PSA, it's been rough.

 

Envoy is still displacing Fo’s To CA. Though it’s been in the contract for a while.

 

Damn, that's almost like hiring scabs. But most of these DEC's would have no idea that's the case. It's assumed that they don't have enough qualified FO's to fill their CA positions, thus the outside hiring.

I know some FO's don't want to upgrade because they'll have to commute, but sometimes "you just gotta do what you gotta do", and take the upgrade and commute, get that PIC time, and hope to be able to transfer back to your preferred base. Life is full of sacrifices.

 

Same with Piedmont Airlines. When they started bringing on Direct Entry Captains, we had FOs that were qualified to upgrade. But when you talk to them on the line, many didn't want to. FOs don't get CA pay until they're through training, and the training program at Piedmont is pathetic. Its horribly run with long delays. It takes months to get through, and they don't let you fly the line while you wait. FOs had to take a pay cut to go into upgrade training (several months of minimum guarantee pay) with no ability to pick up extra flying.

So, the company started a Direct Entry Captain program. The offered the DECs a massive sign-on bonus, and gave them captain pay from day one, while paying FO minimum guarantee pay to the internal upgrades sitting next to them in class. It was a big slap in the face for someone who has already put up with the hellacious PDT quality-of-life for a couple of years.

DEC programs are almost always the result of the company trying to find a cheaper way to get CAs on the line, to the detriment to those already on the seniority list. It's cheaper to pay out one cash bonus to someone from another airline that is desperate for some turbine PIC, than it is to raise the pay and quality-of-life enough to make FOs want to upgrade.

 

Well, that makes a lot more sense now.
I, for one, didn't know that they were doing that to company FOs already on the line.

 

Neither did I.

 

Probably. Couldn't really tell ya, I'm just schmuck line pilot.

I'd venture a guess though that yes it does hurt. Based on my experience I interviewed at Endeavor(9E) before they turned their bonuses into pay rates. I actually interviewed several places. I chose one I felt best for me at the time, which wasn't 9E. The recruiters at 9E used to call me once a week and leave a voicemail (because I was flying). After they rolled their bonuses into hard pay rates for all employees I stopped getting calls. When reaching a frustration point with my current employer I updated my app with 9E and it was over two months to get an interview date. Shortly thereafter, they stopped hiring altogether.

So yea, IMHO if you have good pay rates you will not have retention and/or recruitment problems.

 

It's no coincidence that the two regionals with the highest pay scales (Republic and Endeavor) have their classes full for the rest of the year.

 

Great, another DEC thread

 

No one forced you to read it.