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Which regional has the best contract?

Old 12-26-2014, 10:44 AM
  #1  
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Thumbs up Which regional has the best contract?

If most pilots use crew bases as #1 choice for choosing a regional, and if that choice is taken out of the equation, which regional has the best contract, and why?

Also...for those that may be new to the boards and don't understand what's in these contracts and what constitutes an above average vs below average contract, could some of you chime in?

For those that need to commute and be on base on a Monday at 6am and must therefore take a flight out the day before, are people still using crash-pads or does the regional have anything in the contract that provides you a room the night before?

In terms of flow agreements, how can W/O regionals guarantee a flow to mainline if they continue having difficulties recruiting FOs?
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Old 12-26-2014, 10:50 AM
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envoy for sure
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Old 12-26-2014, 10:50 AM
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AWAC. No question
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Old 12-26-2014, 10:59 AM
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Default Which regional has the best contract?

Originally Posted by Da40Pilot View Post
If most pilots use crew bases as #1 choice for choosing a regional, and if that choice is taken out of the equation, which regional has the best contract, and why?

Also...for those that may be new to the boards and don't understand what's in these contracts and what constitutes an above average vs below average contract, could some of you chime in?

For those that need to commute and be on base on a Monday at 6am and must therefore take a flight out the day before, are people still using crash-pads or does the regional have anything in the contract that provides you a room the night before?

In terms of flow agreements, how can W/O regionals guarantee a flow to mainline if they continue having difficulties recruiting FOs?
I think that the only regional with language for commuters is Commutair. They get around 4 hotel nights a month for commuting in the day before, or something like that.

As for best contracts, Air Wisconsin, Horizon, and XJT are above average. I'll post particulars on XJT's and TSA's contract since I'm in the middle of this conversation on the TSA thread.

Here is a document that shows total compensation for all the regionals. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...gid=1468257848

Here is a document about a year old that compares some of the language in all the regional's contract.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4nr4boaomf...09-13.pdf?dl=0

Here is an old thread on contract comparisons. http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/re...ns-please.html

Last edited by Nevets; 12-26-2014 at 11:26 AM.
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Old 12-26-2014, 11:00 AM
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ExpressJet Contract
Pay rates can be found on this site.

401k Matching
0-4 YOS 100% up to 4%
5-9 YOS 100% up to 5%
10+ YOS 100% up to 6%

Defined Contribution Plan
0-4 YOS 2.5%
5-9 YOS 4%
10-14 YOS 5%
15-19 YOS 5.5%
20+ YOS 6%

Profit Sharing
50% of every dollar earned above $30 million annual pre-tax income

Compensation
Paid the greater of:
• Scheduled block time (not historical block)
• Actual block time flown by segment
• Min day pay 2:00
• 3:00 for calendar day layover
100% cancellation pay
100% deadhead pay
Trip pay protected for jury duty

Line Holder guarantee: 75 hours
Reserve guarantee: 75 hours
Charter guarantee: 90 hours
Instructor guarantee: 90 hours

Ground Instructor pays: applicable longevity rate plus $12/hour override.
Aircraft/Simulator Instructor pays: applicable longevity rate plus $15/hour override.
Check Airman pays: applicable longevity rate plus $18/hour override.
Aircrew Program Designee pays: applicable longevity rate plus $21/hour override.
Minimum 5 hours per training event at override rate.
Charter pays: applicable longevity rate plus $18/hour override.
Minimum 5.5 hours per day at override rate.

Other pay Credits
• Drug Alcohol testing (30 minutes pay)
• CBT / Home study (50%)
• Performance Bonus
• Clearing Customs at hubs (10 minutes pay)
• Ground repositioning (12 minutes for domestic airport except EWR, 24 minutes for EWR, 30 minutes for arrival from international destination)
• 150% pay for voluntarily training on day off (cannot schedule your training on day off without your consent)
• 150% pay for trips picked up when reserve coverage is less than 10%

Vacation Accrual Rate
• Year 1: 7 days (7/12 days per month)
• Year 2-6: 14 days (14/12 days per month)
• Year 7-10: 21 days (21/12 days per month)
• Year 11+: 28 days (28/12 days per month)
Pay is 3.75 hours per day.
Paid the greater of monthly guarantee or line value. May pick up trips during vacation days or days off as add pay.
Instructors receive two additional personal days and holidays off with pay.

