Never believe predictions of the future from a recruiter. Until there is a public announcement, they are just repeating self serving rumors. You are correct that the recruiter knows a lot more about the 121 world than you do. Unfortunately they use that knowledge for there benefit, not yours.

In the past, Mesa had quick upgrades. They will proudly announce the most junior captain upgraded in two years. That is true. Then they will tell you that you will upgrade in two years. That is NOT true. The quick upgrades are gone. In the recent past, we were growing and new aircraft were being delivered every month. Now we are shrinking and there are no more new aircraft.

Our current contract is one of the worst in the industry. There might be a slightly better contract in the future, but no one knows. Don't believe anyone who tries to predict what a future contract will contain.

Take a hard look at the hiring bonuses being offered by Mesa. They are structured so the company probably won't have to pay out the entire amount. Also, the tax on a bonus is different than the tax on regular income.

However, there are some advantages to coming to Mesa. You probably won't have to sit reserve for very long, if at all. If you have had training failures or other skeletons in your closet, then Mesa is more likely to overlook those than other airlines.

 

I guess my sarcasm didn't come across very well.

 

He was talking 1st year FO pay, not nearly 3rd year.

You made $27K with year two pay. Had you been at another regional, you could have grossed $52K, almost double, doing the same job, with 15-17 days off a month instead of 11. Doing that math, you made $25K less, but worked 48 to 72 days more than your counterparts. You made $115.88 per working day at Mesa, while others made $281.08 per day (using 15 days off a month).

Not bashing Mesa pilots at all, just using some raw numbers for comparison sake. A 3 year CA at Mesa makes about what a 1 year FO makes at any AA WO.

 

Please explain. While I completely agree with your sentiments about why you should not work for Mesa, your misunderstanding of tax law should not be one of them.

 

He may be attempting to say that the withholding on a bonus is higher for some than others, because bonuses are withheld at the Federal level at 25% typically. But the TAXES OWED depends on the individual's personal situation, and can only be determined when one files their taxes.

Initially, most will pay a tad higher rate at 25% than their ETR (Effective Tax Rate) at the end of the year, meaning they will get back the difference between 25% and their ETR.

 

Mesa makes taxes great again because you don't earn enough to pay them.

 

I understand how it works. Just tired of people spouting misinformation. Bonuses are not taxed any differently than regular income. They may be withheld differently, but it's all a wash at the end of the year.

 

True, but it reduces one's bottom line at the time the paycheck arrives, correct?

 

The reason more is withheld is not because it is a bonus. It is because the AMOUNT. The amount determines how much is withheld because the IRS assumes this is what you make every month.

If this is what you made every month the amount withheld would be more in line with how much you owe in taxes.

The less you make per month the lower the % with held.

The more you make per month the higher the % with held.

 

Perhaps I should have been more specific about initial withholding versus the tax rate at the end of the year. My point was that the bonuses aren't as good a deal as they first appear. You either have to wait until the end of the year to get the extra withholding back or you have to adjust your non-bonus withholding to try to slowly make up the difference.