Learflyer2

Vista Jet is a POS. They ruined Xojet and everything we built. I can’t wait until they start trying to take things away from us.

The move from MCC to FXE was strike one. VJ merger was strike two. Removing TS was strike three. Eff this euro trash.

MrWizard

Chase,

As the lead cheerleader for XOJET, how about you give us all your take on the abrupt termination of the DO (initials, TS)? It has been referred to here as being fired, and that indeed it was. You spoke glowingly of TS in the past, so I'm sure many others here are curious on your take of the "new and improved XOJET" now.

chase

Mr Wizard,

Our former DO was and is a great guy!

His departure was sudden. He was well liked and respected by the pilots.

He was replaced by the XO CP who is equally well respected and welll liked. We have a lot of talent here at XO and COO didin’t need to go outside the company to find a new DO…that’s a plus.

No one celebrates when a welll liked and respected person is let go. It is also the nature of leadership who has been around decent size organizations, these types of changes are not unusual, upper management personnel can often times be a part of the proposed solution.

The good news for the former VP, he is entering the marketplace in an unprecedented time when the plethora of pilot jobs is unprecedented. I’m confident a 121/135 operator will scarf him up and find they have a winner. We also have a very pro-pilot DO (as was the previous) who has his hands full but I believe is up to the job.

XO has been through difficult times (several times in its 16 yr history) in the past as I’ve learned in my short tenure here…very dark times in terms of XO nearly going away before TPG came in and infused capital into it. The reason for it surging during those difficult times was the quality of pilots who kept focused on the priorities…hiring the right folks, flying safe, treating each other like family and giving great customer service to our customers. XO pilots are doing the same thing now.

Departing pilots then didn’t have many options to go places…that is not the case now and our leadership understands this fact.

Changes need to be and are being made to correct operational issues. It will take time and the COO has given the pilots a timeline to judge him by…that’s a good thing. Also compensation that was previously not going to be addressed until the end of the MOU (late ‘23) is being discussed.

In my 20 yrs at SWA I saw the same type of turbulence/turmoil but on a larger scale obviously but as someone once said, “the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence, it is brown on both sides.”

But XO is not unique,, pilot concerns are duplicated with other 121/135 operators (big and small). Change is occurring at nearly every airline today. I came from a place, SWA, that had a great reputation for culture and good labor relationships with management and employee groups. Loads of changes as an example of what is not unusual to have occur,

• SWA VP of Flt Ops resigned in the last 48 hrs due to lack of trust and being accused of lying; planes continue to fly just as they do at XO
• Pilots demanding to have different hotels from the FAs; FAs bringing multiple HR complaints against the pilots
• Pilots complaining about about inefficiency of schedules; how the company handles IROPs with multiple (1200 pilots who were on duty who never flew a single flight during recent meltdown due to inefficiencies in ops)
• Labor negotiations being stretched out by the leader SWA negotiator, former SWAPA president which only adds fuel to the fire and negative sentiment among pilot many in the pilot group…it will be a minimum of 18 months before they have a new contract which is 2.5 yrs since the old one expired.
• CPO offices that have lost trust in the eyes of some pilots

I don’t say any of this to deflect from your question but only to show that ALL airline groups, specifically pilot groups, experience turbulence in the work place…no place is perfect but I still find the people I fly with on a daily basis are some of the best I’ve seen in my 42 yrs here. The new hires we brought on board are sharp and doing well!

ak68W

So what strike are we on now? Which strike was putting nearly every Vista pilot above the Xo pilots for the merger? What about arbitrarily eliminating the top 5 years of pay? What strike will it be when they mandate 15/13? Are they advertising 8/6 for new hires, because that’s a lie. Does anyone think we’ll even get to use vacation this year, because we can’t staff planes. Micromanaging from the very top of management…. Yeah that’s always effective. XO was the best 135 out there. It no longer exists.

Guard

They never came after me when I left a couple months ago, completely unenforceable, tell them to sue you, will cost them way more to attempt to enforce than they would possible lose, PSA lost multiple times as well, republic didn't go after my buddy for the $20K signing bonus either when he left after a few months other then send him one letter. XO/VJ is so disorganized they never once charged me for mil leave and sent me a New Amex 7 months after I left! Entire top management is leaving in past 6 months from what I hear, turnover in the office is very high too!! Wasn't bad place to work but be prepared for screwed up paper work especially on international legs, a little chaotic at times but great people to fly with!

MrWizard

I left XOJET a few months ago as well. (Yes, Chase, I was baiting you to see your reply above.)

IMO, the start of the decay of XOJET wasn't so much the acquisition by Vista .. but the move of the SOC from Sacramento to Fort Lauderdale. A very large percentage of the MCC team declined to make the move to Florida, and as a result a large amount of tribal knowledge was lost. This started the revolving door, particularly with respect to the most critical position in the SOC, oops now the OCC.

Having had the "luxury" of seeing how Vista operates and values its employees, it is not surprising to me that they chewed through three other operators in the US before inheriting the FAA certificate of XOJ with the acquisition.

It's generally considered bad form to bash one's previous employer. So let's just say that the XOJET that people previously admired, is no more.

I really want to say more here but I shouldn't. So I'll stay off the soapbox, and in the meantime, I will also cast my gaze on the corporate Amex card they sent me in my name, several months after I left.

Guard

I'll add that the CP were over the top stand up people, my son got sick while I was out on Rotation and they had me on the first possible flight to see him, took care of all hotel and meal bills, sent cards and called multiple times a day. I agree the move to FXE was were things got chaotic, even though I flew VJ always was welcome by XO guys for beers etc on layovers, wouldn't bash the place at all just had a lot going on and transition while I was there.