Xjet ,hands down, no comparison needed.You won't be able to log that crucial under wing time at xjet lol but better pay,qol and company, in my opinion

UWET LOL..Under wing engine Time

that's UWET yet.

Does anyone commute from TPA to ATL? I live in TPA and have offer from Skywest. I'm curious about Express Jet and their ATL base.

Talking about Skywest around these guys is blasphemy!

It's not really blasphemy as it is more like talking about Voldemort aka he who shall not be named

We have TPA-ATL commuters. It is difficult, but not insurmountable. Lots of Mainline commuters. They get jumpseat priority over us.

I would love to stick up for XJT but honestly have to say that career wise skywest is a better choice. They continue to get flying and have much quicker career progression which equals much greater pay and quality of life. I hate to say it boys/girls but XJT is a sinking ship!!!

I agree with some of that but if by career progression you just mean upgrading to captain than that's not the career progression many people want. I believe XJT sends more people to the majors and LCCs than SKW does. That's career progression in my opinion

Thats only because you have a influx of 10-15 year guys that planed on being lifers that ate jumping on the life rafts....

Haha that may be the case

ATL
 

How long to get ATL, how much time on reserve and to upgrade?

To hold Atl?Couldn't tell you.Reserve? Forever. Upgrade at xjt? When Jesus comes back .Maybe not even then

Present conditions are no indicator of future results...

Most junior FO in ATL was hired in May 2016.
Most Junior to hold a line in ATL was March 2015.
Current junior upgrade is September 2007 hire date.
Current ATL Captain upgrade is April 2007 hire date.

And upgrade time is falling.

I fly with a lot of your WMU brethren where I am now and it's crazy, 2-3 years out of university and they're holding CA.

FWIW: If I'd stayed at L-ASA, I'd be approaching 9 years seniority and I would still be a First Officer today.

I look back and realize by not going to a place with a faster upgrade I probably missed 4-5 years of Regional CA pay/retirement savings. TPIC may not be everything these days, but the monetary penalty of being stuck in the right seat at ExpressJet are tremendous.

Better to work for the non union leech sucking XJT dry.

at ASA, the upgrade time is NOT dropping. Oct would be my 9 year anniversary and I still can't upgrade. if they stick to DFW upgrades ONLY, I'd be on the next 1 or 2 lists. which means effective date jan/feb 2017. If they stick to ATL or DTW, it'll be another 6-8 months IF they kept upgrading 8/month. HOWEVER, the upgrades have stopped. they should've had a position notice end of aug for a dec. effective date, but they didn't post it. LOA 14 or 15 (can't remember) said they needed to average 24 upgrade/3 months (so basically 8/month) only until Nov this year. Well the last position notice had a Nov. effective date. So they have satisfied the LOA. Ergo, upgrades have stopped and will not continue for quite some time. They are still seeking 45 captains to voluntarily downgrade themselves. This will continue forever probably. We have scores of FOs leaving (spirit, allegiant, legacies, kalitta, atlas, etc) and not too many CAs leaving. So the list is getting more and more lopsided, why would they upgrade just to turn around and fly them as FO at CA pay? The company is cheap and needs to save money. Upgrades are done, the company is dead, I would highly advise against coming to XJT, and if you work here, I'd advise leaving to any major/LCC that will take you.

These are the facts. ASA has WAY too many captains, and desperately needs FOs. Captains aren't leaving like FOs are. I'd estimate the attrition is probably 1:5 (CA:FO) so expect to be FO forever. Just sayin'

17 people who could hold captain left in Aug., just saying. There is movement here. Numbers don't lie.

that's because the company was forced to upgrade 8/month against their will, that's over now, they have no reason to upgrade anyone, besides you'll just sit as an CA on FO reserve for your first year. ASA has 14 year CA reserves. Yes, as an FO, you'll move up to the glass ceiling, 8 year FO, upgrade to reserve forever until you leave. ASA is a great contract and good pay QOL, so come here for a year or 2, get some 121 SIC and leave for major/LCC and get some real time. besides upgrade is much faster at Allegiant, Frontier, Spirit

Didn't our overall seniority list get smaller again too though?

If Express Jet needs FO's so badly, why aren't they offering a sign on bonus - even Skywest is paying one now...?

I was thinking the same...

Skywest offers a sign on bonus?

Yes

"SkyWest is currently offering a $7500 bonus for those currently flying for a FAA Part 135 or has a type rating in a turbo jet aircraft > 12,500lbs. To be paid out upon completion of IOE."

Doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what side of the house SkyWest Inc is pushing money into; what side they intend to grow/sustain.

ExpressJet started the bonus pay. It appears the other side of the company lost their new hire pilots and told XJT to take it back down. This is taken from a google cached page.

I had no idea we got rid of the $7500 bonus for typed new hires. WELP

This. Every quarter expressjet block hours decrease while Skywest increases their share. It's sad but expressjet's days are numbered. :(

SkyWest, Inc. Reports Combined August 2016 Traffic for SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines

When are people going to wake up, break out of denial, read the writing on the wall, and realize XJT has NO future. Management is at this point going to tell whatever lies they have to say just to keep the doors open until THEY decide to pull the plug. Looking in from the outside now, it seems so obvious. Get out now or stand in a long line less than 5 years from now! Nearly every airline beats XJT CA pay second year. Vote with your feet and choose to come to a company where you're treated like a professional adult, and compensated accordingly.

Don't you mean that Every other airline beats XJT's FO pay because anyone past 2nd year is on CA pay somewhere else while they are still on FO pay at XJT? They fail to tell anyone that their "industry leading total compensation" figures don't take into account their 10 year upgrade time.

I don't know why XJT has any FO's that are still there. There is NO sign of any upgrades in the next few years. Due to the parking of airplanes to get to the new extended CPA they just signed with United, they will have to get rid of at least 600 pilots in the next year just on the L-XJT side alone.

No, I meant what I said, and was referring to LCCs and Legacy carriers. But you're right. XJT's FO recruitment is the biggest bait and switch in the industry. Most FOs there WILL NEVER UPGRADE. But specifically, I was referring to 12+ year CAs jumping ship. First year pay sucks, but after that the sky is the limit. At my new place, I'll have the opportunity by year 2-3 to be a CA on an A320 at $170/hr and home every night, instead of maxed out below $120 at XJT, commuting to avoid reserve, and waiting for the ax to fall. Anyone who stays there and has more than 5 year to retirement is simply throwing their career away.

I totally agree.

Last time I was in recurrent they told us because it wouldn't matter if we offer a sign on bonus. We'll struggle to find pilots in the long run. In other words, they don't want to waste the money since 3-4 years everyone will be hurting for pilots...

I'm sure it's doing wonders for pilot hiring when an interviewee shows up at A-Tech these days for their "old fashioned" interview in ATL and sees a CR2 getting gutted behind the hanger while two more CR2s with the DL Connection titles removed sit nearby, awaiting their fate.

But hey, it is the "Smart Choice" after all!!

How much has the upgrade time fallen? What is the Jr CA at XJT?

Most recent vacancy had 6 upgrades (if I counted right). DOH 5/14/2007

Basically 10 years ......😕😔

Something to keep in mind about upgrade: XJT barely hired any pilots between end of 2007 and 2011. Once they finish upgrading 2007 hires upgrade time will drop. How much will it drop? I can't sit here and confirm it will drop 4 years because its a regional and nothing is predictable. But its something to think about.

Just wondering, with everything I have been reading on past posts, anyone know on average how many folks are you getting to show up for interviews? And then showing up for class?