Use MESA as a time-building tool?
- Thread starter av8sean
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Van_Hoolio
Well-Known Member
A lot of time is going to go by before I find something cooler to replace the TaleSpin avatar with a cartoon bear pilot sitting at a bar in the tropics.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Also on orangutans:
One might assume that since orangutans are orange-colored, that the name and the color share some etymological connection. But no! Lookie:
And that, my friends, is where coincidence meets irony-- precicely like comparing a crappy company with a great one on the astoundingly obtuse observation that they both operate the same equipment.
~~ CapnJim, derailing and re-railing threads like Snidely Whiplash and Dudley Do-Right's illegitimate sing-sing love child.
One might assume that since orangutans are orange-colored, that the name and the color share some etymological connection. But no! Lookie:
And that, my friends, is where coincidence meets irony-- precicely like comparing a crappy company with a great one on the astoundingly obtuse observation that they both operate the same equipment.
~~ CapnJim, derailing and re-railing threads like Snidely Whiplash and Dudley Do-Right's illegitimate sing-sing love child.
wheelsup
Well-Known Member
I'm really surprised with the naiveness of the ExpressJetter's on here.
A regional is a regional, it flies contract feed that can (and will) be taken away. The better the company is, the more at risk it is of losing it's major contractor. History is the best teacher of this.
ExpressJet has been an independent company since what? 2002? That's hardly a track record of success to be judged a "great company". It's got an extremely large fleet of uneconomical and uncomfortable 30-50 seat RJ's, and labor costs that will continue to climb the longer it remains a "great company" in the eyes of the employees.
A regional is a regional, it flies contract feed that can (and will) be taken away. The better the company is, the more at risk it is of losing it's major contractor. History is the best teacher of this.
ExpressJet has been an independent company since what? 2002? That's hardly a track record of success to be judged a "great company". It's got an extremely large fleet of uneconomical and uncomfortable 30-50 seat RJ's, and labor costs that will continue to climb the longer it remains a "great company" in the eyes of the employees.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Yeah, CAL dropped 25% of our flying and gave it to Chautauqa since they're cheaper. That's really sucked for us so far. :rotfl:
And if you think an ERJ with memory foam, leather seats, and the exact same pitch distance as a 737 is more uncomfrtable than that same 737, then you clearly haven't spent enough time in the back of either. I have, and how. I'll ride in an XJT ERJ over a 73-slaveship any day.
I'm not sure why you think a "track record" is necessary to consider your company a great place to work... I was judging it based on benefits, QOL, work rules, and time off.
How naive of me!
And if you think an ERJ with memory foam, leather seats, and the exact same pitch distance as a 737 is more uncomfrtable than that same 737, then you clearly haven't spent enough time in the back of either. I have, and how. I'll ride in an XJT ERJ over a 73-slaveship any day.
I'm not sure why you think a "track record" is necessary to consider your company a great place to work... I was judging it based on benefits, QOL, work rules, and time off.
How naive of me!
mtsu_av8er
Well-Known Member
Mike, Jim . . . you're clearly not helping the cause. By going around and telling people that you like your job - well, that's just crazy talk.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
You're right Lloyd. We should just accept the fact that our 'regional' (which is increasingly becoming recognized as a national...) 'sucks', and we should just give up our badass contract and 16 days off and quit since we're all getting such horrible pay.
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Cruise
Well-Known Member
Hey, put me down in the LOVE my job category! Sure certain things are frustrating about the job.....but I still love airline flying!
[size=-3]And, for the record, I'm at one of those second-tier airlines....originally scheduled for over 85 hours of block and 17 days off this month......no bitching here.....cough, cough[/size]
Seggy
Well-Known Member
Jim, I got A LOT of respect for ExpressJet, the pilot group, and management there. I wish you guys the best, just be careful though. Ten years ago Comair and Mesaba had the best benefits, QOL, work rules, and time off. Twenty years ago it was WestAir and Bar Harbor Airways.
The 'era of good feeling' could last forever or it could be gone tomorrow. The going is good now and I hope that the branded flying takes off for you guys, BUT crap could hit the fan tomorrow.
This industry is a crapshoot. The flying in EWR could be taken away from you tomorrow. The mainline guys are fighting tooth and nail to get this fee for departure crap taken away from the regional feed business models (as they should).
It is different to love your job and to be cautiously optimistic. I love my job, but am VERY cautious about the future.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
Seggy, you are absolutely 100% correct. There is every possiblilty that I could wake up tomorrow and wonder what the hell happened to that company that used to exist called ExpressJet. Independence anyone? Pan Am? Braniff? In fact, if things go a well as they are going now for ExpressJet for the next five years, I will consider it no small miracle.
