If it's benefits you want make sure you get on with a regional that flies for delta!

Wholly owned airlines are not in the top of the bottom of the stack. They share the same privileges as AA mainline employees when it comes to flight benefits. It is time of check in so an envoy employee/family member can get a seat and an AA employee could be left behind. The jumpseat for AA has priority on their metal followed by the WOs. While not great I've traveled several times with a family of three. It is close sometimes but always seems to work out.

Word to the wise… flight benefits are a joke! All flight are typically over sold and its completely unreliable source to travel. The only way I use them are last minute 1/2 day trips. And only if the flights look green coming back. I also have had to stop all routes flown by MESA because they are so unreliable. They cancel one flight and bam the rest of the flights get listed with revenue stand by. Forget about flying from DFW to ORD/MIA. You have to be crazy to try to go on one of those flights. Good luck.

True, but still doesn't help get you on the plane. It just helps to give you the bad news sooner.

Well... My wife and I have been using our AA travel benefits for a year now and haven't had any issues. Be savvy about the time of year and what day you make travel plans on and it usually works out. All AA wholly-owned regionals have the best travel benefits. And to whomever said you have to be a "25 year CA" to enjoy flight benefits is painting a stark picture. At PSA you can be a round 1 line holder and completely manipulate your monthly schedule via our SAP and get a week + off in a row almost every month if traveling is your thing and you want to take advantage. I know plenty of pilots here who do it.

I love how all you wholly owned guys tout that you have the best bennies. At Skywest, depending on where you're based, you have United, Delta, Alaska, and American. I would argue that having that flexibility is way better than having a little better priority on ONE carrier.

Yea you know, to each their own. All I was saying is that it is nice having the same priority as mainline is pretty nice for traveling and commuting. And AA happens to take me just about anywhere I want to go domestically, so off-line travel isn't even really a factor.

Really? Tell us...where on the priority list do Skywest pilots fall when attempting to board on United, Delta, Alaska, or American?

Because I can tell you how it works at Envoy, PSA, and PDT. EQUAL boarding priority on AA. We and our families are no different and if we checked in first (up to 24 hours prior) we can leave mainline AA pilots/employees at the gate.

Then after all AA/Envoy employees board guys like you who work for Skywest and other airlines get their turn...if there are any seats left.

You honestly think whatever it is you have at Skywest can beat that? Variety doesn't mean anything when you are at the bottom of a 80 person Standby list.

You're not at the bottom when you're on your own metal. And Skywest has a pretty large network. Not saying it's like being at Mainline, but I'd argue that the flexibility you get by being able to non-Rev at a mid-level priority on every US carrier can be just as important as being able to have a high priority on one. Tell me, Mr. WO, what happens when your last flight from ORD to anywhere is oversold on American. Can you go and get a high priority on United flight?

Hahahaha. Well I don't know what to tell you bud. I've taken my family of 5 to Hawaii, gotten several extended family members all over the country on buddy passes, and flown my step sons up and down the west coast multiple times a year. I would say you don't know what you don't know. I also know getting an entire family overseas is also very easy on our bennies. Yes, I think we beat that.