60av8tor

Guess I did...

Duffman

The seniority not equaling QoL is very, very true. Enough to where I'm already evaluating my next steps, weighing LCCs vs flow vs the majors, and part of that weighs on how long I think I'll be here. I mean, I like the people and I actually like flying lots of short legs because I never get bored, but consistently 11 days off is hard.

What the flow boils down to is everyone who doesn't get hired somewhere else first, will flow. Much like how the pay is very similar across all the Majors, I'm sure there's a numerical line for experience/quals where you'll get interviews at all of them at roughly the same time. Right now I'm sure that line for experience is above our current pilot group, so the only guys who seem to be getting hired outside the flow are guys who've really gone above and beyond the rest of our pilot group in some way. However, the hiring mins for pretty much all airlines have steadily been coming down, meaning they're hiring people at the Majors faster than ATP pilots are being trained. So, if/when the Major's minimums meet the top of the PDT pilot group, we'll likely see a lot of movement outside the flow near the top of the pilot group, which will decrease the flow time for everyone else. However, what's hard to figure out is when that time might occur. This is important because there's a huge difference between 4 years and 9 years at PDT.

OpMidClimax

Of the people with my relative seniority at pdt... I would say about 20 percent applied to other airlines the rest gave the usual reasons... such as, I'll just wait for the flow, kids family, background issues, no college, lazy, too busy, etc..

Of those that worked hard to get hired... got offers. Maybe not a legacy but had an opportunity.

I had an offer, but decided to stick around flow as waiting had an ROI in about 4 years from sticking around and than the remaining career... although I would have enjoyed 2.5 years of better QOL and upgrading around now. Did I make the right decision... who knows..

Bluetaildragger

I left, and my QOL has gone down! It's possible lol. But also very temporary

Duffman

Where'd you go? And how specifically is it worse? I'm sure there are worse places, I'd just like to know how

Duffman

Interesting. Everyone I've met has their apps out it seems. The real wild card seems to be the LCCs, because leaving could mean anywhere from 1 to 4 years of better QoL. I will say that I heard Frontier screwed some guys over. Secondhand info, they hired some PDT guys, they resigned from PDT, then F9 got their new contract and enough guys picked up extra flying to where F9 came back and told the PDT guys that they would have to sit around for a year without pay waiting for training, so they came back to PDT, and PDT did them a solid and put them back on the line with the same seniority they had before. Correct me if you heard a different story

Bluetaildragger

Once you leave the seniority list you are gone, can't be reinstated. I personally know a guy who had his letter of resignation in, and then went to a CP who basically let him rescind his resignation temporarily. He's now gone for real and seems to be happy where he is from what little I have heard

One of the big three

AZFlyer

On the topic of is it "Really that bad?", here is a little story for you all.

I returned to work 3 weeks ago, in November, from an FMLA leave of absence of less than 90 days. Fast forward to yesterday, Piedmont didn't pay me this month on the 15th. Never got a doculivery notification, nothing.

I ring Harrisburg:

-"Hello, this is CA AZFlyer. I didn't get paid."
-"oh, looks like you were still listed as 'inactive'".
-"WUT".

Somehow this well-oiled machine managed to overlook the fact that I've been flying the line for THREE WEEKS (including the end of November) and left my status as 'inactive'.

Now I have to wait by the mailbox because they are snail-mailing me a live paper check that will arrive who knows when. At least it isn't Christmas in nine days with shopping to do and bills to pay, right?? I'm also not at all the kind of person who will demand an apology for things, but I _do_ appreciate it when an apology is extended for a glaring mistake. No apology offered in any of the phone calls or emails.

With all that said, I've had a generally acceptable experience during my time at Piedmont, but this particular incident really sours my taste.

And to remain somewhat related to the recent conversation, I'm one of those that will flow to AA at about the 5 year mark. AA is also my first choice with or without the flow, but I do have an app in with AA and others.

CADR

Honestly, none of that surprises me. PDT is not even close to a well-oiled machine. It is more like that beater POS car that you have that keeps running even though you know it can take a dump at any point and that you are in need of something new.

With the amount of turnover at every level, PDT is always playing "catch-up" and nobody ever seems to know what is going on. I mean think about it. I always see new dispatcher names on the dispatch release, always talking to new schedulers, It is very rare that I fly with the same FO twice, it seems they are always training orange vest new PDT rampers in PHL, we are always getting emails and notifications like "Welcome aboard so-and-so to the whatever Department". It is a nightmare. The only people sticking around are upper management and the Captains.

So to the main question of "is it that bad?'. The answer is simple - there is no reason for a new hire to come to PDT today when every other regional is a better place to be. If you want/need flow, then go to PSA or Envoy. You will have a better schedule and QOL everywhere else and you will make more money everywhere else. Lastly, every other regional has better technology and infrastructure and they will not miss paying a CA who has been flying for 3 weeks since they somehow still had that person marked as "inactive".

Descendvia1800

Go. To. PSA. Yes it's better, yes it is worth sitting reserve longer, yes go to PSA!!!