Jetlinx
 

Interested in getting some current feedback on Jetlinx. Ive seen a couple of threads but they arent very active. Thought I would start a new one to get a conversation going.

Ive seen an increased hiring push as of late on various sites. Would be interested to hear from those who have first hand knowledge -- schedules, QOL, use of floaters (I dont live close to one of their current bases), Beechjet wages, benefits, willingness to fund CTP/ATP, etc...

Here's my story -- AF retired, KC-135 and T-1s, about 3500 TT, BE40 typed, about 1500hrs in the T-1. Out of cockpit for last 4 years. Working in Flt Sim business. Contemplating move back to flying.

Would be interested in speaking to a Jetlinx recruiter to get some specifics if one is on here.

Thx for the help!

Good company culture. 401k not bad 100% up to 6%. Healthcare is average. If u send me an email I can get to a recruiter. [email protected]

You get 8 days a month off at jetlinx. I advise you think real long and hard about what you will be doing the other 20+ days a month. There is a reason companies are forced to resort to signing bonuses....and it isnt because its such an awesome job people are beating down the door to work there. That said some bases are better than others

Any chance a jetlinx pilot could clear something up please, '' 8 hard day's off" per month. Something I am missing, do you folks only get 8 day's off in any given month? That cannot be right. Please, can someone explain your schedule. Thanks a bunch.

I believe the 8 hard days are bid based on seniority. Some choose to lump them all together, others use 2 per week.

A Draconian schedule.......
 

Hi,

I ran into a Jetlinx crew a few weeks ago in SAT, and unfortunately.. yes, the schedule is “that” bad, with only 8 hard days per month off. Because of this, they and many of their friends were considering lesser paying jobs that gave them a real schedule with more time off.

They said that they did receive additional time off if they were not called, but that they could only count on those 8 days... To be fair, they added that if it weren’t for their Draconian schedule, that they were overall pleased with the other aspects of their job.

To the best of my knowledge, JetLinx now has the worst schedule in the industry, mirroring the awful schedules that Gama/Wheels Up (6 on/3 off) and Executive AirShare (12on/3off) used to have before revolving door attrition forced them to treat their pilots better, with (8/6), and (10/5, 8/6) schedules respectively.

It’s not 2013 anymore, and both Corporate and 135 pilots are coming to the realization that they don’t have to put up with this anymore..:cool:

Thank you for responding to my request for any information concerning their totally awful schedule. Talk about no QOL! Who in their right mind would even think about applying to a outfit if you only get 8 maybe 9 day's off a month. I bet management or support office staff does not work 22, 23 day's a month. GET REAL Jetlinx.

Not seniority-based, it's more specific to the aircraft you're assigned to... meaning tail #, not type. You're normally tied to one specific tail, and you coordinate your scheduled OFF days among the other pilot(s) assigned to that airplane. Some planes are crewed with 3 pilots, some are crewed with just 2. That depends on the contract that the company has with the aircraft owner. Jet Linx doesn't have their own fleet, they do aircraft management for airplane owners.

OR, you might be designated as a floater, which means you move between aircraft, which might also mean traveling to different bases to fill staffing gaps.

Important to do apples-to-apples comparisons. Gama/Wheels Up, and many other companies that do rotational schedules, also allow you to live wherever you want and they airline you to/from work to begin and end your rotation. So when you're "on", they own you... and if you're not flying you're on hotel or airport standby. Granted, the benefit with that arrangement is that when you're "off", you're actually OFF.

Jet Linx will have you live in-base (unless they hire/assign you to be a floater.) 8 hard days off doesn't mean you're "working" the other 22 days per month. When I was with Jet Linx, I was flying (or on layover away from home) an average of about 10-12 days per month. Some months were busier than others, and they pay an override if you fly more than 16 days per month. (the 16 day count includes layovers away from home)

So, if you're not flying, and it's not a hard OFF day, you're on standby. At home. They can only call you from 0800-1700L for same-day trips. After 1700L they can only call as late as 2000L to notify you for next-day trips. In my two years with Jet Linx, I only got called for pop-up trips about once a month (or less) on average.

On many of those standby days, you don't get called or used at all. So at 1701L, crack open a beer and enjoy the rest of the evening. I'll concede that this sort of arrangement does make it hard to make personal plans, since you don't know for sure whether you'll be on a trip or not on certain days.

And the flying varies. Again, 8 days off a month doesn't mean you're GONE for 20-22 days. And the contrast here with the rotational "fly-you-to-your-airplane" companies is that you're not spending all your "ON" days away from home. You might fly several out-and-back type days where you still come home each evening. You might go out for just an overnight, or you might be out on the road for 3-4 days or more. It varies.

