Rangi

I fly out of ANC.

50% of us are still flying up here. The other 50% start TDY in May. That can go on for 4 months per the contract. Those on the bottom half of the base seniority list who did not choose TDY are getting 4-5 day trips down south with DHs built in.

My personal view is 80% chance they close us pretty soon. Problem is is that nobody at QX, regardless of what words come out of their mouths, knows what AAG is going to do with the base long term.

If you do switch from Compass just to get ANC, it would be a miracle if they put new hires up here given the above.

Lastly, for a new FO up here, reserve was 13-15 months during which time you would fly maybe two or three times a month, unless they give you a 1.5hr callout for a 5-6 day trip down south, or send you down for a single pasco turn. So, not the place to come if you need to fly. Most everyone has apps out, so there could be movement, but hard to say.

This of course could all change in a second, but the base is likely dying.

Serenity

Horizon may indeed turn things around. The point is that in the here and now, and for the foreseeable future it would be unwise to leave Compass for Horizon in an attempt to get more flying at a dying domicile. I worked my butt off at QX only to make half of what I earn at CP. Plus I get way more time off at Compass because our typical trip credit is so much higher. I remember all those 14 hour duty days at Horizon while only getting a couple hours block. I'm glad I started my 121 career at Horizon so that I know the grass is not greener there.

OregonAviator

We can only be so hopeful that makes sense too I was only saying that I'm trying to be hopeful for this place and hope to see it change for the better, at the end of the day just trying to get my time in and enjoy the ride. Hopefully we all make it up to the majors somewhat quick at the end of the day!

Serenity

I completely agree.

cactusflyer

From what I've heard, the first batch of jets are basically staffed already, but given how fast we're losing people (or having them take jobs elsewhere before starting class here), I'd certainly talk to a recruiter and see what they say.

That said, if you're hired onto the RJ, you're probably looking a minimum of a decade before you'd be able to upgrade on that airplane (unless we decide to buy 50 more ERJ's to replace the Q400 fleet), and the transition from ERJ FO to Q400 captain is going to be absolutely brutal for a lot of people.

snackysmores

It might have been the other way around...never know.

Our biggest problem with the LOA was fairness. If new hires were getting 10-15k we wanted a piece of the pie too among other nice things.

If we get the 15k bonus and the better pay protections for Q400 drivers I will feel better about it. I'm not going to say yes or no yet since we haven't seen anything. I have a feeling, however, that Qx is never going to be able to catch up to the market and we will be seeing more of these LOAs in the future as the company struggles to keep pace with everyone else..Which really isn't a bad thing for us.

snackysmores

The CEO of Alaska, Brad Tilden, has personal beef with probably a dozen senior Horizon pilots (who would never want to flow anyway). He never wants to see them on property and is willing to deny flow to an entire pilot group to make sure it never happens.

AS isn't having a problem hiring, they're having a problem retaining FOs once they get the call from one of the Big Three.

Other than that, there really is no logical reason for denying flow to Qx pilots so I can't really say much else. It would save the Air Group millions in the long run by keeping Qx captain costs low, staffing levels up, and employing people who actually want to stay in the PNW and fly at Alaska.

Griever

I say never because if they were going to do it, they would have done it by now, for exactly the reasons you give above.

1. It makes sense economically (high pay captains become lower paid FOs)
2. It is a great recruiting tool for Alaska.
3. ...reasons ad nauseam

But despite all that, they don't, which makes it reek of personal vendetta.

N19906

Because AS has no say in who QX hires. They will not allow that back door to be pried open.
AS HR has their own criteria for hiring people, and if you don't meet it, they don't want you. Hell will freeze over before they allow someone else to make that decision for them.

Iceman310

They opened that back door when they bought Virgin...

It is a personal vendetta that they haven't initiated flow thru yet. It does make logical sense but Alaska has been the last dog to the bowl on a lot of things lately and does not do things logically.

AS should buy E190s not 175s and merge AS and QX with a 100 seat jet to bridge the gap and solve everyone's hiring problems. But that makes to much logical sense.