Ae Upgrades????
 

So after some short reading about how supposely the upgrades at American Eagle will be dramatically lowered...I was wondering what everyone would think of American Eagle if HYPOTHETICALLY their upgrade time was 2-3 years? I ask this because I'm wondering if the only bad thing about AE is the long upgrade. Thanks.

I would definitely apply even with their high upgrade, what I heard their a pretty good company and nice domiciles.

Domiciles? Oh...bases.

The uprgrade time can go nowhere but down.

I just had an Eagle captain in my jumpseat the other day, and I was asking hime about upgrades. He said when AA callbacks start to occur, then he was HOPING they would go down to five years. He said there's just too many captains that are happy with their schedules/pay/stability. Too many that have absolutely not intention of going to any major.

It's not too hard to live on $80,000.

it is if your G/F was like mine :)..............and she make smore than that, so I guess Ill never be the bread winner, unless I get very lucky and get on with SWA, UPS or FEDEX of course

I realize this is going to be very vague, especially to those without 121 experience, but the work rules at American Eagle are definitely inferior to quite a few other regionals, such as SKW, XJT, and Horizon. So I don't think the long upgrade is the only reason to go with eagle over another carrier.

The most junior upgrade on the lastest bid was Summer 1999 hire date, and went to the SAAB. Even if all 400+ flowback leave in the next 2 years, I highly doubt it will go to 2-3 years. Maybe 5-6 years.

You heard wrong. I don't work there but have several friends that do. Not a single one likes it or has a single good thing to say about it. And in talking to Eagle crews on the hotel van, they aren't alone. I've never met a SINGLE person who says they are a good company. FWIW.

It all depends on what you want out of life and how willing you are to put up with some unpleasantries for the eventual payoff. Life as a lineholder at Eagle can be quite good especially if you live in domicile.

Its a good company. There, said it! Good variety of equipment, maintenance, decent pay, bases, good crews, large network, stable (maybe too stable). If this was a really bad company then we wouldnt have a problem with people staying here for 10 yrs+ Pilots are good at bitching, I am sure you all could find something to complain about in regards to your company.

If you like it at AE, then all the power to you. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I cannot say definitively if it's good or not because I don't work there - and I thank God everyday I don't... based on what my buddies say. However, people stay there for 10+ years for two reasons. 1. They went there with little-to-0 PICT and it takes forever to get it because of the lenghty upgrades, thus making it hard to step up to a legacy, SWA or UPS/FedEx. 2. People spend so much time just moving up the ladder, they feel like they have too much invested to leave. I'm not knocking anyone who stays for those reasons - to each his own. But most (not all) people don't stay there because it's a stellar company.

Also, you speak of people staying 10+ years. What about the retention problem AE has and the fact that AE can't fill new-hire classes? There a ERAU students getting offered jobs before they even graduate. I'd imagine the long upgrade times are mostly the cause but it's not the only cause. It's not the most "pilot friendliest" environment over there.

I worked at Eagle, and it was probably the best company I have worked for. The only down side was the long upgrade. Upgrades will come down quite a bit with the lack of hiring between 2001 and 2004.

If/when the upgrade time comes down, things will be much more attractive at Eagle and life will be better. But the adverserial (mgmt vs. pilots)environment will still be there. Most of the crews I have met have been good people, - infact, an AE FO saved my commutin' a$$ last month. I hope things improve for everyone there.

Two questions that can answer the mysterious "will the upgrade time decrease" question.

1. How many people were hired from 9/11 through 2004? Someone mentioned a lack of hiring from 2001-2004, but does anyone have any hard/approximate numbers. Or just simply during what period did Eagle not hire?
   
2. How many flow throughs are there at Eagle? Are they mostly at the top/middle/bottom of the AA furlough list. This number can be used as a good guage for the number of pilots who will be leaving Eagle in the next few years.

Sure would like to hear some examples of why our work rules are inferior. I am a line holder at Eagle and life is quite good.

-152 people hired between 01/01 and 01/04
-258 between 01/04 and 12/31/04
-113 between 01/05 and 12/31/05
-234 between 01/06 and 11/27/06

-348 AA flowbacks currently at eagle
-394 AE/CAs who already have AA sen #s
-243 additional CAs who have bid flowthrough but have no #

To bid flowthrough you have to complete IOE on the jet, so the most junior CA who has bid flowthrough was hired around 7/98. Majority of flowthroughs without #s were hired early 90s. There is a lot of potential for upgrades to drop, but it would be a lot of big 'IFs' for things to work out perfectly. Basically 348+394+243= 985 CAs that have made intentions that they are going to AA eventually. The 348 flowbacks will all go, but it will be interesting to see if/when the flowthroughs will go.

Your #'s are VERY VERY optimistic. Most of the 394 with numbers will grieve hardship and retire at AE. In May of this year the flow through/back letter 3 expires. The 243 without #'s may never get to go to AA. The only definite thing is the 348, they will leave, but it could be along time before they go.

Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. Nothing ever happens or changes fast AE....

Yes, the #s posted were best case scenario. Like I said in the post that would be the perfect situation and there were a lot of big IFs. I agree that all of the Flowbacks will eventually go (may take a few years) and anything beyond that depends on the letter 3 negotiations which are coming up in Feb 08 on our negotiation round.

Barring age 65 or a merger at AA I think all flowbacks will be gone by year end 2008. I just flew with one who accepted for April and he was only the tenth of 30 iirc. He said 9 of those 10 are flowbacks and that the non-flowback acceptance rate is around 8 or 9 to one. Rumor is about 500 recalls this year so a large majority of flowbacks will be gone by this time next year. Now if we could just get a little growth and hold off on age 65 for a few years...

They may grieve hardship but it won't be granted. Pay is not considered a hardship.

Shut your pie hole then.

I don't work at Eagle, but I too would like to know why people think their work rules are inferior.

Easy, Hot Rod. Just re-iterating the opinions/thoughts of a few close friends at AE, and those of every single AE crew I've met for the last 7 years. Have a good weekend.