Heres the skinny...

Just got a Compass offer with a march ground school date. Upgrade is about 1-1.5 yrs there right now. They have a flowthru which is nice, but could be in grave jeprody with a merger...

Currently a 2.5 yr MAG FO who just got ERJ CA. Since I waited on my upgrade for some time (wasn't 23 yet) I shouldn't be on reserve (so 8 days off hopefully wont be a factor) but QOL and pay will ALWAYS suck here...


1. Compass FO with a great QOL, new airline, semi-quick upgrade, possible flowthru

or

2. MAG ERJ CA who still would work at a sh1thole of an airline, but would get his TPIC quicker...

thoughts?!?!

 

I had an offer at Compass Back in Oct, but I decided not to take it. Remember you would still be flying for a "regional" if you take the offer,ie lateral move. Stay where you are, get your left seat time and move on to something better. QOL is important, but in the long term you may be better off...with the merger talks, dont count on a flow up..just my $.02

 

IMO there's going to be risks associated with any decision you make. If your long term goal is to be at NWA then Compass might be something to think about. As you already know, who knows what the future will be - you can forcast based on trends but the bottom line, you have to make a decision on the current facts and what your personal goals are. I would personally stay put, upgrade to build 121 PIC time/experience - and that will eventually lead to increasing available options in your career.

 

Holy crap, you already stuck it out two and half years, why leave now? Seems to me you already made your deal with the devil. You'll be more marketable with more PIC time.

 

Since you're in (or will be very shortly) the left-seat now, I would say get the 1000 TPIC and then you're home-free to go anywhere with a fraction the risk you have by leaving now. At any top regional you can make junior Mesa Captain's pay as a second-year FO...Good luck and keep us updated!

 

Do you live in MSP, DTW, Or MEM.??

We have a handfull of former MAG. In my class there was an ERJ CA that came over but we were in the Sep class.

It all depends can you have a decent QOL at MAG?? If you can just stay put.

1st year pay sucks everywhere are willing to live with it again instead of CA pay??

 

Either option will require me to commute (personally do not want to move to JFK... too expensive)

Commuting as a Compass FO vs MAG CA would be much easier, but the TPIC and added pay would be a bonus...

there's also the blind faith I have with out union hoping that a better (probably not best) contract is on its way...

NWA isn't my dream airline but a legacy is a legacy...

 

Since you already know the nature of the MAG beast, I'll skip that sermon...

I guess it comes down to 3 things in my mind...

Family...do you have one? QOL at almost any other company is far better than mesa.

Upward mobility...TPIC is an obvious requirement, but there are tens of thousands of RJ drivers out there. What makes you more competetive...can you really get out with 1001 PIC? Last I heard SWA poolies will be needing life preservers and UPS wants international widebody time (ie major airline, ACMI, or military lifter). Only you can answer this question based on your background, connections, and desired major.

What if the industry stagnates? Where would you rather be stuck? Although you'd have better odds staying employed in the middle of MAGs list as opposed to the bottom of compass'.

As far as MAG ALPA....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Been there, done that, don't hold your breath. I think JO's strategy is to hold his line and pray for an industry catastrophe which will turn the tables on pilot demand. Your only hope is for the BOD to fire JO and bring in a turnaround team which realizes that you need pilots in order to operate an airline. Again, don't hold your breath.

I did 2 years at mesa, and the jump to another regional probably cost me maybe a one year delay in upgrade....but at far higher pay and 15 days off in the meantime. To me it was well worth it, I get a lot more play time and my wife doesn't hate me anymore

 

Take the PIC time and run! Don't make a lateral move, only to go to the bottom of a seniority list and payscale. Stick with it and bigger and better opportunities will be on the horizon for you sooner than if you were to run to a "better" regional. A regional airline is a regional airline in the long run.

 

unless you plan on being a regional lifer why would you leave? All regionals are gonna suck in their own ways, get your time and make an upward move to a major rather than a backwards move. Going from captain at a crappy regional to fo at a less crappy regional isn't a lateral move, it's a backwards move.