This makes no sense. Sure if you want a shot at working for AA specifically within 2-3 years after starting, an AA wholly owned is probably not the best, but guess what? You're probably not getting hired at a major in 2-3 years anyway, especially if you go to a stagnant or shrinking contract regional with indefinitely long upgrade times. Go to a wholly owned, upgrade, get your apps out to other majors and keep that flow or guaranteed interview in your back pocket.

 

Winner, winner chicken dinner!!

 

Sure, majors will hire from carriers that do not feed their hubs that would be bad business. They will ravage the ranks of the non wholly owned carriers first before destroying their own feed. They will restrict Flow/Pref interviews at wholly owned to a trickle to prevent the pilots they have from moving on in hopes of being able to feed their hubs. If you think the wholly owned is a perfect answer it is not. It is almost a guarantee that you will limit your ability to move to a major by 1/3 once the music stops. IMHO

 

While our contract still sucks management has been treating us alot better than the years past. Finally they figured out they need to treat people with respect or they'll lose us.

We are short staffed but have a LOA out for picking up open time trips at 200% pay protected. Not sure how long that will last but it's making people a decent amount of extra money per month.

 

Who do you fly for?

 

This hurts my brain. Why would a Legacy have any interest in bringing you to fly their Airbus when there is a shortage of guys flying crappy dash 8s and CRJs? As it's said if you want to stay at a regional forever go wholly owned. The flow arrangements are only good for current guys with years seniority a new guy will wait forever.

 

Don't you call my Dash crappy! Lol actually if you are worried about getting stuck, PDT isn't a bad place to be. I took a chance when there was no hope here almost 3 years ago, and I have honestly enjoyed my time here. Now I am upgrading and I couldn't be more excited about and content with my job. I feel bad for some of you that seem so unhappy...

 

But most large FFD regionals contract for all 3 legacies so hiring wholly owned or not they are still depleting their regional feed. It might make sense for the legacies in the future to only hire from other legacies' wholly owned. Either way, you're probably not getting hired at a legacy without left seat time anytime soon. So why go to a place like RAH only to get stuck in the right seat with a crap contract then it folds and you have to start over again at a wholly owned.

 

I think your assessment of Endeavor is very inaccurate or dated at best. Before I start, you will see from my previous posts about Endeavor that i was one to steer candidates away from Endeavor as little as a year ago. I could not recommend my own company then even though doing so might have benefited me in seniority. Now, however, I can recommend new hires to Endeavor as it is an entirely different company with the new management. It's actually a good place to work, extremely well run compared to before, and the best paid, especially for new hires who will make 45-50k year one!

As for Delta dumping us like Comair......no way!! I used to think that before but not now. They would have done it already-instead, they are paying an additional $30 some million per year to make the place reliable and grow it again. They have put so much money into it, and our performance now shows the benefits of DAL's investment. They control the product-Richard can make policy changes with as little as a phone call; something he can't do anywhere else. The days of cheap feed are over-the future is quality feed-still at a lower price than doing it at mainline.

If you want a good company with best pay and maybe an interview at Delta in the future, come to Endeavor. If you want fast upgrade or to live in a base not served by Endeavor, go elsewhere.

 

Where do you live? Avoiding a commute (or at least avoiding a difficult commute) is the key. That said if you were going to move in base I would.....

1. TSA (1. Because I work here 2. Good management/Pilot group 3. Growth/upgrade)
2. Endeavor (1. Highest Paid 2. Wholly owned 3. Lots of 900s 4. Future w/Delta?)
3. GoJet (1. New 900s 2. Fairly quick upgrade)
4. Republic (1. Fly 175s)

We are overwhelmed right now with all the growth right now at TSA. However, with your 121 time upgrade would be very quick for you here. If I had to make the choice between the 4 you listed right now I would choose TSA again, but only because I couldn't bring myself to move to any of Endeavors bases otherwise with the retention bonus it would be tough not to go to Endeavor (They weren't offering that when I was making my decision). Ive met a lot of GoJet guys that are good guys, but they will always have that reputation (similar to PSA right now) And just do your research on Republic. Morale is very low there for a reason.

I would also reach out to Compass and/or Skywest.