legalpilot

what are the upgrade times and benefits compared. How about training? Does Expressjet pays for your training and lodging? If you were to choose which one will you?

ctd57

I wouldn't choose either.

freezingflyboy

I don't know for sure about Eagle but I am over at ExpressJet.
Upgrade Times: Upgrade times seem to be running at around 3 years right now at XJT. People outside the company seem really worried about the 69 aircraft thing but the general feeling inside the company is very positive. And I haven't come across that many Kool-Aid drinkers. Seems like every captain I flew with either just upgraded or has an interview/is leaving for SWA, CAL, Fed Ex, etc. I know right now they are upgrading captains as fast as they possibly can. Only time will tell what the 69-aircraft deal will do to upgrades. Thing you got to remember with that is that we will still be flying 205 airplanes for CAL. Latest rumors I have heard is that we have found work for all but 15 of the aircraft. So really, I think the impact will be negligible.

Benefits: We have one of the best 401k packages. We get an automatic 5% contribution from the company plus a 100% match up to another 4% of your pay. That number increases the longer you are with the company up to 6% i think. Pay and workrules are some of the best out there. Block or better, trip protection, 100% pay for dead heads, etc, etc. There are a lot of discounts and travel deals we get through CAL as well (I mentioned I worked at Continental Express and I didn't have to pay the app fee or the deposit at my apartment).

Training: Training is very good. Brand new training center with our own brand new, custom built, in-house sims (3 of em) and fully functional FTDs (2). No paper tigers except back at the hotel for practice. I have flown both the XJT sims and the FlightSafety ERJ sims and ours are about 10 times more accurate. You will either do your sim training at the training center at IAH or they will send you down to Houston-Hobby to do your sim training at FlightSafety. Its just luck of the draw. Training is roughly 8 weeks long and all of your hotel stay is paid for. In addition, you also recieve a per diem check for about $1500 during the first week of training.

Hope this answers some of your questions. If you want to know more, feel free to ask.

james014

All I have to say is Don't Go Eagle. All I hear about is how the company treats you like ****. They pay is a little below average but not terrible. But their upgrade time is 7 YEARS and thats in a saab. If you get a jet it'll probably be 8yrs. Year 6 in a T-Prop is 34 bucks an hour. I don't mind to much the low thirties for only a year, two at most, but for 6 years?? Tells you what kind of company they are when at the mainline, they have almost 3000 people on furlough! Please don't go to eagle..

Tinpusher007

Expressjet vs Eagle is not even a question...go to Expressjet.

directbears

I will second the Nays on going to Eagle. And take that for what its worth from an ex-Eagle, 6+ year Jet FO that had enough of going nowhere with that company.

Also FWIW, I was a Screw Scheduler for Expressjet back in the 90's and the company seemed like a great place for the limited time I was there. Mangement and the employee groups seemed to be mostly on the same page and ALL wanted to see good things for EVERYONE involved. That's rare at today's regional airline companies from my experience.

Good luck and DON'T go Eagle.

Av8trxx

Blah...blah...blah...."Don't go to Eagle". Oh put a sock in it.

GO TO THE FIRST AIRLINE THAT HIRES YOU!

If it's AE, so be it. No one says you have to stay there.

Getting some valuable 121 training and a few months of turbine time will make your resume more attractive to any employer you subsequently apply with. (Just ask all the F/Os who spent a few months on the Saab then got hired at Skywest with more competitive flight times...)

Kit Darby is right about one thing: use the shotgun approach when trying for a job. Aim for all of 'em, and you might hit at least one. If you get more than that, then worry about making a choice. Whether or not to go to AE (or any other regional) really doesnt matter until you have that and another to pick between! Don't put the cart before the horse.

Tinpusher007

You mke a very valid point. However, the fact remains that upgrades at Eagle do take in excess of 6 years, sometimes 7. Most legacy carriers (if thats the goal) do not hire without PIC TURBINE time. Are you willing to wait 6 years to get it? As far as moving somewhere else after a year or two at Eagle, sometimes that is viewed as a lateral move and frowned upon. If you jump ship at Eagle, would you not do it at the next carrier you interview? Just my $.02.

hatetobreakit2u

im pretty sure anyone looking at his resume will realize why hes jumping ship at eagle and say that they woulda done the same thing and laugh

fosters

True story:

I had a friend interviewing here (not skywest) and there were several people there who did just that - went to a 121 company and were interviewing after getting on the line. My company didn't like the fact that they were leaving their company so quickly.

None were hired. Was it interview skills? Probably not, because they were working for a 121 carrier before.

Another true story. Groups of TSA furloughees have been interviewing here lately. Out of 4, only one was hired on the lastest round of interviews. Just because someone has 121 time does not make them "more employable". If you think this you are severely mistaken.

If you *really* want to make your resume stand out, go fly freight at a company like airnet or AMF. Much better pay than eagle too. And you start flying right away instead of 2-3 months of training.

Also, I made more as a CFI than I did going to eagle (no way in hell will you make $30k/yr at eagle in the prop, which is where I would've gone due to my age) - it was a no brainer for me, and I had an interview at 500/100. I chose to stay CFI'ing. It was a good choice IMO. I was hired here directly from CFI'ing.