Expressjet Corporate Questions?
 

Ok...from what I hear you can choose to be apart of the XJT corporate team and where you live is basically your domicle...is this true? I also hear that you get paid a little more than the regular line guys (and gals) on the corporate side? Lastly, do you think that this new department of XJT is going to last and is it a good idea to jump on this? Any info...

First year FO pay will be ~$44k. Second year it's ~$55k if I remember correctly. 14 days off, home basing.

Suffice to say, it would be pretty tough to "jump on this" as it'll probably go uber senior. Just a hunch though. If you're not there now it might be kinda tough to get it I would think.

The corporate flying is more set-up as a domicile than a seperate entity. In essence, you could bid to based in IAH, EWR, CLE, or Charter. It's not set-up like NetJets Av. and NetJets Int where they are two seperate companies.

The pay is an $18/hour override and 90 hour guarantee. If you're not at XJT or are a new-hire, chances are 0 that will hold it. To put it into perspective, I could not hold a CA position as a 7 year CA and my seniority is around 550 system-wide.

I am in new hire FO training for the non charter side right now, in systems uggh, and from what the instructors are saying, the charter side is a whole different system.

They say that the interviews are totally seperate from the non-charter side and the bidding system will be seperate also. I'm not sure how true this is, but the instructors spend more time rubbing shoulders with the chief pilots and probably get accurate info. firsthand.

As far as getting hired for charter your chances are very slim if you are coming from outside the company. Even from within you've gotta be very senior.

Also, the branded flying is true, company just distributed the marketing flyer today showing the new paint scheme. The first plane in the new livery will roll out of the Saltillo paint shop in mid Jan. 07. Looks totally different, definitely does not look like Continental anymore. Mixed feelings about it around the training center. I like it.

Things are getting very busy at the training center. Hiring is nuts, Weekly interviews, Double and triple classes for new hires. My class is doubled with 32and a triple class of 48 started indoc today. I'm only in systems and it looks like i'll have over 100 numbers under me before IOE. Hell I don't even know my base yet for that matter.

CAL is hiring 38-40 xjt pilots a month, some with 0 turbine pic, straight from the right seat of an erj to 737's and 757's, thats nuts.

If everything management has planned goes well this is a great time to get on here. I feel things are going to be just fine.

The corporate is different from the line flying. Different bidding and different list of pilots. You have to apply for the position once on line and than interviews are in senoirity order. No chance at a new hire getting hired into the corporate department. It went really senior. If you really want to do it learn the line flying well, learn the plane well, and get to know the chief pilots.:D

Good luck in training.

I must say, this sounded like a last resort for them to be headed in this direction. Hopefully it works out - although history doesn't look to favorably upon Companies using RJ's as their main money maker.

If you are talking about FlyI..... that is a totally different set of circumstances....

Hopefully Xjets circumstances will work.....the last thing anyone needs is more furloughed pilots...

Ever hear of Midway?

RJ's just don't work when used as an airlines main fleet type. They are designed to "feed" passengers into the mainline aircraft, where the money is actually made. They are also used to establish new routes before mainline moves in (ie Airtran's jetconnect service).

What if XJT is successful in making this flying profitable? Do you think CAL will not take notice? They would essentially be funding their competition.

XJTs flying is going to be done is small under-served markets..... There wont be any competition with CAL or any other "major" carrier. This is what makes the branded flying that they are going to do unique.

Are you familiar with the flying the "RJ" does for CAL? I am....and they dont feed anything...these aircraft are used in ways that they werent made for and are actually doing quite well. Most of the passengers we carry dont ever step foot on a CAL aircraft.

I have heard of Midway....Im not familiar with the flying they did.....why dont you enlighten me?? ;)
Then we can compare the similarities between XJT and Midway and decide if they can even be compared.




edited for after thoughts :)

I understand the philosophy with what they are trying to do. Basically an EAS (without the EAS contracts) that connects medium sized cities, correct? Point to Point service. However I doubt you won't have any competition. Most medium/large sized cities do have airline service. Also I doubt what your company is doing hasn't ever been thought of before. Maybe there are reasons WHY it hasn't been done before ;).

Very true. Long range flying from a hub. However neither you nor I can prove if they (CAL) are making money off of those flights, or making money off of their larger operation as a whole. Airlines routinely operate flights that are not money makers, so why would XJT/CAL be an exception?

The reason you haven't heard of Midway is because they were a smaller operation down in NC who went bankrupt pre-911. I concede what they used their RJ's for was also akin to FlyI, however the business model didn't work with them either (using RJ's for point to point service). It will be interesting to look at XJT's profits 4Q 2006 and compare them to 4Q 2007. We'll have to wait a year to find out if they are able to "make" money off of this branded flying. In the mean time it's fun to speculate :D.

Midway also had 737s, and maybe 727s if memory serves.

Yes, and they couldn't make money with either. Although that doesn't mean it won't work (maybe their management wasn't very bright) it isn't a good sign. RJ's just don't make money, especially with gas at $2.00/gal+.

On a side note, we have a few ex-midway birds. The ones with leather.

No, I provide the yang against everyone else's yin on here pushing XJT. I just like giving people something to think about. Think about it as being a "devils' advocate". You're probably right though, I should tone it down a little. I can see how all the XJT'ers are excited - if my company was doing it's own flying I would think that was neat too.