Sick Time Accrual Rate
5 hours per month starting from the month of initial ground school. Can use on day one.

Per Diem Rate: $1.80

Commuter, Sick, & Fatigue Policies
Commuter Clause: must have two flights with one seat available (can include the jumpseat) 36 hours before departure that arrives at least 15 minutes prior to show time, unlimited use, OR one flight arriving 15 minutes prior to show but can only be used 3 times in a rolling 12 calendar months.
No fault paid fatigue policy (not from sick bank)
No fault unlimited sick call policy if accompanied by doctor's note
Paid parking at domiciles

SCHEDULING
Line Holder: Min 12 days off per month
Reserve: Min 11 days off per 30 day bid period; Min 12 days off per 31 day bid period; 14 days off FLR
Charter: Min 14 days off per month
Charter pilots are home based
Instructor: Min 12 days off per month

40 & 60 hour Reduced Flying Lines (RFL)- voluntary
Built between 37-43 or 57 - 63 hours respectively
Minimum of 18 or 16 days off per month respectively
Can trip trade but cannot pick up on days off
Can pick up Advertised trips

No Fly Lines (NFL) - voluntary
Monthly guarantee of 0, 25, or 40, as requested, paid out from sick bank.
Cannot pick up open time or advertised trips

More Scheduling Rules
Domicile trades on monthly basis
Maximum of six legs per duty day.
Scheduled or rescheduled duty day will not exceed 13.5 hours or
11.5 hours for duty that begins between 2101LT to 0429LT (except for stand up trips).
Stand up trips not scheduled to exceed 14 hours, no layovers of less than 6 hours, and a maximum of 3 segments preceding the layover, and a maximum of 1 segment following the layover. These trips will not be built into lines; they will only be put in open time.
At least 2 days free from all duty will be scheduled between trips that operate between 0100 LT and 0400 LT and trips that do not operate between this period.
A trip that operates between 0100 LT and 0400 LT will be constructed with no more than 2 segments.
Regular lines will not average more than 88 block hours and no lines are built with more than 95 hours.
Trips will only be constructed with one to four day trips.
Lines will be constructed to provide at least 2 days off at the pilot’s domicile during any 7 consecutive day period.
Personal Drop with adequate coverage or crew scheduling consent.
Bad Day Worse Day Trades for line holders and reserve pilots.
Junior Manning is at 150/200% of the greater of:
-3.75 Hours per duty period
-Trip pay as calculated
No reassignment of line holder for trip picked up in open time
RED FLAG Open time can be picked up by line holders at JM pay (150/200%).

Reserve Rules
Airport Standby (4 hours) - paid at 4 hours or trip value, whichever is greater
Short Call Reserve - 2 hour call out.
Long Call Reserve - 12 hour call out.
Aggressive Pick Up Window for reserve pilots.
Floating Reserve Lines - 2 extra days off.
The largest block of days off for reserve pilots are immovable.

New Hires:
• Double Occupancy Hotel
• Uniforms are Payroll Deducted
• Jepps Supplied
• Per Diem during training ~$1500
• Once PC is complete, you begin receiving MMG (minimum monthly guarantee)
• Positive space travel provided to and from training and Home of record

Eligibility for FMLA
Yes – entitlement codified in contract

Emergency Leave
Up to 3 days with no reduction of monthly guarantee

Bereavement Leave
Four consecutive days with no reduction of monthly guarantee

Education Leave
A pilot may be granted an educational leave for a period not to exceed 1 year. At the end of the leave, he may apply for additional educational leave.

