Bonuses???
 

As someone who was only looking at fractionals, are there any bonuses if i decided to go to a regional? The only thing i see is like direct entry captains and fo’s with a 121 background. I have a corporate background so neither of those would apply to me. Have they done away with sign on bonuses for the newbies?



Thanks,

I don’t know how most other regionals are doing it, but I know PSA stopped hiring low time FO’s for sure. Only taking high time and DEC’s. They’re giving them a nice bonus, I forget how much though. But to my knowledge there are no low time pilots being taken. That could change in the future and they may have to start hiring low timers again and I’m sure the bonuses will be given. But as of right now it looks like for most, if not the entire year they will just be hiring high time FO’s. Other regionals are hiring low timers, but I think just a few are.

The regionals are all hurting for CAs because the majors are draining them of CAs and near upgrade eligible FOs faster than they can get their existing FOs upgrade eligible. Without actual 121 time, your better option might be to go to a(n) LCC/ULCC where you could get a type rating and 121 hours that would make you more hirable at a legacy.

Awesome, thanks, thats what i needed to know.

If by the regulation you are within 500 hours of Part 121 upgrade requirements, many regionals are still giving out bonuses. If you need 1000 (which I assume you don't since you've been flying, but for example your average CFI looking for a job) then there is no bonus and only a few "undesirable" regionals will hire you at this time. I expect it to be like this until we get over the retirement wave at the end of this decade.

The new higher wage scale introduced last year mostly replaced sign on bonuses, which is a good thing because bonuses usually come with contracts and service requirements. Bonuses come and go depending on the company’s needs, but most of the higher wages (with the exception of the AA wholly owned) are here to stay.

Curious why you make that exception? Are the AA wholly owned more likely to snap back down to previous rates?

Last summer Envoy, PSA, and Piedmont announced new higher pilot wages through August 31, 2024. I think American wanted to attract pilots away from their competitors long enough to get through the worst of the pilot shortage. SkyWest, Horizon, Mesa, and Endeavor eventually matched or beat the temporary pilot wages with permanent rates. Some of the other regionals raised their pilot rates a bit without matching them. In February, Envoy, PSA, and Piedmont announced that their temporary pilot rates are now being extended until December 31, 2026.

It’s certainly possible these temporary rates will be extended again. Or a recession could hit and pilot rates could be reduced again. But the AA wholly owned are the only ones calling their current pilot rates temporary. It’s a precarious industry.