As far as where I'm at, it's a very stagnant company for which growth isn't really an option. But I am happy here, for now.

Well if I remember correctly Mesa bought Midways Cert. and all of there 200’s.

RJs can make some great profits if used on a captive audience with no other direct flights available. I believe XJT is making a good profit on at least their Mexican flights and probably on quite a few overall. As far as showing that RJs can work right now- look at the American Connection flights out of STL. STL was greatly reduced by mainline AA a few years ago, but it is now a hugely profitable mini-hub with the RJs doing direct flights, mostly to airports that have no other direct flights for competition, and charging very big ticket prices for these direct flights. They specifically avoid going head to head with Southwest and most other carriers unless the other carriers are also charging big bucks for the flights. Another factor that helps is keeping the connections to a minimum so that almost every seat is paying the full price for that specific leg. To work, an airline definitely needs to closely watch the competition and avoid any possible fare wars on RJ routes since they cannot win a fare war against a 100+ seat carrier with big pockets. There are definitely quite a few things that limit the opportunities for an all RJ carrier, but if very carefully planned and operated, it can work in some cases.

I can't speak for the midway certificate, but they didn't buy ALL of the RJ's. AWAC ended up with 4 or 5.

And two motor Fokkers as well.

Yeah, just like in the late 90's and 2000. When just about every other airline was doing it to. That is sooooo crazy, isn't it?

Do you have any facts to back that up? Also XJT makes a profit on every flight. It's CAL who is concerend about how much revunue the flight brings in ;).

OK hold on a second. We are talking two completely different things. Just because Eagle offers a "direct" flight from STL to BFE doesn't mean every passenger on that flight is originating in STL. STL is a hub. People come into the hub, then get on another flight and go to their destination. The majority of XJT's mexico flights also originate at a hub (looking at their route map at least).

We are talking about doing "point to point" flying bypassing a hub, essentially the old SWA business model but using aircraft 1/3 the size and double the operating costs.

Finally, somebdoy that knows what he talking about. I think it's about 30% more overall higher cost, but I could be wrong. But non the less, 1/3 the size (less potential for revenue) and more expensive (less potential for profit).

...and a lot less passengers to spread the overheads costs of the operation. Basically a recipe for a disaster.

fosters is right, no matter what the company, we're all doomed. Unless you work for fosters company, GET OUT NOW!!!

Fosters works for AWAC, and so do I. We aren't faced with losing 1/4 of our fleet next year...but after the pilot group accepting concessions (based on company lies), United giving us the heave-ho, losing all the 146s and shrinking to 70 RJs, having over 80% of our company become commuters to the east coast and losing somewhere around 50% of the pilot group in 18 months, believe me when I say things aren't peaches & ice cream in Wiskeyland.

75% of XJT flying is still well, going to be flying. My main beef is with people on here encouraging others to quit their jobs and go to XJT. WTF? Why would you knowingly take a gamble like that. To me, it's like walking into a rigged game of Poker with your fingers crossed.

I took a gample coming to the company I am at too. Although they had just signed their 10 year deal so I knew the company had a pretty good chance of hanging around for a bit. I'm all about calculated risks vs. rolling the dice with my eyes shut.

People going to XJT now are taking a big risk, IMO. You could end up on the street or you could end up at a company that starts its' own branded flying and ends up being the next SWA. Perspective employees should think about that vs. XJT's current 2 year upgrade time and good work rules.

I'm not counting on getting a profit sharing check for 2007.

I agree, if the company wants this branded flying to take off, they are going to have to commit to larger airplanes in less than two years. They will definitely need something like a E190 to make money because of the CASMs on the E145, they are just too high.

First of all every job at there is a gamble. Second you don't work at XJT so you have no idea what is going on here or what is planned. You can speculate all day long, but we will all wait and see. We all get it you hate XJT. Ok enough. We turned you down for a job now you come on here and say how terrible a place it is.

If you know so much than why don't you go into management. You are smart enough to know that there is no money being a pilot. The only people that make money are the bosses. So quit bashing XJT and apply for a managers position somewhere.

AMEN!!!!!!

Sorry to disappoint, I never even applied there. Number one I didn't like the fact that it had undergone such huge growth in such a short of time, number two I didn't like that I would be on the bottom of a VERY large seniority list, and number three I didn't like the bases and I made the decision to live in domicile when I started applying for the regionals. I didn't have 600 hours when hired, I could be picky :). I never said it was a terrible place to work, did I? Please post a link to backup your allegation. All my reasons were personal, none were made because the Company itself was "bad".

Anyway, I have already said we will have to wait and see what their year in financials look like in 4Q 2007. People on here agree with me, even those that work for XJT, so I can't be too far off. In the mean time, pilots will do what we do best and think of better ways to run the company :D.

Ever see the movie office space? That's why I don't leave for management :D. That, and there's no real money in that either. The only people that make the real money are the ones working for themselves. Bosses are still employees.

"Y'know, airline management is no picnic. I have a client in there right now. He says the trick is: kick someone's ass the first day, or become KL's *****. Then everything will be all right. W-Why do you ask, anyway?"
:D