In the meantime, I will continue to :rotfl: whenever I hear someone talk about how bad my job 'sucks'.
Seggy
Well-Known Member
Ok, I got what you are saying.
Like you, I LOVE my job. Colgan hasn't been that bad. My first month as a captain I will fly 118 hours with 17 days off. It ticks me off to no end when people b!TCH and moan about flying, which is my passion, ESPECIALLY when they are professional pilots.
Seriously though, ALL regionals do SUCK. We are no more than outsourced workers. Really there is no difference between us and a worker working DELL and MAC Customer Support in India.
meritflyer
Well-Known Member
Well said Seggy.
Just as Doug, yourself, and other have said, the best airline of today could be the red headed stepchild of tomorrow.
Captain_Bob
Well-Known Member
And thus is true for the "majors" as well... It's a crapshoot no matter where you go in this industry... at least on the pax 121 side.
Bob
PS: Oh yeah... I get a profit sharing check every year too... 'cuz... you know... we make a profit... and my "Regional that sucks less than other Regionals" shares that profit with their employees.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
You know, to be fair, if you're going to put all regionals on a 'suck scale', I think it only fair to do the same thing with the majors and then compare the two. It should come as no surprise that absolutely no one working for XJT would willingly go work for NWA, so I suppose that if the regional airline XJT sucks, then the major airline NWA sucks worse.
Ah, so much for the 'suck scale'.
Ah, so much for the 'suck scale'.
Seggy
Well-Known Member
I think this is the point were I say we will agree to disagree.
Think about the CONCEPT of regionals. We are outsourced workers. Doesn't matter if we are the top outsourced workers or the bottom, we are OUTSOURCED labor working for a 'daddy'.
Let us pretend we are in India. Doesn't matter if we are working for Grade A Customer Support Service in New Delhi with great benefits or Grade Z Customer Support Service Center. The concept is still there. It sucks.
The thing about ExpressJet is that they are smart enough and ballsy enough to try to get a step ahead with the branded flying, charter division, as well as other business ventures such as your winery and paint shops. So they are better and could get away from their regional pay for fee departure scheme and go their own, which I hope you guys do.
PS-You get my PM about my Party on the 22nd? It is in the Meet and Greet Section.
And thus is true for the "majors" as well... It's a crapshoot no matter where you go in this industry... at least on the pax 121 side.
Bob
PS: Oh yeah... I get a profit sharing check every year too... 'cuz... you know... we make a profit... and my "Regional that sucks less than other Regionals" shares that profit with their employees.
Bob, this whole industry is a crapshoot, we NEVER know what will happen with our companies, NEVER.
It cracks me up when guys try to rationalize what 'regional' to go to. I think the best one is, whichever one hires you first.
My absolute best advice is if your heart is set on the part 121 passenger business, get to a carrier high on the food chain.
If you're flying contract work under someone else's code, that work can evaporate very quickly. Not that the 'brand names' like Delta, United, American, SWA, Continental, JetBlue, etc are guaranteed to be around when you're looking to retire, but knowing what I know now, I wouldn't count on even the best regional continually maintaining every single one of their contracts.
Unfortunately, the 'brand holders' don't care as much about feed "quality" than they do feed "cost". Because they always have the ace in the hole of saying, "We're sorry ma'am, that was Peachtree Air d/b/a Quantum Express but here's a travel voucher".
My opinion only!
If you like flying for an airline that feeds FDX, I'd highly suggest applying for FDX as you never know what happens when another carrier wants to compete for the route you're flying as the feed contract comes due.
If you're flying contract work under someone else's code, that work can evaporate very quickly. Not that the 'brand names' like Delta, United, American, SWA, Continental, JetBlue, etc are guaranteed to be around when you're looking to retire, but knowing what I know now, I wouldn't count on even the best regional continually maintaining every single one of their contracts.
Unfortunately, the 'brand holders' don't care as much about feed "quality" than they do feed "cost". Because they always have the ace in the hole of saying, "We're sorry ma'am, that was Peachtree Air d/b/a Quantum Express but here's a travel voucher".
My opinion only!
If you like flying for an airline that feeds FDX, I'd highly suggest applying for FDX as you never know what happens when another carrier wants to compete for the route you're flying as the feed contract comes due.
CapnJim
Well-Known Member
I see your point, but I contend that the disparity between concept and execution are so disparate as to render the former irrelevant. I'm happy. I consider myself lucky to be where I'm at. But yes, the future is a big question mark. It's just hard for me to swallow someone telling me my job sucks when I enjoy the benefits and QOL that I do. You can find plenty of Mesa and Mesaba pilots who will say that their job sucks, but not very many XJetters.
Captain_Bob
Well-Known Member
Um... I thought I just basically said exactly that...
Worked for me...
(thank goodness)Bob