Which would you choose and why? Im having trouble balancing a BOSTON domicile versus quick upgrade time...I miss home but also dont want to sit right seat for half a decade. Feel free to put in your two cents, appreciate it.
Thanks

 

Hello,

I have a friend in Pinnacle and he loves the company. American Eagle is a good regional. I would go for AE. The uppgrade time have decreased to 3-4 years in Eagle. American Airlines will start hiring next year so I would go for Eagle, because they rather hire from American Eagle than other regionals.

Good Luck

 

Go Pinnacle. One thing they've always done is have a decent upgrade. Eagle can't say that and I wouldn't base your decision on future rumors but by what they are doing now. The only reason they are hiring so hard is because their pilots keep leaving.

 

I'm sorry, but that is not true at all. APA did all they could to slow down the Flowthrough, so why would you even say they have preferential hiring of Eagle pilots?

Folks, don't listen to this propaganda.

 

ALL WRONG...they don't prefer to hire AE, they had a flowthrough agreement that required them to do so. Unfortunately, this agreement had a FLOWBACK provision, so when AA furloughe after 9/11 a whole bunch of AA guys flowed back into AE...as captains! They displaced the real AE captains, driving AE seniority BACKWARDS for years. AA is just starting to recall now.

However...the flowthrough agreement expires in the next year AA mainline got their money's worth out of it, but it didn't do a thing for the AE people.

Without that agreement their will be no preferential hiring, in fact probably the opposite...remember if AMR (which owns both AA and AE) hires an AE pilot for AA, not only to they have to train him at AA, they also have to hire and train his replacement at AE! Doesn't make economic sense...they can save money by hiring military guys or people from other regionals.

 

"Without that agreement their will be no preferential hiring, in fact probably the opposite...remember if AMR (which owns both AA and AE) hires an AE pilot for AA, not only to they have to train him at AA, they also have to hire and train his replacement at AE! Doesn't make economic sense...they can save money by hiring military guys or people from other regionals."


I'm not saying they give preferential hiring to AE pilot but I never understood this argument, if AA doesn't hire the AE pilot then he is going to go somewhere else and they are still going to have to pay to train a new pilot.

 

Maybe he will, maybe he won't. But if AA hires him, they will immediately have to pay for TWO hiring/training evolutions, guaranteed.

Ask around, this is a known phenomenon, ESPECIALLY when pilots are in demand. If the VP of AE can't meet his flight schedule due to pilot turnover, he will ask the AMR CEO to tell the AA VP to stop stealing his pilots. This has been observed at other airlines also, too much poaching of pilots from your own regional system is shooting yourself in the foot...much better to poach from your COMPETITOR's regional system.

Not to say you can't move up in your own system, just that many majors try not to do too much of that.

 

have you been offered job at both places? if so then great. You have two of the best regionals out there.

There are different things to consider.

Others already mentioned uppgrade. If you choose AE you may be flying something else than a Jet while Pinnacle is a Jet Regional. Another is.....even if you get Jet at AE you will fly the EMB-145 while you will fly the CRJ at Pinnacle. What is best? that is a personal thing I guess..........

That American Airlines takes AE pilots is great but they take Captains from AE that start as FOs in American Airlines. They do not hire AE FOs and the uppgrade to Captain at AE can take many years.....so..it depends on how old you are and how many years you want to be an FO......I don't know what I would do in your situation..........I guess Pinnacle would be the best for me..

Anyway, Best of luck! If you got the offer from both then hell, you are one lucky man with some nice problems!

 

Go Pinnacle...the upgrade is the lowest in the industry for an all jet regional. All the regionals are cyclical on who has a great contract, who has early upgrade, etc... Pinnacle is probably the regional with the most potential to make a move in the near future. Rumor (if you believe it) is that the contract is all but complete, and first two years FO pay in going to increase drastically. Also, the pilots there seem to be some of the happiest in the regionals. AE is not a bad company at all, but remember if you go Pinnacle, you will be at a major before you even upgrade at AE.

 

I've been very happy here at Pinnacle, I was on reserve for 1 month, upgrade is quick, good benefits, great group of pilots. I don't know anything about AE so i can't really say which is better.