CJO?
 

I have a couple questions around CJOs; I understand most pilots interview with a couple different regionals accepting multiple CJOs. I recently interviewed and was told (verbally, and follow up congratulations email) I passed the interview and they would let me know about class dates. I suppose that's a CJO? When are you officially committed to that airline? When you accept a class date, month before class, etc? I guess I'm looking for some guidance as to when that airline assumes you are going to them. I have not interviewed anywhere else but there is one other airline that would be my first choice if they called. I want to make sure I'm doing everything on the up and up and not burning any bridges if I decide to go to another airline.

Thanks!

If you've passed the interview and are awaiting a class date, then I'd call that a CJO. You're not committed to the airline until you show up to class, and even then you could still decide to leave for another airline should you choose (although at that point, it could be considered poor form). The regionals especially know that it's a pilot's market right now and many pilots will have multiple CJOs from multiple airlines, but will only be able to actually work at one. The first one that I interviewed with and got a CJO wasn't my first choice of regional airline. When I finally got a CJO from the regional I really wanted to work for, I emailed the other airlines and told them that I had accepted the job at a different regional airline. This was only about 5 days before I was due to start class at the first CJO that I had accepted. They were very understanding and told me to let them know if I changed my mind and they would happily take me back.

You'll really only burn bridges if you show up to class and then leave before training is done, or if you simply no-show your new hire class without telling them.

Don't burn any bridges.

Be particularly careful with wholly owned regionals... the fire you start might spread to the mainline bridge.

Don't accept a class date any earlier than you really need to if you have other irons in. You won't burn a bridge by declining a job offer, but might if you cancel at the last minute, and you will if you no show class (astounds me that people do that... scary that there are pilots out there with sort of weak-arsed personality).

I had a CJO from Skywest before I chose to go elsewhere. It was still a couple months before my class date. I gave them a call and they were very nice and professional about it. Said they understood my decision and I was welcome to reapply in the future if things change. If you wait until the last minute to call off, and cause them to lose a classroom spot that could have went someone else, I would not bother trying to go back there ever.

Thanks for the reply guys. I think by my question you guys know I'm trying to make sure to not do anything shady. I think I'm going to get a class date shortly for January. If it was within a month I wouldn't cancel. Only reason I asked is I'm west coast and trying to not leave or commute,my job offer will involve one of those two. I'll be happy to go to the airline I have an offer at, but still hoping Compass will get it together and start getting back to people so I can stay in Seattle(us Northwesterns are pretty fond of where we live). Thanks again for taking the time to answer my question!