RAH interview
 

Hey everyone just got an inteview with RAH in two weeks. I haven't heard much optimism about RAH in a while, so my question: Is it even worth doing the inteview? Any insight is appreciated...

1650 TT
800 turbine (Saab340) (Mesaba)
Reside in NY

With your previous experience, I'd wager that you might not need the interview practice, but if you'd like to bust some rust, go for it.

Actually accepting an offer, however, is another matter. I'd recommend doing so only as a last resort..in the last few weeks, RJET has turned in a cluster****** of epic proportions. Most pilots, including many people who until recently considered themselves lifers, are looking to bail as soon as possible. We have people with enough seniority to hold a captain's seat bailing for other regionals.

Now, I do have to say that living within driving distance of LGA/EWR/JFK is one of the better situations at Republic.

Sqwkvfr is right. We've recently had a 2007 DOH FO leave for Compass. Another 2008 DOH FO leave for Piedmont. Many others with similar seniority bypass the upgrade here and go to TSA where they will be a part time Captain..so to speak.

Reside in NY is huge but question is where? If you can reasonably drive to LGA then this place becomes tolerable from time to time. If you have to commute from somewhere like Buffalo or Rochester you living in NY really makes no difference. Still a commute....still will need a crashpad with our pairings....miserable.

Despite what the company will tell you at the interview there was zero interest shown by the company regarding renewed negotiations between the rejected TA(March 2014) and early November.....8 whole months of "oh well, we tried" attitude while simultaneously preaching some BS "culture change". Meanwhile, the company has met with our NC 15 or 16 times for 6 and 7 hours a day since November and have somehow managed to TA 3 whole freaking articles of check airmen, miscellaneous flying(?) and uniforms. Haha!! Yeah...really shows you how interested the company is in restoring trust in management and changing the culture and actually compensating their employees properly. Just wait until negotiations gets to the truly important articles like pay, scheduling, reserves, etc...we'll have that new contract in no time. What benefits the company more?....ponying up the dough for people that are already on property or sweetening the pot for a potential new hire in the form of a $10-15,000 one time signing bonus that they get a tax break on? Therein lies the answer just how truly close we are to the company playing ball and us reaching an acceptable labor contract.

I would suggest Eagle since they have a NY base and at least have an alleged flow...their concessionary contract is still better than ours. But if you do choose to come here, get ready for a long upgrade wait if you get stuck(lot of lifers going no where, very senior pilot group) and bringing home around 2100-2400 every month for the foreseeable future once you are past first year pay(whopping 22.95/hr)....pay doesnt increase much after that initial bump. Good pilot group, lot of good people here that are fun to fly with. Living in base is the difference between night and day in my opinion...even at a place like RAH.

I was one of those that that left 2.8 years in (I would have upgraded maybe in 2 years, so roughly 5 year upgrade, but that was super optimistic)

I came to TSA for the CQFO program and I'm in the first class and they tell us that they really don't plan on flying us right seat (so much in fact that they told us not to focus on FO flows but to just know of them)

I was a commuter at Shuttle America...and life was for the most part miserable, I held weekends off and made just over 40K on 3rd year (i tried to fly the least amount, zero motivation to help them) I would have made 45-48 if I really wanted to. Getting called at 4am on your day off to see if you want to pick up some flying was super fun...especially since there is no soft pay.

Terrible contract
Terrible work rules
Terrible schedules
Terrible Management/pilot cohesion

Fun airplane

if you have no other choice than try to live in base...you will still want to kill puppies but just not as many.

my advice: go to Compass, PSA, TSA, or at least Mesa

What is the difference between Shuttle and Republic? I have read all of the info on how bad RAH is, but I live at one of the bases and therefore it's the best of the worst evils.
I'm interested in the differences of the two so I can make the decision when hired.
Thanks

Not a huge difference between certificates, other than longer flights and different bases at S5. Some S5 guys will argue that they have friendlier training/chief pilots, but it's all shades of grey to me.

Near-term plan is to get down to one certificate.

With that said, DO NOT ASSUME YOU CAN CHANGE CERTIFICATES AS AN FO!!!!

The current CBA does not allow changing certificates until you upgrade. With how long it takes us to implement things (7+ years into our EFB program), do not assume that cert consolidation will happen soon. It is also dependent on some scope changes with our mainline partners.

If EWR/LGA/JFK are in your future, we are supposed to have a decision on which certificate the 50 United E175s are going to by the end of January.

As a new hire, I would go where the new planes are going. If those United birds go to YX (Republic), you could end up on indefinite reserve at S5 (shuttle). If you don't have that long to make a decision, S5 is the only one that will guarantee a New York base (barring base closure or loss of flying). YX does not have any E170 NYC bases, but if the E175s come here, then EWR will be huge.