Jet Linx's 8 days off was also an improvement over the 5 days per month they had when I first started there. So the company leadership recognizes the need to keep improving QOL for the pilot group. Could they do better? Maybe... if they keep having turnover and hiring problems, they might have to.

So I'm not necessarily trying to be a cheerleader for Jet Linx, I'm just trying to correct some misperceptions about the schedule and what "only 8 days off" means. Every company is different. QOL might mean different things to different people. Overall I was pretty satisfied with Jet Linx, and I thought I was treated pretty well there. Good company culture and safety culture. I left on good terms in July to start another position that fits me for this stage of life. But I would also consider working for them again if the right opportunity presented itself (aircraft type and location).

No that would be a company at the Flying Cloud airport. Promise eight days off a month, then pay only $200 to work on them. But the upside is the pilots know they will be off the last 8-10 days of each quarter.

Don’t forget, at least when I was there... They can make you move some of your “hard” days, with no additional compensation if an owner trip pops up.

[QUOTE=Mox Nix;2712233]Not seniority-based, it's more specific to the aircraft you're assigned to... meaning tail #, not type. You're normally tied to one specific tail, and you coordinate your scheduled OFF days among the other pilot(s) assigned to that airplane. Some planes are crewed with 3 pilots, some are crewed with just 2. That depends on the contract that the company has with the aircraft owner. Jet Linx doesn't have their own fleet, they do aircraft management for airplane owners.

------------
Well said, Mox Nix. Jetlinx has made some major improvements over the last two years to improve pilot retention, but at the end of the day, your owner has a lot to do with your QOL. They take safety and rest very seriously (basically fly 91 with the same rest as 135), but if your owner wants a lot of charter, they'll be aggressive scheduling it. Life will be much easier if your owner buys a 3-pilot crew (and they all stick around). That said, I flew it both ways (3 and 2-pilot), and I averaged 75% of the days on standby; 50% of the days flying; and 25% of the days RON. Your mileage can (and will) vary.

Looking for some guidance on Jet Linx
 

Hi All,

I’m looking for some information in regards to Jet Linx (such as first year pay for first officers and pay progression, upgrade time, crew support, etc.)
I’m currently working for the regionals but I have previous experience in corporate. I just don’t want to commute anymore.

Thank you!!

There is no pay scale. It is all negotiated.

When I first started at Jetlinx the days off were 5 days a month and the 401k was 2% of 6%. Not even sure what that means :rolleyes:

Now it is 8 hard days and 6% match if 401 k. So the company realized that they need to make some changes. They still need to keep improving this but where they run into a problem is they do not own a single airplane.

If they were to increase hard days off, they would have to tell the owners to increase the amount of crew members for their airplanes. Thus increasing the cost of the owners. The aircraft owners pay for all pilots salaries, training, hotels, meals, uniforms, etc.

I was at this company for multiple years. The moral is at an all time low. They are struggling to keep pilots and their turnover was over 30% last quarter. The base presidents are all salesman and do not understand anything from a pilots perspective. The base leadership despises pilots and that is not an understatement.

If I were you go to flexjet. The pay is better more days off.

How does it work if they have a plane but based at a non-domicile? For example, they have a 605 listed under Atlanta, but it’s Birmingham based crew. You have to drive or fly to BHM for your trips, and any standby is at a hotel/crashed type deal? Do they want you to live in BHM?

Yeah they want you to be living within 2 hours of BHM. You will just be managed by the folks in ATL.

This right here should be enough for anybody.

