Hey Guys! Just got a job offer from Mesa and had some questions. I know the pay sucks but what regional doesn't? I live in NJ and plan on commuting to KIAD for the CRJ. What are the chances of me getting this for a base, or will they offer it to me then put me in IAH? also, are my chances of upgrading or job security any better if I'm at another base? Is it easy to commute? Will I have more than one day off at a time that it would be worth flying home? Any info is appreciated.
-Thanks

 

Oh my! .........Minimum 11 days off. Dulles is very junior for crj FO's and I'm sure they will be more than happy to put you there. It all depends on if you are reserve or line holder and or how you bid.

Things to consider:

Commutair (EWR Base, IAD base, Flow, pay, contract)
Piedmont (PHL Base, Flow, Pay, Contract)
Shuttle America/Republic (EWR Base, Pay, LGA base)
Endeavor (PAY!!, Flow, contract, NYC basing)

Do yourself a favor. Add up your logbook, shave your face, dry clean your suit, read up on some previous interviews and go interview with one of them. Suck it up, don't be a lazy slob. Go to a place that will actually make an effort to get you somewhere in life and quite possibly compensate you for your efforts.

 

Everything that he said!!!! Run far away, the commute is murder. It an old continental base- EWR and you're flying in and out of Legacy United on Dash8s 37 seat aircraft that in winter drop to 34 seats for fuel trying to not get bumped by United FAs. Do yourself something nice and go to any of the above airlines. I promise you life will be better!

 

Just some general advice:

The pay does suck everywhere, but objectively more so at Mesa. If you've run the numbers on all the carriers and can be financially responsible on Mesa pay, then no worries.

Recruiters can and do say a lot of half truths to get you in the door. For example, if an applicant says, "Can I request IAD as a base?", the recruiter might say, "Sure! I've got you marked down for IAD!" That sounds nice, but realize they have literally nothing to do with it, and they only have, at best, an educated guess of where you'll end up. Bases available are determined by operational needs, sometimes right as your class starts. Base awards are given out by age, oldest in your class first.

Your base/equipment normally has NOTHING to do with upgrade time. The only exception I can think of is if you can hold a line faster at base ABC rather than base XYZ, which lets you get your SIC a little faster. That's splitting hairs and should not be a part of your decision about upgrade time.

The same is true of job security. Your base might close, and that might suck, but that's not the same as job security... unless your base closes AND you get furloughed.

I've commuted across the country, and I'm about to do it again. It sucks. It takes a lot of planning and a lot of energy. You will lose days off, either before or after your reserve days or trips. Sometimes you'll lose days off on both sides of a trip. My 2c is that commuting is only worth it if you have a solid plan to not commute soon, like moving to your base, or getting rebased to where you live. Some say never ever commute. Some have commuted for decades. Try it for a year and see what you think.

Edit: Also, I know getting an offer from a 121 is exciting, but make sure you apply and interview at a few others before coming to Mesa. Its worth having options.

 

Why would anyone commute for Mesa pay? There are so many better options for you. Yes, pay sucks at all regionals, but it sucks exponentially worse at Mesa these days. Many companies offering $35+ for first year. Endeavor is paying over 50k for first year guys.

 

You should direct your questions to people who have worked at Mesa AND other regionals. Most of us only know Mesa. Always found it curious that the Silver Airways people who came to Mesa, always said that Silver was immensely better as far as a company conducting daily business. Then you have some saying Mesa is immensely better than Envoy or Republic(before contract). Bottom line, this is a question that has no absolutes, depends on your own requirements. If you are commuting, it pays to be wholly owned.

 

Fortunately, I'm in a position where pay isn't the decider. I was thinking Mesa based on what I've heard is relatively low reserve time. I'm hoping to get flying right away and minimize my time at the regionals. I understand that the regionals aren't really a place people want to work forever but reading through these forums is making it seem like a daunting task. Is there any upside to the job or your time at Mesa?

 

What's your TT now? Do you have any 121 experience already? If so, how many hours? Where do you think you will go when you leave the regionals with your minimum time? Or perhaps I should ask it this way... What do you consider is "minimal time" you will be at a regional before you move on?

 

I'm just over 1800 TT now with a good amount of Turbine and PIC, never did the flight instructor thing. No 121 experience, I've been living in the Bahamas flying charter. I was hoping to move up the Majors or elsewhere (perhaps Net Jets or something akin) within 3 to 5 years. Do you think this is realistic?

 

Based on the fact that you live in NJ, I donīt think Mesa should be your first choice. As a Mesa pilot I have seen that the main reasons people come here are the following:

1-They live in base - With all the recent growth one can get "some" seniority fairly quick. Not having to commute and a decent schedule are tough to beat.

2-They had the 121 time required to upgrade - Some people are upgrading on the CRJ in less than 6 months. However, knowing how unstable this industry is (and particularly Mesa) I think coming here in hopes of a quick upgrade alone is a very risky move. If you donīt have prior 121 time, donīt even consider the quick updrage as one of your reasons to come here.

3-They could not get hired anywhere else - With the phone interview getting hired here is considerably easier than at other regionals (I have interviewed, and gotten offers, at other regionals).

Those are the only pros I can think of. The cons list easily outweighs it, to name a few: Pay here is considerably lower than that at other regionals. The company is dirty cheap (you pay for your iPad and Known Crew Member, the company gives you a small incentive if you cancel your hotel room in an overnight...). Subpart hotels compared to other regionals (I have been at another regional before), Tons of operational hiccups (maybe due to the rapid expansion), etc...

Donīt get me wrong, live at Mesa is possible and I donīt hate going to work every day, it is what you make out of it anyway. But you have a lot of good companies in your backyard that can easily offer you a lot more than Mesa ever would, including a short reserve period, think about it.