JayBee

So, I've been looking at making the switch from Helicopters to Airplanes. I've been reading this site for days on end (on my way back from deployment, have some downtime to kill). Long story short, one of the things I've picked up on is dead head and cancellation pay. Looking at the Airline Profiles I think only one mentioned it.

What Regional Airlines pay cancellation ?

What Regional Airlines pay deadhead ? ( to make sure I understand correctly - deadhead = re-positioning company plane ? )

Any thing thing else a newb to this side of the fence should be looking for when shopping a place to work ?

Thanks all much appreciated.

csucbrown

I'm sure some RAH bros can answer your questions regarding cancellation pay

Realtalk

Most have cancellation pay and 100% deadhead pay

DiveAndDrive

Hello. I can't speak on behalf of the other regionals, but I can tell you that Air Wisconsin has 100% deadhead pay, 100% released deadhead pay, and 100% cancellation pay.

A deadhead is riding as a passenger and repositioning yourself (not a plane) to a different city. So if you flew A to B then Y to Z, the company would get you a confirmed seat in the back of a plane to get to Y. This confirmed seat may or may not be on company metal.

Repositioning a company plane is called exactly that. A reposition (commonly just a "repo") flight.

airflight999

A deadhead is basically a leg you travel as a passenger with the rest of your crew in order to be positioned for a flight or simply finish your flying for the day.

Mesa offers %50 deadhead pay and no cancellation pay, however your pay cannot go below monthly minimum guarantee.

PilotCrusader

RAH doesn't pay cancellation. Not sure on others. Mesa either doesn't pay cancellation or only pays off to on maybe? Mesa guys??

Most pay fully cancellation. Most DO NOT pay full deadhead. This is the crappiest part of envoys new contract: deadhead is 50% pay. I think the other two WO are 50-75% too?

FaceBiten

Deadhead is when you ride in the back to reposition yourself...ie crew repo. Those pay usually at 50/75/100% pay depending on the airline. Ferry, or repo flights, like they are in the mil, are to repo aircraft. Those pay at normal flight pay. If you don't live in domicile and have to nonrev or jumpseat to work, that is on you and there's no pay for it. If it's the company moving you around from your domicile to an assignment elsewhere, they pay you.

When looking at an airline, deadhead pay isn't a huge deal. There aren't a lot of deadheads on schedules (inefficient for the company when they dh crews around). Cancelation pay is important depending on the airline. Min day guarantee is big too, so you don't get strung along for days on end getting an hour or two a day. Schedules are crappy when that happens and you waste a lot of time in hotels.

The number one thing to look for is living in base. And avoid shrinking airlines (shrinkage = stagnation...a la envoy and express jet). Growth = movement which equals better relative and global seniority, and can mean faster upgrades. But today's quick upgrade and growing regional is tomorrows POS stagnant shrinking regional. You'll know which was the best one to choose when its too late.

If you read this forum for days on end as you say you will figure it out. Get in and get out. Just don't commute. Doesn't sound all that bad until you live it.

Also, may want to consider staying in or at least getting in the guard. Playing the guard against the airline is great. It's a good way to bypass a lot of the crappy reserve and low seniority days...drop mil leave early and often until you can hold a decent line. What do you fly and where do you live?

FaceBiten

Mesa pays block or better. So if your leg was blocked at 2 hours and you cancel, you get 2 hours of pay. If you overblock you get paid more. If you underblock you get paid block.

PilotCrusader

I agree with most of the rest of your post. This part needs a little work IMHO.

If today's sweeheart is tomorrow's turd, shouldn't you go to today's turd? Sometimes that is actually a viable play. Chasing the fast upgrade usually doesn't work out for most: you need to have pretty much been there before it happened. not always true but a good rule.

I say domicile, contract, upgrade.

FaceBiten

Not every turd turns out to be a good place to go (gojet..) and not every good place turns bad (skw I guess?). Eagle and xjt sure turned out crappy though after being the best. Fast upgrades come and go. I never said go to the worst one hoping it gets better, but you can't predict who will be where in the next year or two. I would never have thought PSA would grow this much a year ago. I would never have thought I would work at Mesa a year or two ago. Thought of Mesa as the laughing stock of the laughing stock. The loser of the special Olympics. But things change. Doesn't mean go join the worst, but you gotta make an educated guess at who who'll be the best for the next 3-5 years.