PSA street captain bonus
 

Is PSA really advertising a 12% discount on a $70 product? Literally eight dollars a year and that's in the top 4 bullet points

One of the selling points of living in philly is “birthplace of the philly cheese steak”. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have.

Where do the most junior captains currently exist? How long is it taking them to get off reserve currently? Does PSA do airport reserve? Is there any language in place saying how often you can be on it if it is indeed used?

-Junior bases are DCA and PHL. PHL is more commutable than DCA in my experience.

-No idea about reserve as a DEC... It will be a while.

-PSA does have Airport or what we call, “Hot Reserve”. You can be converted from short call to Hot reserve a maximum of 8 times in a month and up to 3 days consecutively.

interesting question. What you’re really asking is “what attrition will PSA see over the next few years”

Ive previously said that’s unknowable but the company has put out some data suggesting what they think

1) the company expects to hire 750 pilots this year
2) the company has a pilot incentive program if there are less than 15 pilots leaving per month for places other than AA. Adding the pilots who leave for AA puts the “best case” scenario from the companies standpoint around 30 per month or 360 per year.

PSA has about 2000 pilots now, you need to be something like #750 to get off reserve as a captain. So 2-4 years to get off reserve.

I could drive to PHL or DCA in about an hour and fifteen minutes. Sitting reserve on my couch wouldn’t be too bad. I’m thinking about just coming to PSA as a DEC and waiting to flow to American eventually. I wish I had done it when I was a CFI 15 years ago. I’d be sitting pretty at American right now. I read on here all the time how worthless the flow is and how if your not lazy and have a degree you don’t need it cause you can get hired off the street. I don’t think people really have an appreciation for how hard it is to get hired at a big 5 airline, especially if you are not prior military. I can tell you I and many others I know have been trying for a long time and we are all very qualified and still have never even received an opportunity. That flow is very valuable.

Not sure where you’re located but I’ll assume not too far off from me, if you’re taking I-95 to either of those airports, keep traffic in mind as well. I commute out of DCA to ATL, I’ve found myself cruising along fat dumb and happy and then at a total standstill for 45 minutes becuase every lane is blocked from an accident. Drivers out here are insane compared to where I grew up.

With all the bonuses plus captain pay I think you’re looking at $150 first year to sit reserve

Yes sir, and I qualify for every bonus. That combined with the ability to be a DEC may make it worthwhile to go back to the regional thing for 6-7 years. I hear PSA is actually one of the better regionals anyway. So it may not be too painful.

We'll be sure to check in 38 months later when you're still sitting hot reserve 😅

The time to hold a line as a captain is about 3.5-6 years depending on your base, so expect at least that long on reserve making min guarantee and probably actually flying about 15-30 block hours a month.

Also the math is kind of up in the air right now, but you should expect about an 8-10 year flow.

Honestly if you're qualified for the direct entry Captain gig I'd try really hard to get on board with Spirit, Frontier, or Allegiant. Even if a legacy is your final goal getting an airbus type and right seat time will go a long way to get you on the hiring radar most likely before your flow date.

PSA street captain bonus
 

You might want to double check that math/contract before you climb on board….

70k you get AT flow to AA. So 7-9ish years from now.
And of that other 50k, you get 25k a year.

I think the 30k from FO to CA wouldn’t apply to a DEC.

So I think you get 15k+15k+7k+25k(at end of year)+hourly rate.

It’s not terrible, but it is a far cry from 150k 1st year.

That link isn’t lying, but it is just throwing out total bonuses potential in your stay at PSA, NOT 1st year pay.

It might even make more sense to take the 10k (for 750 hours). Upgrade in 250 hours and then take that 30k. But I don’t know if all that training and FO pay will be worth the 25k you might make over joining as a DEC.

You get the 25k during your time at PSA? The envoy Loa states you do not get the 50k (25k x2) until the day you flow

so $60k bonus, $90 k salary = $150k first year

no, their LOA reads same as ours in that section.

the captain bonuses you have to be hired by end of December 2021 to qualify for them I read. Flow is all about seniority so don’t wait on becoming a DEC. Reserve is 6-12 months at DCA and PHL right now and 1-2 years at CLT, and all those numbers are expected to go down to the lower end.

Lol a DEC is looking at 4-5 years of reserve not months.

‘Not for a DEC lol. Those are FO timelines you are spitting out buddy.

I’ve been trying to find the fine print but haven’t had any luck.

Are DECs paid as Captains in training? Or when does Captain pay begin?

If I accept all the available bonuses, then how long do I have to stay at PSA?

thanks for the help

Edit: found it in the PSA Forum. Hired as FO, 3 year commitment.

No DEC's come in and do the full FO training footprint, then get rolled into Captain training.

The fine print may have changed, but I think the 30k has the longest strings of 3 years. Then again the 15k sign on bonus is a 2 year commitment, so those times could be combined to 5 years.

Captain pay begins at completion of Captain upgrade sims.

The “first available” sim may be misleading. I suspect that means “when your seniority makes upgrade available.” That is likely to be soon but they haven’t run out of volunteers for upgrade yet. Whether that happens next month or next year idk