When others say they make close to 100k at other regionals is that a bunch of smoke? Or is it the better contracts that is the difference.

 

Gross is before taxes and expenses, net is after.


Higher pay rates are part of it. Mesa is very stingy about offering premium pay only on specific days, where a lot of other places offer 200% for any open time picked up. Our schedules are also very inefficient, so there isn't often a ton of extra days off where you may be available to pick up things if you wanted.

 

It's true. I made about 70k as a first officer last year and now this year as a captain on pace for about 95k. on the 6 year pay scale.

 

Only because of IAH? Dude, I've seen Houston and it ain't that great. C'mon man don't lie to yourself. There are a few decent overnight hotels out of Houston but the majority of them are awful, and usually way out in Suburbia within walking distance of pretty much nothing (e.g. DTW, JAX, RDU). PHX aka "the old folks home" has the best overnight hotels and destinations, and this is because the company is trying to keep the domicile's overwhelming number of lifers happy...both CAs and FOs (yes we have lifer FOs at Mesa).

 

Houston is home, kid in school, wife has great job. Not moving for a regional. If either don't hire me I won't fly. I will not commute for 30k-70k.

 

You don't have to do anything they'll call you on the phone and hire you. No interview,no Sim check,no written test. If you have the minimum hours and breath you got a job.

 

Yea it's as simple as that...

Oh yea.. pass the indoc test, systems test, type oral and practical and then OE. But besides all those tests... yes it's easy.

 

Time for an information update it seems.

From recruiters @ OBAP.
Switching to Skype interviews and not giving on the spot job offers. Still getting apps in, but most of them are coming from AirlineApps shotgun approach and not targetting Mesa directly.

From training (Just did AQP).
Starting to send instructors back to the line. AQP being taken back over by the in house Examiners due to lack of students. Last two classes combined due to lack of students. And estimated to be totally dry in a month or so.

0 talk that any of the instructors know about on what's Mesa's plan going forward.

 

Thanks for the update. It's odd that they would stop doing on-the-spot job offers when they're most desperate. But that's for them to worry I about, I suppose.

Makes you wonder how other regionals are doing when it comes to recruiting. You hear SkyWest and one or two others doing okay, but just okay. Employees of the wholly owned's don't have much faith in their ability to attract talent going forward, and the airlines with lowest compensation or highest upgrade time seem primed to struggle most.

I guess I'm wondering if Mesa is one of the first dominoes or on par with most of the regional industry. It'll be interesting to see. The retirements haven't even started yet.

It might take Mesa downsizing. Less engine overhauls to pay for, and less pilots to pay more. Of course, that means less revenue down the road and totally kills the slow-growth model the company's been after.

 

Dude if Mesa downsizes it will be a mass exodus and it will suffer even more. If I get downgraded back to the horrible FO pay... Peace out! But that's worst case scenario... Hope things get better!