JET LINX FURTHERS NATIONAL EXPANSION BY ACQUIRING ELLIOTT AVIATION’S PRIVATE JET MANAGEMENT BUSINESS
Growth Strategy Includes Rollup of Private Jet Management Companies
OMAHA, Neb., May 14, 2019: Jet Linx, the third largest private jet management company in the United States, continued its national expansion and furthered its record-breaking growth by acquiring Elliott Aviation’s private jet management business. Elliott Aviation is renowned for aircraft sales and aviation services, including maintenance, paint and custom interior design. The acquisition was completed at the end of last week, but the terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The announcement was made by Jamie Walker, President & CEO of Jet Linx Aviation.
Said Mr. Walker, “Both Jet Linx and Elliot Aviation are respected family businesses and industry leaders that have enjoyed a thriving partnership for more than two decades. This acquisition will enable Jet Linx to expand our operations in the Midwest as well as provide private jet management services and jet card offerings to Elliott Aviation’s clients, allowing Elliott Aviation to continue serving our aircraft owner’s maintenance, paint and refurbishment needs while focusing on the development of its core business. This is not just an acquisition, but a significant expansion of our twenty-year partnership.”
Founded in 1936, Elliott Aviation is one of the oldest and most respected companies in the aviation industry, renowned for its aircraft sales, maintenance and avionics, accessory repair and overhaul, as well as for its custom interior design and paint services. Serving the business aviation industry nationally and internationally, Elliott Aviation has state of the art facilities incorporating sophisticated, industry-leading technology in Moline, IL, Des Moines, IA, and Minneapolis, MN.
“For over twenty years, Jet Linx has been an excellent partner and has become a highly admired industry leader,” said Wynn Elliott, Chairman and CEO of Elliott Aviation. “As Elliott Aviation enhances our focus on our maintenance, repair and overhaul business, we wanted to find the right company to take over existing aircraft management division. As Jet Linx shares many of our core values, they are the ideal choice to take over this part of our business.”
Jet Linx plans to acquire other respected and established private jet management companies as an integral part of its growth strategy and national expansion across the United States, including planned future base locations in Florida and California. Since 2015, Jet Linx has acquired two other private jet management companies in addition to Elliott Aviation; ProJet Aviation in Washington D.C. and Flight Concepts in Tulsa, OK. The acquisition of Elliott Aviation’s private jet management business comes on the heels of the Jet Linx fleet surpassing 100 million miles flown, a monumental milestone in private aviation, and the celebration of the Company’s 20th anniversary later this year. With the commencement of private jet management services and jet card sales through its dedicated private terminals forthcoming over the next three months in New York, Boston, Chicago and Austin, Jet Linx is poised for another year of record growth.
Jet Linx has become the preeminent private jet management and jet card company in the United States due to its unique and innovative business model that offers a far more personalized approach to guaranteed private jet travel solutions through individual, city specific, local operations. More importantly, Jet Linx is committed to managed, strategic and sustained growth in its number of private jet aircraft, jet card members and locations across the country, as well as to the highest and most stringent safety standards in the private aviation industry.
About Jet Linx Aviation
Jet Linx Aviation is a locally-focused private jet company founded in Omaha, NE in 1999 as a more personalized approach to national private jet companies. Jet Linx offers two different ways to experience private aviation – a guaranteed Jet Card and an Jet Management program – providing its clients with an all-encompassing, local solution to all of their private jet travel needs. Jet Linx is an IS-BAO Stage 3, ARGUS Platinum and Wyvern Wingman safety rated operator, an accomplishment earned by less than one percent of all aircraft operators in the world. It is headquartered in Omaha, Neb. and has bases in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Ft. Worth, Houston, Indianapolis, Nashville, New York, Omaha, San Antonio, Scottsdale, St Louis, Tulsa and Washington D.C. For additional information, please visit the Jet Linx website (www.jetlinx.com).
About Elliott Aviation
Elliott Aviation is a second-generation, family-owned business aviation company offering a complete menu of high-quality products and services including aircraft sales, avionics service &installations, aircraft maintenance, accessory repair & overhaul, paint, and interior. Serving the business aviation industry nationally and internationally, they have facilities in Moline, IL, Des Moines, IA, and Minneapolis, MN. The company is a member of the Pinnacle Air Network, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), National Air Transportation Association (NATA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA). For additional information, please visit Elliott Aviation’s website (www.elliottaviation.com).




MEDIA CONTACT:
Erin Nemeth
EVINS Communications
[email protected]

On a side note: The consolidation is just beginning. Any non mom and pop operators with just a few owned airplanes in very small towns will have to get big or get out. The problem is getting insurance for low time pilots and the market's demand for jet airplanes in the Charter business. The world market for pilots has been internationalized and it will be very difficult for small departments to deal with the turnover and burn out costs.

The previous DO/VP of Flight OP's at Elliott's told me that he wanted one of our pilots violated for a minor mistake on a departure, "so he would not be able to go somewhere else".

Well said. Most base presidents only see numbers and will give the green light for the sales team to do what it takes to sign on owners. Like 30 hour guarantees, which in turn puts a large amount of pressure on pilots to complete flights. This franchise model of bases is not for a long career. I’d look elsewhere for longevity.

What's the call out time during your 0800 to 1700 period? Can you do things during the day or do you have to be ready to go immediately?

Destination 225.. Jet Linx to Southwest flow?
 

I just saw an official looking post that was announcing a collaboration between CAE, Jet Linx, called Destination 225.

If that's true, congratulations!:D

This is true.

It’s not a flow for current Jet Linx pilots. It’s a pipeline program designed to take brand new people from 0 to SWA via Jet Linx. Current pilots don’t get any benefit from this, from what I can see.

Someone posted on the X/O thread that they (X/O, who is also listed as part of the pipeline program) had 42 pilots go to SWA last year.

Any idea what the numbers are at Jetlinx?

42 from X/O with a pilot group listed as 177 sounds an awful lot like a flow.

I’ve searched around but haven’t found an answer on this. Is there a contract commitment to fly at Jet Linx for at least the first year?

Yes, prorated over 12 months