4thgenaviator

Hey everyone,

Happy to see things picking up.

Does anyone have any insight on what life is like at Netjets (7/7, 60, or 52) for family life currently and what it may be like in the future? I’m considering making the jump (currently 121 regional) and would just like some info on how the schedules affect families. I have 3 kids - 4, 2, and 3 months. My wife works, too. I think the predictability of the 7/7 would be great, but 7 days away also seems like a lot. Though I’m sure it’s not worse than reserve at a regional.

Oh, and before it’s asked, I’m not gunning for a major airline job because my family and I don’t want to move. We’re happy where we are with extended family pretty close. I know that if I went to a major, I’d likely be commuting to reserve. No thanks.

TIA for any insights, y’all!

Armyguy

I looked at nja when I retired. I am now at a major and commute. Hands down: it is a no brainer to be at a major. I am at American and can make the vast majority of my kids events vs missing half at nja.

Brickhut

Their most junior CA is an ‘06 hire. Take a long hard look at those FO pay scales, because you’re gonna be on them until your 3 month old is in high school.

My first year at a major sucked, but I still had Christmas off and made 80% of my kids’ events. Have averaged 18-20 days off since, haven’t missed a SINGLE event or holiday, and I’ll make a LOT more money doing so over the life of my career. Plus, you’ll work a lot less hard at a major.

ASACapt

You won’t hold the 52 for quite some time. It’s a senior schedule and only awarded to a minimum of senior 10% that bid it. Seniority moves slower than molasses at NJ and it will take you several years to hold the 52.

You can get the 7/7 after training. Can’t remember if you can get it before IOE or the completion of IOE. The company likes long trips. The smallest stretch of days that you can bid to work are the CC72 5 days trips. You can only bid 5 day trips from a “green base”. (HOU,IAH,DAL,IAD,etc), if you do 5 day trips, plan on 5 on/3 Off all month

You may be able to hold CC60, 5 day trips. That schedule from what I understand has gone very junior. I don’t know how junior. The money is made in the 7 day trips.

7 days is a long time but it usually goes by fast. The 7 days off at home and the predictability is nice. It used to be your first and last day are usually travel days. That’s no longer the case since March. Ive been flying my first and last day. We need pilots. No doubt about that.

The guys talking about going to a major have very valid points a d hopefully you look at every option before coming to NetJets. It’s a great company, but you do work and commonly have 11-12 hour days. It’s just the way the “schedule” works.


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4thgenaviator

Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it.

I’m not afraid of hard work. Long days don’t scare me. The ONLY thing that scares me about NJ is the 7 days away. That’s it. Money is cool, but I’m about QOL and predictability. I just don’t know that I’ll get both of those fairly quickly with a major. I don’t want to spend 6 years getting to a base that I want just to have missed my kids growing up.

MinRest

Your ability to manipulate your schedule at NJA will never come close to a major airline schedule, ever. That being said, some people love the predictability of 7/7, and you have a little bit of control on the CC schedules, but just a little bitt. A thing to keep in mind, even if you add commuting to a major airline job, you can pull off working less days per month or very close to the same days per month on the 7/7, maybe a day or two more per month, but absolutely less than the 18 day/CC76 schedule.

I get not wanting to commute to reserve, but think some short term sacrifices for long term gains. First year at a major, especially if you have to commute on reserve, will suck more than the first year at NJA, but NJA won't get drastically better beyond that. Your ability to manipulate your schedule, reduce your days worked and increase your credit per month will continue to increase at a major.

Not trying to sell going to a major to you, you're at an airline so I am sure you know people at majors and know the deal, but from somebody who left NJA to go to a major, I couldn't be happier with the QOL increase, the money increase, the drastic reduction in daily BS, and the ability to basically pick which days I want off. Even my first year ( I was on reserve for 2 months) once I was a line holder, if I needed a day off I was able to make it happen.

