So... How is Mesaba a good place to work for? Please enlighten me.

So whether "just barely above" or "below", are you saying that the pay is acceptable? You're F'ing nuts. What does his seat/experience have to do with anything? You show me one company that pays a Saab pilot what he's truly worth. Show me.

Wrong, eh? Yeah, sure I am. Tell yourself you're making a good living-- it's good for the ego at least.

I have two very close friends at Mesaba, and they knock it (and their pay) constantly. Your obviously pretty new. Way to keep the head up though!

Nice job with the math, though I wasn't saying that pay was literally below the federal definition of poverty. It's just embarassingly low.

Why should he bother? What does he or anyone at mesaba have to prove to you? You dont work at mesaba, and apparently dont want to work at mesaba, so what does it really matter? But I digress, so here is why: Better than average pay, even with the pay cut, Good scheduling (as alluded to before), preferential bidding in 2008, two pay raises a year (hire date and contract anniversary date), block or better, high speeds exist but at least you get a hotel room, paid training, single occupancy hotel during training, positive company outlook for at least the next five years with contract negotiations for 2010, profit sharing when (not if) the company makes money above a certain percentage, a very good commuter clause, and above all great people around you (RJ85FO for example who has laid out some very good info for alot of people). I hope that answers your question. XJ did I miss anything, figured I would post for you seeing as you are probably working your second job since Mesaba pilots are below poverty line and all.

OK for anybody that thinks they can provide for their family for these wages let me know because, I would like to know what Im doing wrong. At these wages I could barely rent an apartment and provide enough money to pay the bills each month and take care of my family. Maybe 20-30,000 might be enough for a single person but not someone with a family. Especially if you live in a hub city. I would consider having to live paycheck to paycheck no better then poverty.

Let's compare it to a new pilot in the military
 

I know it's apples and oranges, but here's what a 2Lt in the Military makes under the newest pay charts (this includes a 2.2% raise this year):

Base Pay - $2469/mo
Flight Pay - $156/mo
BAS - approx $1000/mo (depends on what part of the country you live in)

there are also additional COLA's added for living overseas. With the added tax bennies, your average 2LT pilot type is making between $3600 and $4000 a month or over 40K per year.

When you start comparing what a more senior officer/pilot is making, and compare that to somone of like experience at a legacy is making now it's the same. Let's look at a Lt Col with 18 years experience. Looks like this:

Base Pay - $6900/mo
Flight Pay - $840/mo
Housing - $1300-$2000 (depends where you live)

Let's just call it $9000 grand a month or 108K a year, and when you take all the tax bennie into account jack it another 15-20K. That's not too shabby.

I'm not trying to poke anyone in the eye here, just make a statement. In all my years in the military did I ever dream I'd make more than my civilian counterpart. I never did it for the money, I loved the job. That may be the case for a lot of you too. But the bottom line is, you gotta put bread on the table and save for a rainy day. A guy in the right seat of an RJ/SAAB/Whatever deserves and should expect more than 20K a year. You just can't pull a guy off the street and ask him to do what we do overnight, but it looks like some of the clowns running these companies would do it if they could.

I'm glad some of you are happy with your work environment at Mesaba or where ever else you work, but you deserve more than your getting. Like I said, I'm not trying to poke you in the eye---but look at what a 2Lt is making right off the street in UPT, and when you compare what a Lt Col is making to a legacy Capt on a DC-9 or Airbus it's kinda sick.

Jolly

I had a pilot slot in the ANG to fly C-130s. Had a training line built with dates for AMS and UPT. Two months before I was scheduled to report to TYS I was Disqualified/Waiver Not Recommended at Brooks/MFS due to ocular hypertension. Because of this I obviously lost my UPT slot, and was medically discharged out of the ANG. I tried your path and due to no fault of my own, it didn't work out. Thankfully, I had a day job in the right seat of a CRJ, with only minor hassles with the FAA regarding my 1st Class Medical.

You're right, we do deserve more than we are getting...

Did not mean it to be a slam
 

I hope you did not take this as a paid avertisement for the military. I was just trying to point out how much most of the industry has given up since 911. I think the military is a great route for those who choose do it and I'm sorry it did not work out for you.

Jolly

No worries friend; I never thought you were getting preachy.

It is tragic that an O-3 that goes to the sandbox can make more than most narrowbody airline captains. I suppose that's why ANG slots are so difficult to come by; if I was AD there's no way I'd leave before I put in 20 unless I could keep wearing the uniform part-time toward retirement.

Moved to the "Military Pay vs Regional" thread.

