Flymeaway

Newbie here.

How bad are the pay issues really? I know pay is going to be a touchy subject, and a couple mistakes can cause pages and pages of hate on these boards. I don't really notice a lot of complaining in other regionals' threads though. Well...there's lots and lots of complaining, but not so much about getting paid on time.

I'm kind of trying to choose between Skywest and TSA, since they're the two larger regionals operating out of DEN, where I'll be living. For Skywest, I would probably be commuting to reserve at least a couple months followed by commuting to a line for another 4 or 5 before I could get moved to where I'll be living.

It sounds like TSA could put me there right out of training, or at least within a month or two. However, if I'm having to fight tooth and nail every month just to get paid, well...that's a tough choice.

They both have the same $7,500 signing bonus. TSA's FO pay scale is a few cents lower in year 1, and a couple dollars in years 2-3. Captains are a couple dollars lower too. Skywest has no union though, and there seems to be some resentment about getting jerked around with seniority issues.

Thanks for any advice/thoughts.

minimwage4

Is there a question here? Yes you really won't get paid correctly. Its actually illegal what they're making us do to collect, but nobody's doing anything about it because they'll lose their jobs if they sue. People are literally owed thousands of dollars. Some people can't even see their schedules to know what's what. It's a side effect of working for a cheap crappy contractor. Last I head Skywest had about a billion dollars. Hope that helps.

RgrMurdock

Don't listen to Mr negativity here. I'm surprised he hasn't thrown himself out a window yet he's so miserable. There will likely be a pay package coming out for new hires soon. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks. I would wait for that to be announced. Should increase the pay. If it doesn't happen I would try skywest

minimwage4

The truth hurts man.

m20cmark21

I second that.

I would advise you to interview at both and get a better feel for each company based on personal experience. I work here, so I would obviously like to see you at TSA, but in reality each company has distinct advantages. Being represented by ALPA here at TSA has certainly created some great protections in our contract that Skywest does not have. It would be easy to compare the two all day long, but in the end you can only make the decision for yourself that makes sense based on facts and research.

Like Mr. Murdock said, there is a pay package in the works that should GREATLY improve the current situation. IMHO the pay issues are not attributable to malice or incompetence by the payroll department, but merely the result of too much work being piled on one person. The new pay software "should" fix the issues.

I'm happy to answer any specific questions you may have that are applicable to your personal situation if you want to send a PM my way.

WildBlue025

Thats an acceptable excuse for one pay period. Maybe two at the most. Not a year's worth. After that it becomes pure incompetence at best, if not malice. If the situation was reversed and a majority of pilots only showed up to work 90% of the time and then used the excuse "oh woops, this scheduling software is so complicated.... i'll download RosterBuster next month and that should fix it", would the company be as forgiving as you?

BigDukeSix

Skywest pilots for the most part seem pretty happy. At TSA...not so much. I think that says it all.

minimwage4

Still waiting on some of that good stuff you're smoking. I hope you're management because if not you're really stroking the company every chance you get. The fact that they can't pay you properly shows you that they are incompetent and worst of all don't really care or think it's that big of a deal. That's the company you'll be working for. We're trying to make it better but management does not care.

Future Cpt Kirk

The pay problems are significant. Significant enough that I was shorted over 5k in pay in the year and four months I was there. My final check was over 1k short and I still have not been paid the full amount. These issues are known by the company and have been ongoing.

You also may want to take a look at upward mobility. Tsa is very stagnant right now. One upgrade class in the last five months.... Though I don't think Skywest has a lightening fast upgrade either.

Ultimately, do some research and go with your gut. TSA has a great pilot group, almost nationwide flying that is diverse, and has a base you want. But there are issues there right now that are big (payroll, iocc, short staffed, no upgrades).

I hear a lot of good consistently about Skywest. But I cannot speak first hand for them as I have not worked there.

bernouli

^^^

Holy management Batman.