PSA or Republic?
 

Hello all,

I am deciding between flying for PSA or Republic. I live in the DC suburbs, so DCA is my ideal base. Out of the regionals that fly out from there, PSA and Republic looks the most promising. I have 0 Part 121 experience, so all the mumbo about scheduling and the like go over my head.

My number 1 priority is being based out of DCA.

From what I can tell, PSA is growing very quickly (arguably too quickly) and upgrade times seem to be on faster side. The jumpseat/flight benefits are a plus, too. I am not putting any weight on the AA flow agreement. Pay and bonus is decent. Fleet is decent (I know the bird you fly doesn't matter).

Republic seems to be one of the higher pay regionals for both FO and CA (something PSA is lacking after year 1 pay). They fly for all 3 legacies, and a quarter of the pilots have been moving to one of the big 3. Overall benefits seems to be superior to PSA, which means higher indirect monetary gain.

What are some factors that you would look for, if you were in my shoes? Which would you recommend?

SAP......Done. Go to PSA.

PSA = SAP, which = no brainer decision.

PSA... and I don't work for either.

Banana.

::

Curious... where did you hear a quarter of RAH pilots are going to the big 3? That seems awfully high, especially considering the limited amount of off the street hiring at AA. Even 25% attrition to any major sounds too high. Are they getting enough new hires to sustain that kind of attrition?

Consider the airline's history in screwing its pilots...I live closer to 2 Republic bases than a PSA base, but happily drive an extra hour to get to my PSA base.

If you want DCA, PSA is a no-brainer. Our DCA flying is greater than Republic and will only increase. Overall, lots of great people at PSA to work with too.

After you get to a Round 1 line (which WILL happen quickly at DCA), you can basically arrange your schedule to work when you want...or you can choose to work when the company needs you and pick up lots of critical pay.

Looks like PSA's signing bonus is larger for people without prior 121 time ($16520 vs $10000)...And it takes a lot of hours to make much of a difference between $38.88 and $40.40 per hour. You'll make more at PSA with just a few hours of critical pay (1.5x base rate), if that's a concern.

Lots more info available throughout the PSA threads if you want to dig...

I live In the suburbs of DC and work for PSA. With the SAP this is the easiest job on the planet. Not only can you pick the days you want to work but you can also use the SAP to pick what time of day you want to begin and end your trip to avoid the horrendous traffic. Nothing against republic but PSA is a no brainer. Owned by AA, great travel benifits, SAP, drive to work. Easy desison.

Are you on the Virginia or Maryland side? MSG me if you want to meet up and talk about PSA.

I can be a bit of a grumpy spoiled pain in the ass and even commuting halfway across the country to reserve in DCA PSA has been pretty painless. No complaints so far.

I was facing the same choice...I went PSA. So far so good, I like the routes out of DCA and the people in DCA are good. Reasons have already been mentioned....plus Republic was still in bankruptcy when I was making my decision.

If you go PSA, find one of your friends to "sponsor" you before you apply and you can split the $5 referral bonus. Might be an extra 1.5k after taxes.

Good luck!

Who is paying the taxes when splitting

Also upgrade time is way lower at PSA. Currently....

Obviously the current psa employee pays. Thats why it wouldn't be an even split. The new hire coming on board would take less. In a fair world...

I'm actually in the same position right now... Did interviews for PSA and Republic last week, both got the offers, and trying to figure out which to pick.

Republic:
Good QOL
Great medical/travel benefits
LGA/EWR junior bases (I'm planning to live in the NYC area)
No junior-manning

PSA:
SAP (a BIG pro)
AA Flow
Much bigger bonus package
Reduced upgrade time/less reserve time

I do plan to travel a lot during off-days, go with my best friend (aka designated travel companion) to places domestic/international. PSA's SAP will offer much increased flexibility with this, but Republic does have UA/AA/DL available to fly on as well. I wonder how flexible RAH can be with scheduling during reserves/line, although I heard rumors about SAP implementation?

The AA flow is not the ultimate factor, but as many others have said in other posts, it is a good back-up to fall on. My long-term goal is the major carriers, but QOL is important to me. RAH has always claimed a great QOL and I can see it around here, although I assumed the QOL for PSA must be good as well with SAP. I prefer a base close to the NYC area, but PSA's DCA is not so bad of a commute if that was chosen (definitely would bid it).

With these in mind, it is somewhat tough for me to make a decision. Yeah, I posted this on the RAH forum as well, just thought I'd get some feedback from the PSA side.

PSA's travel benefits by far exceed Republic's. You may have the ability to fly on more airlines with Republic but with PSA you travel on the same priority as AA mainline.

If your main factor is QoL PSA is the number one regional for schedule flexibility. Republic's SAP, whenever they end up getting it, will not be the same as PSA's. It has restrictions to the point of pretty much being no different from regular trading.

Biggest piece of advice is not to take class dates at multiple airlines and then not show up for class, or cancel a few days out. Give at least 2 weeks notice. There can be serious ramifications to not doing so, plus it is just bad form.

The "no junior manning" thing really isn't a big deal. If you don't want to work, just don't answer your phone. It isn't a big deal at all. Or if you do answer your phone, just say that you can't work it. I have received a call for a JRM, answered, and said "no thanks". I know that Republic plays that as being a big deal, but it just isn't.

Talk to people about flight benefits and priority for getting a seat. If you are looking to travel, there is a HUGE difference between being a mainline/WO employee and flying for a contract carrier. In short, my parents have a better shot of getting a seat in the back of an airplane than a 20 year captain at RJET.

But don't take my word for it. Do your research.

If you plan on ever using a DL flight benefit while working for Republic, be prepared to be at the back of the line behind every retired person that ever worked for Delta. And they can come up at the last minute after listing one hour prior. Spent a lot of time when with ASA missing flight after flight all day long trying to get to Atlanta, then trying to get from Atlanta to points beyond. The flight benefit was worthless as a contract carrier. Paid for United benefits for one year while with ASA but only used it a few times. Flight benefits on a AA WO are far superior.