Most fun regional?
05-04-2023 | 09:33 AM
#11
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Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2016
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Not trolling. I'm trying to figure out if I hate my regional or hate 121 flying in general. I still can't figure out if it's worth it to go to a major, because I will be commuting forever if I do. Everyone tells me commuting sucks and I already think the job sucks, so adding a commute does not seem like a positive step.
05-04-2023 | 09:46 AM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jan 2023
Posts: 196
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From: B737 FO
Not trolling. I'm trying to figure out if I hate my regional or hate 121 flying in general. I still can't figure out if it's worth it to go to a major, because I will be commuting forever if I do. Everyone tells me commuting sucks and I already think the job sucks, so adding a commute does not seem like a positive step.
05-04-2023 | 10:57 AM
#13
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Joined: Apr 2023
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Seems to me that if the OP hates commuting now, he'll likely hate it when flying with a major. Here's a litmus test for the OP - would you like your current regional job more (and how much more, if at all) if you were living in your base city?
05-04-2023 | 01:55 PM
#14
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Joined: Aug 2016
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I'm not commuting now, but I would be at a major at least for the forseeable future. My family is not mobile.
05-05-2023 | 05:36 AM
#15
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Sorry, I misread your comment about commuting. If you hate the job now, ask yourself exactly what you hate. Short legs? Sometimes gruff colleagues? Crappy overnights? As a junior at a major, you may well experience those same things on top of enduring a commute for an undetermined number of years. What's your personal limit before it affects your general QOL and well being? What will be worse is if you get put on reserve at the major you go to *AND* you have to commute. That usually means commuting to a crashpad to be within on-call distance and potentially not flying at all.
05-05-2023 | 01:05 PM
#16
On Reserve
Joined: Apr 2022
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Most of the “best regional” threads are about which ones have the best work rules, or benefits, or will get you to the majors fastest. Can we talk about which ones are the most fun? Full disclosure, I’m not having much fun right now. Mostly wondering if it’s different anywhere else. And yeah, I get it’s a lot about how you make the best of the situation and your attitude. This can’t be completely unbiased but I think it’s worth seeing what most people’s perceptions are, even if they are subjective.
Overnights?
Routes?
Crews?
Company culture?
I’ll start.
YX
Overnights- I’m told we have overnights in Key West but I’ve never seen one of these in my base. Mostly LGA, YUL, EWR, MEM, STL. About 50% of the trips have an overnight in LGA.
Routes- lots of short legs. EWR-BOS-DCA-LGA. We dominate the northeast. It gets old. I bid for the longer ones when they’re available.
Crews- the captains I fly with are 40% bitter lifers, 40% leaving as soon as they get called and not here to make friends, and 20% people who are committed to doing the job well and actually friendly. Only about 1% of the time do crews hang out together.
Company Culture- this is hard to explain. Training was very stressful, and pilots who have been through more than one training program corroborate this. Company has a very corporate feel. Sometimes I feel like I’m working a minimum wage job with the way we accumulate “occurrences.” I don’t really feel I’m part of a team. Most captains not great at mentoring or even interested in it. Very much feels everyone is out for themselves only.
Maybe my expectations are too high? I wasn’t expecting to want to leave so soon but I can’t wait to get out of here. I’m starting to adopt their attitude, just put in the hours, don’t make friends, wait for the call. I wish it wasn’t like that. Interested in your take on your own regional.
Overnights?
Routes?
Crews?
Company culture?
I’ll start.
YX
Overnights- I’m told we have overnights in Key West but I’ve never seen one of these in my base. Mostly LGA, YUL, EWR, MEM, STL. About 50% of the trips have an overnight in LGA.
Routes- lots of short legs. EWR-BOS-DCA-LGA. We dominate the northeast. It gets old. I bid for the longer ones when they’re available.
Crews- the captains I fly with are 40% bitter lifers, 40% leaving as soon as they get called and not here to make friends, and 20% people who are committed to doing the job well and actually friendly. Only about 1% of the time do crews hang out together.
Company Culture- this is hard to explain. Training was very stressful, and pilots who have been through more than one training program corroborate this. Company has a very corporate feel. Sometimes I feel like I’m working a minimum wage job with the way we accumulate “occurrences.” I don’t really feel I’m part of a team. Most captains not great at mentoring or even interested in it. Very much feels everyone is out for themselves only.
Maybe my expectations are too high? I wasn’t expecting to want to leave so soon but I can’t wait to get out of here. I’m starting to adopt their attitude, just put in the hours, don’t make friends, wait for the call. I wish it wasn’t like that. Interested in your take on your own regional.
05-05-2023 | 06:44 PM
#17
Disinterested Third Party
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 6,758
Likes: 74
Not trolling. I'm trying to figure out if I hate my regional or hate 121 flying in general. I still can't figure out if it's worth it to go to a major, because I will be commuting forever if I do. Everyone tells me commuting sucks and I already think the job sucks, so adding a commute does not seem like a positive step.
Not every segment of the industry is for everybody. There's a lot more to do in aviation than fly for "major" or "legacy." You have options.
Explore them.
05-06-2023 | 04:05 AM
#19
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 521
Likes: 25
From: 320
Most of the “best regional” threads are about which ones have the best work rules, or benefits, or will get you to the majors fastest. Can we talk about which ones are the most fun? Full disclosure, I’m not having much fun right now. Mostly wondering if it’s different anywhere else. And yeah, I get it’s a lot about how you make the best of the situation and your attitude. This can’t be completely unbiased but I think it’s worth seeing what most people’s perceptions are, even if they are subjective.
Overnights?
Routes?
Crews?
Company culture?
Overnights?
Routes?
Crews?
Company culture?
05-06-2023 | 04:22 AM
#20
Line Holder
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 410
Likes: 3
Not trolling. I'm trying to figure out if I hate my regional or hate 121 flying in general. I still can't figure out if it's worth it to go to a major, because I will be commuting forever if I do. Everyone tells me commuting sucks and I already think the job sucks, so adding a commute does not seem like a positive step.
It gets better once you get senior at a major - a beer at the Hofbräuhaus München tastes better than the Applebee’s in Des Moines - but you have to grind it out and be planning 10 years in to the future to make it happen.
With some seniority and the right fleet you won’t be working much. I have 27 days off next month with 2 weeks vacation and some creative schedule working. But it took me 20 years of 121 flying to make it to this point.
At the end of the day, it’s a job and it can be a boring one. Figure out what you want out of the career and make it happen. Oh, and live in base once you get to a major. You’ll thank me in 20 years.
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