Personal Leave
A personal leave of absence may be requested by a pilot

Uniforms
$150/year uniform allowance

Insurance Benefits
-Company will not increase the employee contribution to medical insurance to more than 25%
-Various health plans – (starts 1st day of 3rd month of employment)
-Available plans depend on number of dependents and level of coverage ($21-383/mo)
-Prescription Drug Plan included in the medical plans
-Dental (starts 1st day of 3rd month of employment) $26-129/mo depending on HMO/PPO and # covered
-Vision $11-26/mo depending on # covered
-Flexible Spending Accounts - Health Care and Dependent Care
-Long-term Disability(LOL)- 55% of 85.5 hours at your applicable longevity rate (maximum of $90k) until age 65 or get medical back; company pays 55% of premiums; disability is defined as losing your medical; benefit begins on day you become disabled to when you get your medical back or age 65; Benefit reduced by amount received for workers' comp/OJI, VA benefits, social security, state disability, sick bank, unused and accrued vacation, or any compensation from the company or any of its affiliates.
-On the Job Injury bank 240 hours: pays the difference of state workers comp benefit and minimum guarantee
-Life Insurance - equal to one year of your annual base pay paid by the company. Includes a terminal illness benefit.
-Supplemental, Spousal and Child Life Insurance available
-Personal Accident Insurance -Provides a benefit if you die or suffer certain injuries as a result of a covered accident. Coverage available for you and your family. Coverage between $50k - $500k
-Business Accident Insurance - Provides benefits if you are injured while traveling on company business; $200,000 paid by the company

Other Stuff
Bidding done via online system. Bid via default (line number order), or assign values to re-order the lines for yourself. You can pick how you want them ordered based on line value, types of trips (1day / 2day), days off, etc.
Automated computer trip trades, trip advertisements, and picking up of dropped trips of other crew members and open time
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Old 12-26-2014, 11:01 AM
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SkyWest doesn't have a contract and we need to stop riding the coattails of the regional ALPA carriers!

Buy low, sell high.





.
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Old 12-26-2014, 11:02 AM
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TSA contract
Payscales:
on airlinepilot central.

Compensation:
Paid the greater of:
• Scheduled historical block time
• Actual block time flown
• Reserves have a four hour guarantee on days worked
100% deadhead pay
100% cancellation pay leg by leg
-150% for Junior Assignment on Day Off
-150% for Open Time Pickup
-4 hours per day of Training
-.3 hour for Drug Test
-12 minutes for Taxi pay (non-flight related) Except 24 minutes in ORD and IAD

guaranteed: 75 hours on reserve,
75 as a line holder.

New Hires:
• 60 hours per month paid
• Paid hotel
$800 living stipend. $200 in the second and fourth week of groundschool, the remaining at the end of IOE.

Vacation Accrual Rate
• -Vacation Accrual: 1 Year 7 Days;2 to 5 Years 14 Days;6 to 13 Years 21 Days;14 Years and over 28 Days.
Paid at 3.25 per day. Only carry over 1 week. Use it or lose it.

Uniforms: $25/month

401k Matching
-401K: Upon completing year one (1) to completion of year four (4): Company match of fifty percent (50%) of the pilot’s salary deferral up to four percent (4%) of compensation. (Maximum match of two percent (2%) of compensation).
Upon completing year four (4): Company match of fifty percent (50%) of the pilot’s salary deferral up to six percent (6%) of compensation. (Maximum match of three percent (3%) of compensation).

Other Stuff:
-Unlimited Commuter Policy

Benefits:
-Insurance: the pilot cost sharing contribution under the Health Benefits Plan for the employee-only tier shall not exceed thirty-eight percent (38%) of the COBRA cost, and the pilot cost sharing contribution for the employee +1 and employee +2 tiers shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the COBRA cost.
-LTD: The Company shall provide to all pilots who have completed their probationary period, at no cost to the pilot, a LTD insurance policy with benefits equal to sixty percent (60%) of the pilot’s monthly income subject to a monthly maximum benefit of one thousand dollars ($1,000), based on the pilot’s applicable hourly rate times 85 hours, and continuing until the pilot is no longer disabled or until age 65, whichever is earlier.

-Sick Pay: A pilot shall accrue two (2) hours of sick leave credit for each full month of active service in his first two (2) years. A pilot shall accrue three (3) hours of sick leave credit for each full month of active service during his third, fourth and fifth years. A pilot shall accrue four (4) hours of sick leave credit for each full month of active service beginning in his sixth year, up to a maximum of three hundred (300) hours.