I agree with the above post except for the last comment in regards to who get the a/c.

You are one list, it truly doesn't matter. They will pull from all 3 to upgrade. When on Shuttle, I moved up no faster than anyone on the Republic cert when they were getting the new AA flying. It will have a very small on effect on how staffing effects certain bases...(i.e. some bases such as PHL on Republic's side or LGA on Shuttle side will feel like there is more growth because FO's will bid to the new bases)


other than a few operational differences...almost identical airlines

again I reiterate....my advice is to stay away...they are in a massive staffing issue

(rumor from my buddies still there...they want to expedite the parking of the 145's to staff the flying or they will have to park some 170's because they just can't staff them.)

Couldn't you go back to Endeavor? I had heard they were letting past employees return and keep their original DOH for longevity but not seniority. Couple that with a Jr NYC base, 30k in bonuses over the next two years and an interview at Delta, it sounds like it wouldn't be a bad option for you.

If that base happens to be an outstation, you'd have a better quality of life commuting to another regional. Republic does everything it possibly can to make outstation schedules suck as much as possible...that, along with making the lives of crew members miserable are a two things that RAH actually does well.

If it's a hub, I'd normally recommend Shuttle, but the company wants all of the UAL flying to be on the Republic certificate, making it entirely feasible that some Shuttle bases may not be long for this world.

There are just too many uncertainties to predict what's going to happen at RAH. I'd strongly recommend staying away.

Why would anyone go to RAH, when everyone is hiring? Hope you like being abused, because you will be. If you believe anything senior managements says, you will be disappointed. Go to Eagle if you want a NYC base.

I don't post much....mostly read....but I think that what every RAH basher has to say is hilarious. It seems like its mostly guys from companies that took concessionary contracts to get new airplanes. RAH has secured new aircraft without having to sign a crappy contract....

For other pilots to call RAH "bottom feeders" is bullspit. Have you ever thought that these wholly owned only get new airplanes is because they know that's the only way your company will survive? I mean honestly...do what daddy says right? "Clean the garage son or you don't get the car for the weekend"...clean the garage and you get to go out with Mary whatever her name is....Point being Mary might be ugly as heck, but you're lucky to have a date and a car to get you there....

There is no point in arguing which regional to go to...because in my eyes they all suck. You just got to pick a place where you think your QOL will be the best. Go to one that you think will stay afloat 5 years out and put your time in. Thats IF you can get to the majors.People come to this industry thinking they will get out and make $200,00.Which is a far cry from the truth.

As far as flow through i think thats a myth. Dangle the carrot as they say...if in fact thats what you go there for...are you sure you want to work for the company thats flowing through? Seems like taking a crappy TA because of "flow through" or "preferential hiring" is putting all your eggs in one basket.

My point to all this is that nobody knows the best regional to go to. Its all about timing. With that being said...regional airlines suck....all of them. I have heard guys from PSA, Compass, RAH, Expressjet, Skywest....they all complain. So there should be no more "bottom feeders", guys that take "concessions", or this and that. We are all in the same industry and we can't make it better by arguing about who is the biggest turd in the toilet. we are all in there and we all stink. Put your time in. Stay afloat and hopefully get flushed to a major.

-drops mic

"I'm Out"

Those concessionary contracts are still way better then what we have.
Not defending the cowards at psa, pdt, endeavor, and envoy. Our contract is just that bad.

Way better! And the TA that was presented that RAH turned down wasn't even close to the concessionary contracts of the 3 cowards. :rolleyes:

Internet fight :D lol

My crappy regional is better than your crappy regional

RAH new contract?
 

To the OP. You better listen to Silly Ho on this one. He/She is actually right this time. NOW if RAH would have voted down all 3 of those contracts ( and they would have ) what's that tell you about us getting a contract ratified anytime soon.....hmmmmm.


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The poor reputation we have here at BB's workhouse is not entirely undeserved. For well over 10 years, we've been the hammer used to tear down other decent regional contracts. We enjoyed enormous growth at the expense of all the better paying carriers. I don't bother with the silly Internet battles, but I don't pretend that we didn't do enormous damage to the industry ourselves. Our CBA set the low standard in the industry.
I shudder to think of what the next POS TA the worthless IBT tries to shove down our throats is going to look like. The concessionary contracts at Envoy, PSA, and Express Jet are still lightyears ahead of anything we can dream of at RAH.

Well I did work at RAH, and still have many friends there. The only way RAH works for a pilot is if you live in base, and take a second job.

