How about Air Wis vs. Eagle!
 

Let's toss around the hypothetical that I am offered a job with both at the same time. Both would require about the same commute. So based on opinions of pay, QOL, work rules, benefits, stability, and future growth/demise, which would you pick and why? Go!

Neither... Outlook for both airlines are uncertain. That can be said about all the regionals but it can definitely be said about those two.

One has already hit the iceberg and is taking on water, just how much is not known. The other knows there is an iceberg out there, but can't see it through the fog.

Well, this was productive.

Hmmm. Regional vs. Regional

Eagle is going to lose a 1/3 of their pilot group in the next 1-3 years. Potential for a lot of movement.

both have good pay for a regional and good work rules for a regional. Passes are much better on Eagle right now. Future of either, who knows. Future of ANY regional, WHO KNOWS...

Go with the one that offers you the job 1st...these two airlines are too close, in situation, to call IMO.

What passes?

Don't eagle guys have to pay to ride their own metal? That's a downside for sure.

They are also losing a third of their planes...

hmm, where is your math coming from?

Was wondering that to. Last time I checked Eagles fleet of 135s and ATRs wasn't a 1/3rd of their fleet. Maybe he knows something others don't.

Go with EAGLE!! I believe the future of AE is less cloudy than that of AWAC...my gut opinion and feeling is the owners of AWAC will close the doors come 2015 or shortly thereafter...they've had a great run of making a ton of cash and now the regional industry is a much different place than when they began their journey.

1st 5 years you pay a small fee for a seat in back (cockpit jumpseat is free), yes it's stupid.. but it isn't that much really anyway, $7-15 for coach usually, depending on distance. It's easily avoidable anyway, just jumpseat on everyone else for free, that's what I did my first 5 years, that or try and get the agent to list you for the cockpit to avoid the fee. After 5 yrs domestic coach is free for you and your family or travel partner.

The upside is we probably have the best mainline travel agreement of any regional. Priority is based on check in time, so we can go ahead of mainline AA on their own planes if we check in first for everything but the cockpit jumpseat.

And we, along with our spouse, kids or travel partner each get 4 D1 passes a year for use on AA or Eagle. This pass basically trumps everyone and puts your priority at the top of the standby list, for use if you really need to get somewhere. It won't put you above revenue pax or AMR business travel, but it will put you above all the other standbys which really comes in handy sometimes, especially international, if you are looking at getting stranded due to a crazy long standby list.

How exactly do you pay for that? Assuming you just walk up to the gate agent and list for the jumpseat... Do you pay the gate agent? I thought the fee was only for listing standby?

If you ride on Eagle or AA (not in the cockpit jump) they will automatically pull the amount out of your paycheck at the end of the month if you are less than 5 years. You don't physically pay them. There is no fee for listing, only if you actually use the seat.

The bottom of your pay statement will have "non rev charges" and an amount listed. Annoying as it is, it's pretty insignificant. It's like taking the sure thing on AA to commute for 10 bucks, or go standby to ride Skywest or United or whatever for free.. but at higher risk of not getting a seat.

I always just tried to ride Delta/United to work and avoided the stupid fee all together most of the time.

Go with Eagle. Nice $5,000 signing bonus, guys starting to flow to AA within the next couple of months, large airplanes (CRJ900 more than likely) expected to begin arriving 3rd quarter of 2014, in-house top notch training. Like people said before, there is uncertainty out there, but hey, it's the airlines...

I will agree with this. I'm pretty sure we have the best training facilities of any regional by far. We are in the same facility with AA, and it is top notch.. HUGE facility (too big actually, kinda sucks walking all over that place if you have a kit bag with no wheels). Huge indoor pool for water training, surrounded by all the different AA/Eagle ACTUAL aircraft fuselages inside for training.. Rows of multi million dollar in house sims, truly impressive to see them all in motion.. (some sim time is outsourced to flight safety down the road, rarely to Flight Safety Houston, I almost always have had all sim time in house, have been to DFW flight safety only a couple times in many training cycles, which is actually nice anyway because they have free food, sandwiches or Pizza at lunch most of the time) You will learn quickly, if you are not already a regional pilot that free food for airline pilots is a big deal. We live for that crap. haha.. Our Classrooms are nice too..

Not that this stuff is vital, but nice to have.. especially since you spend a lot of time there every year. MONTHS during aircraft transitions or for new hires.. so it's worth thinking about it..

We have a Nice cafeteria with a grill and some good food, across the street in the huge flight attendant training center there is an even better cafeteria with many options, Mexican, deli, Italian, soup bar, sandwiches, grill.. etc.. there is even a nice AA flight museum here in the training center with a DC-3 inside worth checking out..

