Tanker-driver

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me how the whole process of going from a regional to an affiliated major (Horizon/Alaska for example) works. Does a company like Alaska give preferance to Horizon pilots when granting interviews? Does any seniority transfer across when one makes that jump?

freezingflyboy

As a rule, no. American Eagle used to have a flow through agreement with AA and ExpressJet used to have one with Continental but those are pretty much things of the past. Now, most regionals and affiliated majors have the same relationship as a retailer and a supplier. So no, your seniority will more than likely not transfer over to a major. (sidenote: anyone know of any major/regionals that still have active flow through agreements?) Now wether or not they give preferential treatment, I could not tell you. I have heard that CAL likes to hire XJT guys because we know the system and how CAL does things and it might be the same at AA/Eagle and Alaska/Horizon. But that has no basis in fact, just crew room scuttlebutt.

rickair7777

Unfortunately, in todays climate many major pilots develop an adverserial attitude towards their own regional providers and regional pilots, and this often carries over into the hiring realm. Sometimes you are better off NOT having flown for that carrier's regionals.

Flyby1206

Technically we still have a valid flowthrough agreement here at Eagle. BUT, even the people here now who already have numbers with AA might never get there. So don't come to Eagle thinking you will ever flow through. We have about 400 AA guys who flowed backwards from AA to Eagle and became Captains. We also have about 500 AE guys who already have been issued AA seniority numbers. So, a little more than 50% of our current CAs here have AA numbers. FWIW.

Also, someone mentioned that it would be better if you DIDNT work for the company to get hired by a major. Figure if you are a RJ CA and then flowthrough to the major, they have to train you to fly the 737/MD80, they also have to upgrade a RJ FO to CA, they also have to hire a new RJ FO off the street. So thats 3 training events, just to get 1 guy over to the mainline. Doesn't make business sense.

LAfrequentflyer

Don't forget the cost of interviewing, back-ground checks, etc...

-LAFF

directbears

Not required at Eagle. All the same though, any flowthrough at Eagle that is still on Eagle's seniority list will NEVER see a seat at AA. Even if they did start taking flowthroughs, probably half would decline or file some sort of hardship which in turn would AGAIN screw all of the folks on the junior half of the seniority list.

FWIW, from what I've heard and seen Legacies that have wholly owned carriers tend to NOT hire form those carriers. Don't count on any type of "flowthrough" agreement (which will probably never happen again in the industry) because they don't work.

Fokker28

Alaska does, allegedly, give interview preference to Horizon pilots. There's really no way I know of to tell if they actually do or not. They have historically taken quite a number of our guys, but again, I don't have any statisitics on the percentage versus the industry at large.