CBreezy

Your desperation to get people to go there is perplexing.

80emb145

I’m gonna guess he went back to work for them and is now their #1 recruiter.

Cujo665

I’m not management. Staffing is their job. I happen to like the company, mostly because there are far worse places to work than Via.
That’s a fact, like it or not.

It isn’t desperation no matter how much you wish it. It’s letting guys know they have options other than being treated like a door mat in exchange for promises of future interviews. With the shortage only getting worse, pilots really won’t need interview or flow programs. They’re nice to have as a backup, but in most cases aren’t worth the horrific quality of life and low pay.

At Via you
Aren’t stuck jumpseating to/from work, they buy you tickets
You don’t do scheduled airport standby, no crashpad needed.
Short call reserve gets a hotel provided so no crash pad needed.
Long call is from home, with positive space tickets if called.
Long duty days get free crew meals provided
Crew cars (even rentals) are provided rather than hotel vans
You won’t sit on reserve for months waiting to fly

You will fly 75-100 hours per month depending on schedule. Currently it’s on the high end due to staffing.
If you live within 90 miles of SFB or AUS they typically send you home rather than providing a hotel.
Almost all trips are day trips from the base. Housing provided for commuters at both bases. No crashpads.

Knock it all you want, compared to other regionals Via treats their pilots better than most. Go read some regional threads where the complaints are that they have to live in crashpads except 4 nights a month, and they just sit on reserve never getting to fly.

Can’t win with you guys.... complain if you don’t get to fly, complain if you fly too much.... well, hire more pilots and you won’t have to fly as much. Get it?

There are far worse places to be.

Cujo665

I’ve always said it’s a decent regional to work for, even after I left. Do they have issues? Yep. Show me a regional that doesn’t.

If they Don’t like it, leave.

For guys looking to actually build time and not sit wasting away on reserve, and to be treated better than at most places, it’s a good gig.

Now it’s $55k starting pay for FO’s not including per diem, benefits, housing.

Other places advertise like $76k including all that crap. They provide 4 hotels a month on average. Via provides housing every night for commuters. Do the math on that wise guy. It’s a value well over $100k. Then add in the real airline tickets to/from work. That’s another $10k-$12k easily.

Now, if you live in base, you aren’t getting those extra perks. It’s salary and actually building hours instead of sitting on reserve.

Pick your poison. Get your hours. Move on.
There’s worse places to do it.

dera

Don't forget what the crowd here is like. This is a forum where AA Group 4 captains making 350k a year complain how the airline is about to go bankrupt and how hard it is to work 9 days a month. And where Delta guys say their contract is awful and needs to be renegotiated ASAP.

They should rename it "Negative Pilot Central"

Blueflyer973

What type of schedule does Via pilots fly? 8/6 or a seniority bidding type of schedule?

Wearebroke

Cujo cracks me up. 'Could not pass up the opportunity'. Whatever. Stay as far away as you can. Go to a regional that will at least get you an interview at a major. Via will get you an interview with food stamps or unemployment.

Cujo665

Honestly, the schedules are their worst part. In SFB base the schedules are very good. In AUS the schedules still include at least once per cycle of 6 leg max duty days. The MX issues on the former TSA planes is still atrocious, but you’re paid salary so cancellations don’t effect the pay at all. The problem I see is the frequent cancellations in AUS are going to send all the PAX elsewhere if it continues. It’s also literally stupid crap causing the cancellations that shouldn’t be happening. Way too much crisis management and not enough preventative management in AUS.

They also have a nasty habit of not even publishing your next month schedule schedule until the last day of the current month. That was probably my biggest complaint while there.

I’ve been hearing mostly 8/6 but they will work you more if you let them. Just say no. They technically get you for 16 with two added RSV days. They’re pretty flexible how you do your days if you work with them in advance.

Cujo665

Not sure what opportunity you’re quoting? I checked back a page or two and couldn’t find what you’re referencing, may have missed it but you could clarify.

Via isn’t like other regionals. They aren’t a fee for departure carrier flying somebody else’s passengers under express/eagle branding. They sell their own tickets and fly in their own colors. They’re much more like a very small Sun Country or Allegiant but operating smaller equipment, for now. Basically an ULCC.

They report their load factor is ahead of projections on all routes and is continuing to develop and increase. Their plans do include larger planes in the future. I’d bet they stick around and grow for many years to come.

They are a small operation, and it shows in the lack of support infrastructure and equipment. Somebody made the comparison of 91/135 mentality running a 121 and I’d agree. They’re learning though. Many other regionals refuse to even listen to their pilots.

FlyyGuyy

They just lost contracts out of Charlotte. For unreliability.