Sort of. You typically get whatever your regional gets (subject to mainline rules), except that retirees are a lower priority than active regional employees (but higher than buddy pass). Usually get it after age 50-55 with ten years of employment. I have known people with other financial means who have stuck around just long enough to get that.

But what they don't tell you is that it's not guaranteed in any way. The rules can change, and it's all subject to mainline's policy. In most (or all?) cases if your regional subsequently ends their relationship with a particular major you would lose all nonrev benies on that major. You might or might not gain them if a new partnership is added. At DAL for example regional retirees only get DAL benies if they worked the last consecutive TEN years IMMEDIATELY prior to retirement on a DAL dedicated fleet.

Bunch of older folks at my last regional got HOSED when we got 175s... the CRJ was dedicated to all fleets, so it counted for DAL. But folks age 55 and over who bid onto the 175 lost their eligibility for DAL retiree nonrev benies, and it was irrevocable since they couldn't go back and have time to do ANOTHER ten years on DCI. Course nobody told any of us that until it was too late for many. I saved a friend, I had heard about this and mentioned it to him on a trip... his eyes got big, he had a class date for I think the AS 175 program. He was retired mil, career RJ FO who was just sticking around for the travel benies. He spent the rest of the trip on the phone, scheming to get out of his class date, which he ultimately did. Others weren't so lucky. He would have traded DAL international nonrev for AS domestic nonrev (if he even got that).

Bottom line... probably not safe to make career decisions based on regional nonrev access.

 

Probably depends on their demographics... if you won't be facing a huge retirement bubble (more than you can hire and train), then older guys are simply more experienced, plus it is cheaper to do a few training events over the years than to have one guy sit at the top of the payscale for 30 years.

 

I'm not sure where you're at but this hasn't been my experience at all. Tons of over 40 guys getting picked up from OO and tons more updating their apps and doing what they need to get out. If all you're doing is applying than I don't know what to tell you.

 

Straight from the recruiters mouth at Delta - over 8,000 hours makes you uncompetitive.

Southwest has no problems hiring with 20,000+ hours though.

Out of 4900 pilots at SkyWest, very few with seniority numbers above 1000 are leaving. Most with seniority numbers above 500 are age 45+.

 

So when I hit 8000 hours in the coming years, should I take a leave of absence? What the hell?

 

There have still been people hired with well north of 8000 hours at Delta.

 

I am involved with hiring at the regional level and while it’s not as competitive as the majors obviously I think the biggest thing that people forget when they come into these interviews and apply to these positions is that I am hiring you for two reasons: to be a pilot and to be an EMPLOYEE. And yes, there is a large difference. Everyone that comes for the interview is a qualified pilot and can fly the plane and while some may fly better than others the number of hours you have, where you learned to fly, or where you got your college degree from isn’t an indicator of that. I have interviewed people changing airlines who have 5,000+ hours and they have never had an emergency, never had a real issue that they needed to manage in the flight deck outside of the usual unruly passenger or uncooperative crew member. However I have had brand new 1500 hour CFI’s who have had 2-3 major issues such as electrical failures, engine failures, fires, etc. So in reality as much as we like to tell ourselves that hours matter they in fact are a small portion. The BIGGEST thing that is looked at in candidates, and yes I work for one of the currently “picky” regionals, is how they will be as an employee. Will that person bring my company into good light both inside or outside of the flight deck. Will they go home, take off their uniform, and do nothing. I get it. People have different circumstances. Families, side jobs, etc. But there is no reason someone can’t find a half a dozen days a year to volunteer or take on a secondary position in the company, most of them which pull time away from flying the line so you don’t work any extra. Take your kids to volunteer with you. Your wife too. Teach them the value of that at a young age. I guarantee that you will make yourself look like a much better person because of it. I see many applications that do just the bare minimum but when I see someone that took time to volunteer or get involved in their community/school/church/company or whatever that immediately catches my eye and does the same to any HR employee or pilot recruiter out there. Just because you go to roadshows or you update your app 365 days a year doesn’t show anyone you will be a good employee. Going above and beyond to better yourself and the world around you will.

 

Wow. Life advice from a guy not yet four years out of college who considers Minneapolis to be the West Coast.

You have lived in a New England bubble most all your life and don't even realize how arrogant and condescending you sound.

 

Not really. In 1990 when my Dad (UAL Capt.) hand carried in my resume to United HR (5000 hours military flight time, 2000 in C-9s) they told him I was over qualified. They were looking for candidates with 750 to 1500 hours they could train to be United pilots.

 

Ya might want to look into these things called “paragraphs”. They’re all the rage these days on the interwebs.