I had a 2 year old when I started at NJA, and had my youngest daughter while at NJA. I remember vividly, the amount of times I was flying with a captain who was missing something as we flew and it really stuck with me. Having lived both schedules I am super happy with the decision to leave NJA.

ASACapt

Being gone 7 days is a very valid concern. I’m just going to be ho eat tell you that you will work 7 days. The funny thing is I was a reserve regional PIC when Delta pulled out of DFW where I was a line holder. I found myself doing a 2 leg commute to reserve in ATL with about 1100 other crew members. It was miserable.

My 4 days on reserve with commuting on my days off on each end sealed the deal for me to go the NetJets. But that was 2006 and were were booming then. I had no idea I’d still be here in 2021.

Things have changed a lot since 2006 such as commuting clauses in airline pilot contracts. But so has the quality of life and pilot contracts at NJ. The money and QOL for me is great. I’m on the 7/7. Overall, I am happy I stayed, but I’m making a decision as a 2006 hire, not a 2021 hire.

They all have their pros and cons. Seeing how NetJets did financially without any Govt assistance sealed the deal for me. Not one airline would’ve survived without a bailout while NJ never took a dime. Just ask MinRest how he’s enjoying his Govt subsidized vacation. Might as well be on welfare too.


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hawkerpilot05

I would add that there are ways to get off work such as an unpaid LOA but the company is not a fan of this. A few years ago we had a pilot on probation, that due to young children, he had to take time off multiple times. At the end of his probation, the company decided to either let him go or continue his probation another year. Right or wrong, that first year on probationary they are watching you and if they feel you are not a good fit, will terminate you. So much so that the union advises that the PIC should call in fatigue only and never let a SIC make the call if on probation. As we have very rigid schedules and because you are a new hire with no PTO days at first, it is very hard to get time off.

The positive with a PTO bank is that it is now very easy to take PTO as most pilots want to work holidays because of the pay. I just did a PTO over the 4th of July weekend. The company opened up PTO as it was easier to do this then to have pilots call in sick.

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Flyfalcons

7/7 is just that, for the most part anyway. 7 on is longer than you will find at an airline, but coming home every time knowing you have 7 days off ahead of you is a good feeling. If most of the things you like to do at home are things that you can schedule, then you'll be able to use the predictability of the 7/7 to make long-term plans. If these events are scheduled outside of your control, then they either line up with you 7/7 line or they don't. If they don't, then you can request a tour slide and/or PTO days to accomodate. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.

On the other hand, the CC60 schedule is less predictable in that you are bidding monthly for the days off you want. You will not be able to construct your entire month's line, however, bidding reasonably for the days off you want will often get you what you need. Again, tour slides and PTOs are available for making adjustments later.

Personally, I prefer the CC schedules. I like bidding for days off each month and I almost always get what I ask for. I do not bid short tours - more days flying when you are past the 10 hours will significantly affect your pay. A six-hour transcon will add nearly 900 dollars above your daily rate for the day, and I like to avail myself to those opportunities.

GeeWizDriver

I have no children (given the state of the world, I am thankful for that) so my perspective may be a little different. Nevertheless, I happen to enjoy the 7-7 for lots of reasons:

1 Predictability. It would drive me nuts to not know my schedule until the 15th of the previous month.

2. 7 days off at a stretch. It's amazing how much you can get done at home with 8 nights and 7 days at home twice a month.

3. Long vacations. Every vacation drops a tour between two weeks of regular time off for 21 straight days away from the job. I usually bid consecutive vacations every year for 35 straight days to go on long, international trips. Hard to do that at most airlines.

4. 7 days on the road really isn't that bad. 6 nights if you think about it. And when the schedule is this busy, it goes by quickly and the extra money through FDP is plentiful these days.

5. With PTO and tour slides, you can manipulate schedules enough to be home for the really important stuff.

I'm no NJ cheerleader but, in my view, the schedule is the best thing about the gig. JMHO