainable before you're out of training except TYS I believe so they might not be commuting to EWR.

You keep saying the upgrade won’t come down. Let’s do a ban bet whoever loses self-band themselves from posting on here for life. You willing to stick with 3.5 years or greater?

Upgrades will be bid by FOs senior to the ones who got the quickest upgrade on the last bid. There are a lot of FOs on the list who could hold captain but will not because it would mean commuting to years on reserve, given the current upgrade environment.

This means that upgrade times won't go down quite as quickly; metrics such as the number of FOs behind the juniormost captain and their dates of hire don't take into account hundreds of FOs (some hired in 2000) who can bid for upgrade. Right?

DSPS, just curious what your guess?

701EV;)

3 yrs next bid, 2 by the end of the year

Bingo! Looking at DOH on an upgraded F/O doesn't mean much here. Other places with continuous upgrades and movement yes. Movement hasn't really come to this place yet. Maybe by Expressjet standards but not by the other 99% of the industry.

Put your money where your mouth is. If next bid is below 3.5 yr upgrade you GTFO. If above I’ll do the same.