Are you serious? The ones that ARE NOT bottom feeders are the ones who recognize the laws of supply and demand are FINALLY in the pilots favor and not willing to lower the bar. Regional wages have always been patheticly low and the oppurtunity finally came along to change that. That oppurtunity was lost thanks to the modern day sc@bs of PSA and PDT.

I don't know who you work for and frankly I don't care. But do you really not understand how much PSA and PDT signing concessionary contracts for their own short term benefits f'd us all? If you can't see, or just refuse to believe it, I can't help ya.

 

Which brings me back to my original question. How many are getting hired through the pref interviews? Not trying to sound like an ass but a pref interview is the biggest joke of a flow ever. If PSA and PDT are trying to grow their airline and need warm bodies, why would their parent company (AAG) allow them to move on?

Edit...I understand PDT has a true flow, at least that's something.

 

He doesn't "understand how much PSA and PDT f'd us all" because he went to work for JO at what has always been known as one of the worst bottom feeders in the industry.

 

Last I heard it was like 50 a year, and in think they have close to 1000 pilots now and growing. Even if they increased the numbers to 100 that's 10 years before you get your interview.
The reason I think AAG would allow them to move to mainline is to keep the cost down at PSA and PDT by getting the most expensive employees out. It also keeps applicant coming through the door.

 

I was hoping for numbers a little more accurate than that.

If that's what you think, you my friend need a history lesson and need to look no further than envoy! We have a true flow and are getting metered to our minimum, even though AAG (previously AMR) has been crying longevity for years!! PLEASE don't tell me you are this naive! To top it off, who cares about longevity when they have you capped at a 12 yr pay scale? Once that quick upgrade dies out, nobody is going to be knocking at their door for a crappy contract, a pref interview, and a scarlet letter on their resume.

Do you see now why that contract it God-awful? My opinion is that anyone going to PSA is destined for a LONG career there (unless they have some super good connections)

 

First off why does everyone think that just because you have a flow that you are stuck for years waiting. Did you mean you can't upgrade at PSA in 2 years and be a Captain for another 2 years and go to Delta? Or maybe United? JetBlue? UPS? FedEx?

There's tons of people that don't care about the flow at all. They just want to upgrade and chose a major. But in the end it's nice to have a flow in your back pocket if you need it. But all this stupid talk about being stuck at PDT/PSA because of a flow is stupid. We are still losing Captains and FO's to other airlines besides American.

 

Again, back to the original point. Do you know about how many are being lost to AA, UA, DAL, FEDEX,UPS, etc ? My point is that coming from a dirtbag outfit such as PSA and PDT will make it more difficult to get hired at one of the more desirable carriers.

 

All of the regionals have "dirtbag" qualities. The one that everyone hates today will be the "best" one tomorrow.

SkyWest is stealing work from 9E, TSA from XJT.

 

Not trying to argue, but I just don't think that coming from any regional is going to stop anyone from getting hired at a mainline carrier. I just don't think they care. Now as time goes by and more of today's regional pilots get on hiring boards I could see some instance of bias. But if there is a hiring board and qualified people are being denied jobs just because of where someone used to work management is going to be asking the hiring boards ***.

 

I know that "this time is different", but-

Anyone remember all the hubub about 9E when they opened ATL and there was word of street captains? Lots of interest in 9E. That was right about 6-7 years ago, wonder what happened to a lot of those pilots....

How about RAH and the huge influx of "guppy killlers". One of the worst contracts out there, but there was a feeding frenzy. If my memory serves me right, that started about 8 years ago. Wonder what happened to a lot of the pilots that jumped over......

And Goat Jet? How did it work out for a lot of the lateral movers there?

Or when Gulfstream became Silver a few years ago, lots of jumpers for the quick upgrade and or street captains. What's up at Silver now?.....

The list goes on, and the story will repeat as long as there is a FFD segment of the industry. You could take the threads from '06-'07 about the whipsaw and lateral moves and quick upgrades, etc and read them today and think it was current, just change the names and the details.

Some percentage of the pilots who make a lateral move will come out ahead, sometimes WAY ahead. Some will just be screwing themselves, sometimes very badly. And the piloting career will keep sliding backwards regardless of how it turns out for individuals.