..and are in your early 20s and can handle the circadian rhythm violations of their ridiculous outstation schedules.

LOL! so your saying when you got the first E-Jets your contract at that time was industrial leading?? hahahahahahaha

RAH was able to secure new aircraft because they contract was already crappy. You can't really be that dumb can you????? I think it's best that you keep reading instead of posting.

LOL and go back and pick up your mic

Actually I don't even think you guys will get a contract as good as our. That window has past.:D

Come back to Endeavor and you will get longevity for pay and Vaca. With the bonus you will make some good money year one. And NYC base.

When the 2003 contract was ratified, it was the best we could get. There were no 170s or 190s. We didn't know about them but Bedford sure did and took advantage of it at every opportunity.

I flew with a brand new first officer right off IOE last week, and I was straight forward with him. I said, get in here, get your time, and get out as quick as you possibly can.

Isn't that every regionsl airline???

It's especially important at a fast sinking ship like RAH. Most people hired here will never see the left seat before we shut down.

In that case tell them to leave ASAP.

They have 2 years commitments.

And I would have thought your remarkable, superior pilot group would have learned from our 2003 mistake. Interested in how that cap is gonna work out when you get 145s. Lather rinse repeat.....


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Curious as to how RAH is a "fast sinking ship"?
I thought they were the 4th most profitable airline, other than the apparently less than favorable practices in how they treat the pilot group, what would be the indicator that they are sinking?

Your mistake was your own. Like ho said our contract, even with that LOA is better than anything you would have gotten. Get our work rules/vacation and Envoy's pay rates and your new deal would be great compared to what you have now and across the board better than most other regionals. If the wholly owned carriers are holding you down the above shouldn't be difficult to achieve.

C series orders... Someone from RAH can probably shed more light on this

We are not committed in that way. Expect those orders to be sold or cancelled. After the failed F9 experiment, there's no way Wall Street will tolerate another branded experiment.

I didn't think they could be canceled without substantial financial penalty...

I thought they would be sold or cancelled also. Then I saw the failed TA did not have pay rates for the c series then I became convinced we will see them. If we aren't getting them then they could have put 747 pay rates in that column and tried to buy some votes. Instead they tried to sneak in the 76+ seat pay rate.

My guess is hub yo hub feed for a foreign carrier in United States. Or Allegiant or Alaska (no scope).

The only way we can staff our current flying is by parking airplanes. Hiring is not covering current attrition. We've got some shiny new airplanes on order with no one to fly them. The company is throwing all sorts of bonus money around to try and get people in the door while doing absolutely nothing to stem the flow of pilots leaving. Our mainline partners, especially Delta, don't take too kindly to their servants that are unable to meet their contractual commitments. We are rapidly approaching a point were we will inevitably lose some contracts.

Our executives are rapidly selling off their shares as quickly as legally allowed. The future here does not appear as bright and rosey as the recruiters try to make it seem. The company response to try and improve morale around here was to hire a consulting firm to come up with little parties and cost-neutral trinket giveaways to look like they care. We even created a new executive position to oversee the culture change. Yup. Another well paid executive to show us how it's done. Meanwhile, we continue to operate under a twelve year old contract with absolutely no chance of seeing any worthwhile TA in the foreseeable future. FO pay rates are permanently capped at $36.62 with anywhere from a 7-10 year upgrade.

Still less money than another branded exercise. I don't recall the exactly tally, but we lost several hundred million in the F9/Midwest experiment. I contend that we do not have the capital/debt capacity to start a branded operation. We are profitable, but starting a new airline, with a new type, with all the costs of a startup; not going to happen. That's our reality.

I agree with you, I was suggesting the hit from not taking those planes have potential to damage rah

Holy crap. Your cap FO pay is equal to second year FO pay at TSA. How could you not be profitable? Is upgrade really 7-10 years? I mean how are FOs not quitting in droves?

I had no idea.

I never said the company wasn't profitable. We're just barely keeping the operation together. But the suits are very well compensated. Countless cancellations and re assignments are the norm for flight crews.

Upgrades can only happen when expensive old farts like me leave, or we expand the fleet. I don't have the exact numbers, but I believe we are currently parking more planes than we are bringing on line. So we really do have a very lengthy upgrade time at the moment. FOs are leaving in very large numbers. Many are starting over at other regionals, but quite a few are getting called up to the majors as well.

Surprisingly, we arent shrinking at all......yet. Upgrade right now is far more dependent on the ability to find new hires. The company has a desperate need for captains, but upgrades will continue to be slow as long as we arent getting any new hires. I know Bedford is turning away more than one airline asking for additional planes. He'd rather park planes and deny additional growth than pay his employees a livable wage. Very sad.