PHL from JC is a stretch. I drive from the west side of Manhattan and allow 3. Bidding RSV A for that 3am phone call gives you 2 hrs in light traffic if you’reup and ready but it would be a scramble.
CS is much better at dropping trips on you with some advance notice but -I95 can be a challenge. PHL crash pads are relatively cheap, you might want to consider a ‘hybrid’ solution being closer on day 2 for example. Sadly there’s no rhyme or reason with RSV callouts. You could end up back in Denver for landing currency or going over guarantee. I’ve done both!
it’s a great gig; certainly compared to the regionals however…

 

So if you had the choice between your two hr commute to PHL on reserve at Frontier or holding a line at X regional at LGA/JFK/EWR you would still choose the former? I only have regional experience so I have nothing to compare it to in terms of job satisfaction. Appreciate your insight!

 

That’s going to be a short term pain vs long term gain that only you can answer for yourself. Everybody has a different view based on their life circumstances.

 

1000 times yes.

 

I had exactly that choice and chose Frontier in a heartbeat.
I’d recommend Frontier to anyone.
pm me if you’d like to talk about it
//PL

 

Despite what you read online, and every major airline’s issues these days, Frontier is still awesome. The pilot group and schedule flexibility are my favorite things just to name a few.

 

Even with tumultuous contract negotiations a few years back and many meltdowns in between, my worst day at Frontier has STILL been better than the best day at my regional.

 

Awesome? I wouldn't use that term to describe F9. Of course, everything is relative so, in the proposed scenario, it seems easily to be the best option.

However, when you compare F9 vs. other major airlines, we are far from awesome. Some might even go as far to say 1). lowest paid pilot force per hour, 2). well below industry standard support staff pay, 3). mid-level contract in terms of work rules (many other airlines have the same or BETTER schedule flexibility to include "sick if needed", seniority based reserves, etc.) and 4). below industry average of on-time performance, baggage handling and overall customer experience. On top of that, the route structure is disjointed and awkward. The training dept is substandard in terms of qualifications of instructors/check airmen tracking. And the scheduling department is so incompetent, it would take 3 pages of this thread just to capture it all.

I would characterize this airline as a place to work that has potential to be great, but never will be due to management philosophy. Awesome is no where close to the word I'd use.

Just my $0.02.

 

Thank you for posting this info. From this data, it means it would take a year to hold a line at LAS for an FO? Just want to make sure I have the info straight (I'm currently deciding between a couple jobs).

Thanks in advance

 

Currently yes, though if PHX opens in Nov. as expected everything will change.

Also, there were 101 FOs bidding in LAS for July but our online portal shows 135 FOs in base for next month or so. That’s a pretty dramatic change and junior line holder could change accordingly.