Mesa or PSA?
 

Ok, so here's the rub. I've got a start date with PSA in april. I'm living in Norfolk, and looking at the reserve times for FO and CA and debating jumping ship for Mesa. I'm wondering how much reserve time there is for Mesa, and if DC is a junior base that I could hold for my whole time of employment. Also, how's the company? I'm still reading through the forums to get my own read on what's going on. Just looking for anything direct from you guys.

Thanks

I mean this in the nicest way possible but you’re crazy if you’re going to pass up a regional airline with a solid future with a base in your home town, to commute to Mesa. ORF reserve isn’t that long.

Just looking at options. Right now, and still not on the seniority list, it's looking like 10 months of reserve. Then, after the upgrade, it's looking like a year on reserve. So, add that up and it's roughly two years on reserve, which nominally nets me maybe ~500 hours of flying on both sides? Just seems like two years of wasted time. A commute to a line seems better than a home town base on reserve for two years. Like I said, just looking at options.

No matter what their propaganda claims: Mesa has one of the lowest pay scales around, and they run their people pretty hard.
It's the sort of place you go if no one else will talk to you...

But they have a CPP for some reason, unlike Republic or almighty SkyWest.

Try non revving on American while all the PSA pilots have priority over you, but not only them, flight instructors in their pipeline program have priority over you, retirees, family members, etc. A Jet Blue guy gets to the gate before you? Guess what?
You are complaining about reserve times... Theres people on here who waited 8+ years to upgrade, many others who were on reserve for years. Some had to have 5000 hours just to get noticed.
Yes things have changed, and yes, it would be ideal to be a line holder as soon as possible. You are severely underestimating the "suck" of non reving as a commuter working for a 3rd party regional, while you could be living on base. Perhaps it is simply something you just need to experience, unfortunately you have to decide now.

Live in base for a company owned by AA that they want to succeed or commute/drive far to literally the worst 121 job there is, tough call!!


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If you come to Dulles, you’ll fly too much and won’t have much control of your schedule. It’ll get old not getting the days off you want. You’ll be able to upgrade quick there, but then you’ll be on reserve for a long time. Better to be on reserve where you live.

Don’t come for the cpp, it’s pretty much a joke.

PSA's reserve and Mesa's reserve are night and day.

With PSA you'll have - for the most part - the ability to tweak your monthly schedule to suit your social life/family life.

At Mesa they run so thin on reserves, you'll be unable to adjust your schedule.

I'd choose PSA

Commuting nearly drove me away from aviation. However, it also pushed me hard to move up in aviation. Theres something to be said about not getting comfortable at a regional.