Hey Shaner77 why don't you and SkyHigh hook up and be misrable somewhere else. I'm not new at MESABA no one is...yet. First newhire class since 2005 is 4/23/07. We've got many new guys/girls comin' this way now and we're gonna welcome them with open arms. With a good attitude. You could call me a first year, newhire 3 stripper flight attendent with SJS and I could care less. I don't need to BOOST my ego. I'm having fun doing what I want to do with my life and many others are being hired to do the same. When the airlines finely purge people like yourself, we will be a little better off.

Okee doke, slick. Keep on enjoyin' what you're doin'. Nothing wrong with that. My guess though, is this: you're one of those regional guys that walks around the terminal with your nose in the air, pretending to actually have that "cool" pilot job, hoping the public will assume you're smarter and far more well-off than you are (or probably will ever be). In reality, and as you well know, most of the other workers at the airport make more than you do!! Ha! It sucks, you know it, and more of the public realize you're 'that guy' than you wanna believe. Enjoy your BIG 900's (whoa!), and the paychecks that personally insult us ALL twice per month.

Sounds like a Corsair Pilot Wannabe to me.

Most regional pilots will be Dreamliner Capts before someone with his issues gets to borrow a Corsair.

Ouch...ewww I hit a nerve. I'm glad I insult you twice a month without even thinking about it. I'm glad you're riled...'cause I'm not. :D I'm the guy who knows everyone in 'the terminal' 'cause I actually speak to them. At DTW many from the TSA to catering to NWA gate agents know me and smile when they see me. Soooo you're wrong.

We are a team and this 'game' has more players then just you or me. I'm happy because I check my attitude and make myself happy by controlling where my thoughts go. I do hope things get better in this industry like many others but I'm NOT going to b**ch about it and try to make others feel crappie about their career choice. I made the investment in this career and I'm here, so I'll stay here until I can't stand it (like you) anymore then I'll quietly leave. That is professionalism!

Shaner77 is banned, the post wasn't even close to debate. Rabid personal attacks like his don't add anything to the dialog of this forum and are not tolerated by the owners.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please check the attitudes at the door.

HSLD,

Any chance for an info slot for Compass in the regional section so we can start to collect payscales, min days off, benifits and such in one easy location?

I just was called for a interview on pretty short notice. Not sure about the nwa aspect of it though.. I have a good paying flying gig now but the commute to DCA is killing me. I would be able to live at home with compass but would have to consider the 10000 or more paycut. Xtreme whens your interview date?

hours
 

for those of you getting called for a Compass interview, what kind of hours do you have and do you know someone there? I have over 5000 total 3000jet and 1000 turboprop but haven't heard a word from them

I am also hoping for an interview. Nothing yet. 4000tt, but very little PIC. That may be the red flag on my resume.

Excuse me! You think it's tragic a capt makes more than a NB airline capt. How many times have you been over there? How long! have you been over there? My guess NADA! Probably never wore a military uniform either. Was over in the "sandbox" many times during 90- 95, so I can speak from experience. Just what does a nb capt do? T/O and land. What responsibliity does a nb capt have compared to an O-3? Not many. Does he have to worry about a sam coming up his a$$? I think not! the nb capt is gone from home maybe 14 -15 days a month. Try 6 - 12 months!

There's too much to go on and on. So, the bottom line, anyone over in the box should be paid double what they're makeing now.

You seem to think I was insinuating officers are paid too much.
Quite the contrary; I was saying airline pilots are paid too little. You also missed my very simple point - what financial incentive does a military pilot have to make a leap to airline flying when they can make more (sometimes MUCH more) money by staying in and taking the occasional deployment? One guy in my ANG unit was a young single 1Lt who had taken three voluntary deployments because he "can't afford to go back to my old job because I make too much money."

For whatever its worth, I did wear the uniform in ROTC and the ANG but was never deployed. I had a training line for UPT but got washed out of Brooks due to ocular hypertension. I have friends from ROTC in college who have been deployed, shot at, wounded and a couple guys I went to high school with deployed to Iraq and came back in caskets.

Stand down my friend - I'm for ya, not against ya...

I am going in on the 23rd for mine. How about you?

For those of you wanting to know times, mine are as follows don't know where I stand as I haven't heard one person letting on that they interviewed or what times ppl have that are getting calls. I will gladly update everyone after I get back though.

TT 4000
Turbine 2000
Turbine PIC 1800
Multi 2300

Do you have jet or/ and glass experience?

Any word on recency of experience requirements at Compass.

Is the Compass CBA being negotiated by NWA Alpa or is Compass covered under the current NWA CBA?

Will their be 1 seniority list or 2?

If it is 2 different lists, will you be able to take longevity DOH, vacation ect... in a possible flow-up?

Just a few questions I have as well.

It will be an extension of the NWA contract until the next time the contract is up for negotiations. At that time an elected ALPA MEC composed of compass pilots will take over.