-5 hours for Airport Reserve (10 hours long)
-Reserve Call out: 1:30 in STL and 2:00 in IAD and ORD
-45 minute reports with a max of 1 hour report
-12 days off min in 31 day month and 11 for 30 day month
-11 days off min for reserves
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Old 12-26-2014, 11:30 AM
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Originally Posted by Nevets View Post
I think that the only regional with language for commuters is Commutair. They get around 4 hotel nights a month for commuting in the day before, or something like that.

As for best contracts, Air Wisconsin, Horizon, and XJT are above average. I'll post particulars on XJT's and TSA's contract since I'm in the middle of this conversation on the TSA thread.

Here is a document that shows total compensation for all the regionals. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...gid=1468257848

Here is a document about a year old that compares some of the language in all the regional's contract.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4nr4boaomf...09-13.pdf?dl=0

Here is an old thread on contract comparisons. http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/re...ns-please.html
Thank you! After looking at the document, I have these questions:

What does "Scope" mean?
What is MEC?
What exactly is a Duty/Trip Rig??
What does it mean to be "junior assigned"?
How does sick leave accrual work?
What is PBS?
How do pilots end up "bidding" for trips, airplanes, bases etc?

I understand that airlines have the 75/avg monthly guarantee, but, how do some pilots end up making huge amounts of money by flying more and getting normal pay at 65 hours and then 150% on every hour on top of that? How do people do that and is that a possibility all the time in order to make a livable wage?

I can't be alone wondering what all these things mean! Thanks!
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Old 12-26-2014, 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Da40Pilot View Post
Thank you! After looking at the document, I have these questions:

What does "Scope" mean?
What is MEC?
What exactly is a Duty/Trip Rig??
What does it mean to be "junior assigned"?
How does sick leave accrual work?
What is PBS?
How do pilots end up "bidding" for trips, airplanes, bases etc?

I understand that airlines have the 75/avg monthly guarantee, but, how do some pilots end up making huge amounts of money by flying more and getting normal pay at 65 hours and then 150% on every hour on top of that? How do people do that and is that a possibility all the time in order to make a livable wage?

I can't be alone wondering what all these things mean! Thanks!
All very good questions!

Scope is referencing the boundaries of your contract, how far does it reach. In other words, to what aircraft/flying does it apply to. All mainline contracts have scope that does NOT encompass aircraft with less than 76 seats and other provisions such as hub to hub flying, length of trips, rations between RJs to narrowbodies, codesharing, joint ventures, etc. For regional contracts, it mostly applies to language such as alter egos, subsidiaries, wet leasing, etc.

MEC stands for Master Executive Council. This is the governing body of the pilots union at the respective airline. Other pilot unions my refer to it as BOD or Executive board.

Rigs are a ratio of hours to pay. A duty rig is a ratio of how pay hours for a given amount of duty hours. A trip rig is a ratio of pay hours for a given amount hours away from base (show time to duty out). For example, if you have a duty rig of 2:1, your pay will be at least one hour for every hour you are on duty. If your trip rig is 4:1, your pay will be at least one hour for every hour you are away from base.

Junior assigned is when a trip is added to the schedule of most junior pilot available.

Sick leave accrual is different depending on pilot contracts. Generally you accrue a given amount of hours for each month you complete.

PBS is preferential Bidding System. It is a software programed used to bid for trips in each month.

Pilots bid differently depending on each contract or airline policy. Not all pilot groups bid with PBS, for example.

As for your last question, you are talking about what we refer to as soft time. The amount of hours paid that are not actually hours flown. This is the key indication to the strength of a contract. Yet its very hard to discern. That's because its almost impossible to compare the key metric, average total compensation (not just what shows up on the W2) divided by actual block hours flown. Every contract is different and have different provisions. So its something you learn with time as you become familiar with your contract.
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Old 12-26-2014, 11:52 AM
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I can't believe nobody has given the obvious answer:

Southwest.
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