Delta vs Alaska

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04-16-2022 | 02:04 PM

#101

Excargodog

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Joined: Jan 2018

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Quote:

Originally Posted by PNWFlyer

What? 4.5 years is a long upgrade time? Also interest rates of 5%? Where? Not at the broker I just closed with. (3.9)

When other legacies are less? Yeah. And good for you, but you aren’t typical.

04-16-2022 | 02:56 PM

#102

Fat Old Tired

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Joined: Apr 2022

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Excargodog

There is a tremendous amount of angst at Alaska currently. Some of that is due to the Virgin America acquisition where some of the senior pilots they acquired will never forgive management for shutting down the JFK base, but still work at AS because they felt they had too much seniority to give up and leave, but some of it is structural - a real schism between the older legacy pilots who just want to stay in the PNW and the younger pilots who want actual scope, hate the long upgrade time and the high cost of living in SEA (MEDIAN home price in Seattle is currently $790k) which with interest rates at 5% is a little hard to swing on an FO starting salary. Also, the relationship between pilots and management isn’t that good and while that may be a function of the contract talks, it appears to go far beyond that.

https://youtu.be/irXxA9RQyCo

Be careful what you wish for…

Wow, the C word is probably the perfect way to describe that person! Just unbelievable. Good on us pilots.

04-16-2022 | 03:54 PM

#103

Otterbox

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Joined: Oct 2015

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From: Gear slinger

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetcore256

I hate to bring up an old thread but I feel its relevant with the post covid pilot shortage, insane hiring and AS new contract hopefully on the way. If you live in the LA area what would be the better airline to strive for now (AS or Delta)? Im currently LA based and I wouldn't really want to go to Delta only to be based in NYC even if its only temporarily.

United ftw.

04-16-2022 | 06:34 PM

#104

Ala5ka

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Lol I can’t believe this is even a question. Alaska is the single worst place to be a professional pilot at a major airline. Period

04-16-2022 | 10:18 PM

#105

Meekrob

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I almost choked when I saw this thread title until I realized it's 5 years old.

No reasonable person would consider coming to Alaska right now.

04-17-2022 | 03:01 AM

#106

DWC CAP10 USAF

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Joined: Apr 2016

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From: Looking left

1) not all DL new hires get NYC

2) if you aren’t willing to commute to NYC to DL for what in reality will only be a few months, then I guess Alaska is your airline.

04-17-2022 | 10:49 AM

#107

Jetlikespeed

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Joined: Jun 2019

Posts: 851

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From: Captain

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetcore256

basically every new hire I talk to (including myself) have apps out people are leaving in droves, the ships beginning to take on water DL all the way

04-17-2022 | 09:07 PM

#108

ShyGuy

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Joined: Dec 2005

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Ala5ka

I left Alaska after being there for 5 years. It was the best choice I’ve ever made. The grass really is greener. I always knew alaska treated us terribly but I didn’t quite realize just how terribly until at the new shop. Jump ship bud.

What? You've already been gone from AS for 3 yrs?

02-27-2025 | 08:07 AM

#109

unclejim

On Reserve

Joined: Feb 2025

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Resurrecting an old thread. Given the current climate at AS in particular (Addition of HA airframes and route structure, strong financials, vastly improved CBA with a JCBA coming in the near future), what do we think of this question now?

Even under the current CBA, I hear Alaska tends to run thin on reserves; this coupled with seniority stagnation seems to have a big impact on QOL for junior pilots in particular. However, not knowing what kind of movement SLI and future attrition will cause, do we think it’s possible that upgrade times for a new hire today end up being faster at AS compared to west coast bases at DL?

I ask all this knowing nobody has a crystal ball..

02-27-2025 | 08:28 AM

#110

GoodJet

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Joined: Mar 2022

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Quote:

Originally Posted by unclejim

I'm too old to play job musical chairs. However, if I had left AS when real majors like Delta and United were hiring much less qualified pilots in 2021 and 2022 when this thread was going on? I'd probably already be a captain in SEA with a better schedule than I have now. Which is about as low a bar as you can set but it's the standard we have at AS.

I also strongly feel that bigger airlines don't have as much as a nepotism issue that AS does. It's nearly impossible to get a training departmnet, or leadership position outside of line pilot. Unless you're from a certain squadron based between Olympia and Tacoma. At least that is how it seems from the outside looking in. During the January all pilot call every single pilot in a leadership position wasn't just former military, wasn't just former AF but they were all from the same squadron.

For me that speaks volumes.