As for that $400 (or $200) a week, its probably considered per diem. You are not being compensated, you are being reimbursed for your expenses while away from your IRS domicile. It should be reported, but it doesn't get taxed so long as it falls below a certain amount.

 

Be careful, I am a management type and you all are screwed! (j/k)

That is true that there are alot of people on here from the aviation community (which is fairly small) Thats good advice to try to keep posts anonymous.

 

Well your opinion may be mesaba but the life, career, and professionalism comment is out of line. Both are ALPA carriers and a good group of guys. Sure, PNCL has the 3701 accident where the pilots lacked professionalism and the TVC accident involving a VERY experienced checkairman, but there is no reason whatsoever to declare the pilot group is essence a "scab" just because of labor tensions. For future reference professionalism has an "i" in profession and you show your professionalism by knocking another group- good call "checkairman". I don't like to stir the pot but I have to defend this blatant comment with no basis. I will not deny that PNCL has problems- look at many of my past posts and you will see that, and I am not defending the company- bash it all you want- but you took a blow at a great pilot group.

 

I made that mistake of not making mine anonymous.... BUT- if you just tell the truth there is not much mgmt can do.. being off probation helps as well...

As a heads up though many people read these posts and you don't even realize it!

 

are you saying that the guys at 9E, or the ones that's going there are not professtionals?

 

there is a rumor here at ASA that Pinnacle might not be able to accept all those shiny new -900's for Delta due to staffing issues. Can anyone confirm/deny this?

 

yeah, i can deny that since the vacancy has been posted and filled. i think pinnacle would rather see the nwa side suffer then lose that delta flying.

 

Gentelmen, I in no way meant to demean, or diminsh the quality individuals whom work at this company or who seek employment there. There are a great many 'good guys' out there who fail in their professional duties both intentionally and unintentionally; refrence Enron and 3701. Forget about the contract issues, forget about the ALPA ties, forget the fact that I have many friends at both companies.
Target such things as the effect of the current contract on your quality of life in all aspects. 9E can bring you down to 7 days off a month... 7 days with your family, your wife, your children, your parents. Think about how much airport food you will eat (because you can't pack that much healthy food for every trip).
Speaking of professonalism, look at the number of hull losses they have had over the past 4 years... not just the fatal ones... include Milwakee, read that report a few times.. Check the number of violations of the pilots/crews per airline. Ask the MSP FSDO how the MEM FSDO has approved them for things that no other airline consider to be legal. Look at the training deparments at both companes. Look at the employee relations at both companes. Look at the CRM culture (not just the CRM class.. how is it accepted by the pilots?) How will you be treated as a professional member of the team? What is the culture of the pilots? Are you encouraged to 'join the 410 club'? Do you only study the week before your re-current or is the book open every flight? Do you hear 'the book says xxx but I do it this way' every day? Even from the Checkairmen? Do you wear your uniform propperly? What is the culture... both from management and from the employees? If it is your first airline, you won't know the difference... But after you have seen more than one, you can tell.
As for your career... you may get lucky. You may get thru unscathed. You might not. You might fly with someone careless (at any airline). You might give yourself a disqualifying medical condition from stress (at any airline). But worst of all, you might learn an unprofessional, lazy, or unsafe culture (at any airline). In my opinion, Mesaba would be the better choice.
On a side note, in today's current environment of pilot-short companies, extremely low hiring minimums, very fast upgrades; our beloved industry is under stress. I truly meant no ill will toward any one. Each person should attempt to be the best pilot, and best professional that they can. Are you still learning today? Do you have 1000 hours or 1 hour 1000 times? We are all marching forward together, trying to provide for our families and be happy. I have really never met a pilot or pilot group that weren't good guys. But I have seen excellent examples of people who care and are professional... and examples of those who are not. Every airline has some of both, and it is up to you to decide what/who you are going to be.

 

I have never met a furloughed Pinnacle pilot...

 

so were you terminated from pinnacle, because that is what it sounds like. i have been here almost 2 years now and have never flown with any of the types of people you are refering to, and i am mem based where all the "good ole boys" are at. no body at pinnacle has every had just 7 days off, and i am friends with a lot of the junior capt (since i will be upgrading soon). they can only extend you 12 times a year, and you can refuse 1 time a month. and the 3701 accident could have happened anywhere. the captain of the flight just happened to choose pinnacle to fly at. if he would have chose mesaba he probably would have done the same thing there. that is who he was, not the pilot group. same with mke. thats who that pilot was, not the pilot group. i have had gear disagree problems, hydraulic problems, had to shut an engine down once because it wouldn't go back to idle, and each time we had that sort of stuff happen, 100 percent of the time the qrh was followed to the letter, the plane landed safely, and was able to be fixed and fly again. i have never been encouraged to join the 410 club. everything you describe happens everywhere. there will always be someone who wants to "fly" their way. there will always be someone who will study just for the pc. you are describing every airline in all of your statements..

i don't care which airline you choose to go to. seniority isn't created from the bottom of the list, it is created from the top, so you coming here doesn't help me get a better line... just go where you feel like. but take this "checkairmens" words for what they are... pinnacle bashing... by the way, are you and flaps50 the same guy,, cause you sure sound like him.