Training center is one thing I have never complained about here at Eagle.. except for the huge walking distances in the building, lol. It feels like you are training in a world class, Major airline training center.. because you are. You are not in some rented out craphole space or an annexed trailer classroom like some other places.. (not saying any names)

We get 15 minute breaks every hour and an hour for lunch (in training)

Training center is also only minutes away from DFW by shuttle, very convenient for getting home Friday after class gets out, or traveling to/from.

Agreed. Top notch CK's like MA and CW.

I had CW for my ATP Type Ride, no problems at all. People get scared and nervous and this is why they mostly fail, lack of confidence.

Saying this, I know how does it feels to fail a checkride. I failed my initial PC here at eagle, not the best feeling I ever had.

Yeah, he's probably just being sarcastic, but he is way off.. we are losing 12% of our fleet over the next year currently (barring any new orders that may or may not come). Or 3/25th.. far from 1/3

Also, we have 2916 pilots currently eligible to flow to AA. So, "currently" we are slated to lose 12% of our fleet but could theoretically lose up to 97% of our pilots to flowthrough over time. Obviously the number won't be that high because many don't want to go, and it will take some years for that to happen (if it all works out), but that is what is theoretically possible, if people want to throw numbers around.. This is NOT including our normal attrition which has been running around 25/month leaving right now, so realistically, later in 2013 with the flows, we should start to see 45/month minimum leaving here starting in March. This additional attrition number will get a lot higher once the other Majors start hiring again in a year or so but that will benefit any other regional as well.. We also have 17 Mandatory retirements this year if you want to throw that in there. lol

If our pace goes to 46/month attrition (25 recent averages + 20 flows, + 1 or 2 mandatory retirements per month), a new hire could move up to 552 #'s in a single year.. more once Major hiring picks up. Worth considering in my opinion.. even though it's the airlines and any of this could fall apart any second, that goes for any airline though.

Just got an update that the first Eagle flows should start going in the MAR 20th AA class.

First class of flows in march confirmed.

I would simply choose AWAC over Eagle because Eagle seems to be loosing flying like crazy.

Colon cancer or lung cancer?

Testicular cancer for all!

Pretty sure the pizza is for those paying 60K+ for those shiny Falcon 7X initial type ratings when the in-house cafe is closed on Sat and Sundays... not those dry leasing a sim. And if you can find the free sandwiches let me know. Are you the guys stealing the free deoderant, toothpaste, and mouthwash from the bathrooms?:D
I'm just busting on you... I was there once myself. But the Corp X with the big checkbook gets first dibs on the roast beef or ham...

As far as I know, AMR/EAGLE pay as much or more than the typical mom/pop/ big corporate, Fortune500 companies for those sim times. So yes, we Eagle pilots are entitle to those amenities as well.

"As far as I know" answers the question. You're only "entitled" to what's written in your contract. And the rates are different between dry leasing a sim and a full service package. Anyway, enjoy the privledge of filling up on the free pizza. Again, let me know if you find free sandwiches as I have not seen any provided by the company in 6 years. Although come to think of it, we have had food items disappear that were slated to go to very specific high value corporate clients. Hmmmm? Local hotels occassionally bring complimentary items in however and those are available to everyone.

When I was there a few years years ago, maybe 5? They had a bunch of mini sandwiches along with cheese, crackers and other stuff all spread out on a table in the main front room. There was a bunch of people there for something. I'm sure we weren't invited to partake, but...

I didn't know if that was a regular thing or not, just my experience. I typically just grabbed some oatmeal from that coffee break room when there was nothing else going on..

They can bill Eagle if it's a problem.

Until then, I keep smooching everytime I go to FS. Pizza or sandwiches or whatever they serve to those corporate"primadonas"....

I'm still ****ed about that one time at FSI I saw a dude run out the break room with a donut on each finger and when I tried to sack the donut box they were all gone. hungry-*ss fool!

At Air Wisconson the money you save not riding on yourself and the few extra bucks an hour you'll make, can be spent buying all the food you want. Sometimes the company and/or union even gives out free food, including samiches, pizza, and donuts. Bring your own milk, the cookies on the airplanes aren't half bad either.

but that is what managements mommy makes them when they go home at the end of the day.

ZW is so awesome. If I remember correctly, some of those "samiches" were PB&J handmade by management. Ahhh, nothing says, "Thank you," and "You're a professional," like store brand white bread. Thanks for going out of your way Air Wisconsin.

I was highly disapointed I missed out on the PB&J samiches that day. Aparantly this Thanksgiving there was some food poisoning handed out via free food in Philly. Luckily I over ate in DCA and didn't have any issues.

But at least we don't have to pay $7-15 depending on the size to eat our own sammiches.

Very true. I try to commute on AA strictly for the food they hand out. Not only do I not pay to ride, the chicken parm is pretty good. Chicken salad if you're in coach fyi.