Well, you'll enjoy your time there then.

I disagree with most of what you say, but as long as you're happy with your choice then who cares what I think. That's pretty much the same with the WJ guys. I don't know a single one who isn't happy with their decision. I'm pretty sure that anybody going there will have the same opinion.

After my mates were laid off by AC in 2001 they weren't happy at all. Of course they went to EK so it's all good iin the end.

But like you said, AC is here to stay so no need to worry.

 

Agreed, lets just end the argument.... I think we scared the other people away from this thread haha.
I do agree, I have never heard a westjet pilot complain so it most be alright at westjet to. As I never hear AC pilots complain either

One thing that I will admit westjet has on AC is... there head quarters arnt in Montreal Never fly between Paris and Montreal on AC..... worst flight ever, the FA's would NOT speak english to me(i was in the back).
AC needs to pick up their act and get a pilot base in Calgary one day to.

 

Calgary. . .I thought they did. Bummer. But man, I love Montreal. We used to lay over there with Flightcraft. I've heard numerous complaints about the french FA's as well. As a matter of fact it was from one of their english FA's that I ran into in a cafe in SFO a couple weeks ago.

This thread has certainly hit the 'who gives a @%#$' wall.

 

All I was saying is that Air Canada has been around a long time, regardless of whatever financial difficulties they've had in the past. "Crown corporation" or privately, held they have always been Canada's national flag carrier and probably always will be. So in my opinion, that is the epitome of a "stable" airline. And yes, my guess is that they do pay somewhat better than what a Navajo driver gets on his best day after the first couple years on the line. Air Canada pay, long term, is by far much better than most US majors (granted the CDN dollar is relatively strong at the moment). Also keep in mind retirement or defined penion benefit is all but a long, lost, forgotten folk story for guys at the legacy carriers in the US. Unless I am sadly mistaken, Air Canada still has a defined pension benefit. True or False? Even with a weak dollar, whatever you make in CDN dollars will still buy you a Big Mac combo ( or Harvey's or Swiss Chalet <---insert favorite convenience restaurant chain here) in CDN dollars all day long either way. So who cares how it stacks up to the US greenback? The one thing that does kind of worry me is taxes, and how that impacts our pay. Down south we get breaks or tax credits for being on the road and meals while away from base etc. I don't know that Rev Can is that generous, so any info would be appreciated on that one (Gross vs. take home, etc). Plus will canadian carriers be ok with converted licenses based on FAA, with this new reciprocal agreement? Any info on that will also be appreciated.

The Southwest has a great model but they truly "lucked" out. I say that in quotes becuase the guy who made the decison to hedge fuel in the quantity that he did and at the price that he did obviously did his homework. But with that said, without those hedges, Southwest wouldn't have been nearly as profitable with everything that went down after the events of 9/11. As far as QOL at Southwest, who the hell wants to have to run 5 legs per day with 25 minutes turns, taxiing at 40 mph from the gate to improve their aircraft utilization by whatever % that they need to remain competitive? That's why I want to get out of "regional" flying. Now I don't really know that this is necessarily what they do at Southwest, but I do know that I want nice cushy trips, long overnights in exotic locations. Costs are rising quickly for the discount carriers like Southwest, Air Tran, and Jet Blue and legacy carriers like Delta, United, have brought theirs in line with the discount guys and have become much more competitive. I'm afraid the market can't survive on $100 fares much longer and either the price of a ticket is going to have to go way up, at least down here, or carriers are going to have to tap into markets that have better revenue such as Delta is doing with their international expansion. Check out Delta and Northwest, they've all but abandonded trying to compete domestically and only use their domestic routes to feed the international long haul stuff. And that's not even taking into consideration the havoc that will be played on smaller carriers when "Open Skies" goes into effect. My guess is only the largest airlines will survive that mess AND there will be major consolidation....finally!

Air Canada can more than handle WestJet on the domestic side, and the vacation haulers on the international charters from Transat and, SkyService. I jump seated on flights at my airline with a couple canadian guys that can't wait to move north, and have flown with or knew of a guy here or there that is on the E175 or E190 in YYZ that have dual citizenship or whatever and are back in Canada. I wasn't really trying to argue with airline was better, but more to the point that I can't wait to get back to the great white north, and that Air Canada was in my sights first and foremost and why. But I wouldn't turn down an offer from WestJet either if it was offered to me. I'm a Toronto guy so maybe that's the difference. Maybe it would be different if I was a Calgary guy? My two cents