Oh boy....

 

The on call times depend on the base as well. For example, mine are 6/9/12 only, no 4 am. You won't see 20 days off, you will see about 11 days off a month, with the others being on call, which means you have to be in base and ready to go within 2 hours of being called. You can expect to be used about 15 of the total days on call, with about 15 days off. As far as blocks of days on, that depends on your preferences and and seniority in which you can hold. You can do blocks of 3 days on, or do it all with 6 days on at a time.

You can jumpseat on most major airlines and cargo carriers, sometimes walking up to the gate or you must prelist online. Traveling will be hard, being very junior.

 

Hey Old Man. What's kicking in BHM?

 

Bama football!

well, not so much our FG kicker....

 

Keep an eye on Clemson.

 

I'm not sure why you're posting the above numbers as an example. The example I'm going with is much simpler: stay here as an FO and make $40/hr or go somewhere else as an CA and make $63. If I were to stay at my own airline and apply that matrix you would call it an upgrade. Since I'm changing an airline you call it a lateral move. We just disagree on our definitions. Que sera sera.

That being said, I don't think you should be so harsh on people to whom the above numbers do apply. By your handle you can tell you're definitely closer to the beginning of your career than to the end. And with a nice education from Western Michigan to boot. I'll go out on a limb and assume you aren't a single dad with two minor children getting ready to go to college and a mortgage to pay. Not everybody is in your boat. You really shouldn't be so critical of those who need to do something other than what you would do because they are different things happening in their life.

Yep, it would be great to see ALL the flying go back to the oppressor's house. I've been in this industry long enough to remember them flying 747's between MSP and DTW on a daily run. I remember the majors changing their scope to allow the 50 seater. And their pilots were happy with it because it brought them a fat raise even though it leveraged the future of the industry. How me taking an upgrade at another airline, or staying an FO at this one, is going to change that... I just don't know. I do know how a 63% raise will help me pay the bills though.

I commend your idealism of how to defeat the oppressor's. And I also question it. As soon as you can get out of this god-forsaken regional industry you'll do it. And I'm sure you won't look back. A difference between you and I is that I admit it and you don't. Maybe you'll be a surprise and you will go to Washington D.C. and lobby our legislatures for reform. Maybe you'll back a movement to spin off ALPA regional so their conflict of interest won't be so damning to the regional industry. Maybe you'll put your money where your mouth is. But, chances are, like everybody else you'll just be happy to put this stage of your career behind you.

I don't know about the data to support your claim that the recent 2015 agreements signed at PSA and TSA are cheaper than the agreements signed in the 2004 CBA at XJT. Skywest made it very clear in the TA we voted down last year that they wanted scope relief to take our airplanes and pilots. Maybe that's kinda what they're doing.

You and I are just at different stages of life and life experiences. And that's ok. Diversity is a good thing and makes the world go round. I've enjoyed hearing your opinion and do wish you the best of luck in your career. I'll look forward to your final response to this thread and I'll be bowing out. I feel like this issue is hijacking the reason people may be coming new to this thread and see what the latest and greatest at XJT is. Blue skies....

 

Did anyone notice the sudden up tick in SKW stock today?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Reported a 1.4 point load factor increase for Sept today

 

Coached by a former Bama player btw.

But yeah, if they win out they'll probably make the playoff.

 

This is starting to smell of troll to me. But I realize that I am a cynical, misanthropic SOB and will give you the benefit of the doubt.

And I will preface with:
I have no experience with anything other than flying the CRJ and being based in ATL, so YMMV.

I should have been clearer.
The start time is the same all month.
If you live in base you might have 20-ish days at home a month: ie - you are not used and do not have to "do" anything, but you do need to be ready to head to the airport on short notice. You may also be used every single day of RSV for the month. If you do not live in base, you will need somewhere to stay so that you can report within 120 min of being called. Not being used in that situation sucks. Hard. If you are on call at home, you can go about your life to a great extent, but you are on a short leash. Sitting in a crashpad and not being used can suck the life right out of you. Think of it this way: commuting to reserve is like being in prison, reserve in base is more like having to do community service.

You do have a little bit of control over which or how many days in row you are on call or are off when you bid your schedule, but it is limited. Being at the very bottom of the list = the least control over your quality of life. And there are only so many ways you can fit 20 days of RSV and 11 days off into a month while complying with the CBA and FARs. So dont plan on being able to make many plans.

Once you are in CASS (early on in training, I think), you can jumpseat on just about any carrier domestically. And if you are on the CRJ side, you have Delta travel benefits, albeit with VERY low boarding priority on any flights not operated by XJT. I dont know if we (CRJ) have United benefits any more, or anything about American. ERJ pilots do have United flight benefits, but again I dont know about American. The reality is that non-revving is a real pain in the arse much of the time, but again, living in base helps a lot (especially if it is a hub). It is much easier to go out and deal with the craziness of standby travel if you are not already doing it at least once a week going to and from work.

Hope that helps.