Allegiant Air's prudent ways help it soar

[Boris Badenov]

See, we have had many threads discussing the pilots who have decided to go to GoJets should have "done their homework" on the internet before choosing to go there. Well, personally, I have done my homework for Allegiant and found their pay and benefits to be very inadequate, regardless of their quarterly profits. I have done the same research you request of those who are interested in GoJets, Gulfstream, etcetra. Now, however, it seems since the airline in question is not a regional, and is making a profit in these trying times, those of us who question the decisions of those applying to this company are being told to MYOFB.

Naturally, each case must be taken on its own merits. I wouldn't work for GoJets because they with malice aforethought screwed over the guys who want big pay and little time at home. I'm not that kind of •. But a company that does their own thing and pays a little less but has perks the others don't and doesn't fly struck work or anything like it? I'll do that in a heartbeat.

I'm not your enemy. You draw a line in the sand, I won't step over it, because I respect my fellows. But you have to be careful how often you draw that line, because you're liable to keep everyone out who isn't you, or just like you. For the remedial, I'd sooner die in a gutter than fly struck work. But if you play the nuclear card too often, you lose all credibility. I wish you all the best, even you Velocipede. That is all.

 

[kellwolf]

Let's take this a step further then. We have mentioned the pay at Allegiant, and the fact that they offer day trips in base. Are all lines day trips only? What are their work rules like? What do they offer in vacation and 401(k)? How about their minimum monthly guarantee for reserves? For lineholders? What about per diem? What is their trip trading policy? Do they have a computer based bidding system? Do they have PBS?

See, we have had many threads discussing the pilots who have decided to go to GoJets should have "done their homework" on the internet before choosing to go there. Well, personally, I have done my homework for Allegiant and found their pay and benefits to be very inadequate

....for you. Needs change from person to person. Someone without a family in good health might not see a term of 6 month with no health care as a big deal at CAL. It's a deal breaker for me.

 

[amorris311]

we have a captain here that carries a scab list but he has always allowed non union guys. then again we have only had a union for about 5 months.

 

[surreal1221]

....for you. Needs change from person to person. Someone without a family in good health might not see a term of 6 month with no health care as a big deal at CAL. It's a deal breaker for me.

Careful, Bajthejino will not hesitate to tell you that he did his path in aviation better than yours.

Watch out.

 

[BajtheJino]

Careful, Bajthejino will not hesitate to tell you that he did his path in aviation better than yours.

Watch out.

Someone is awfully worked up. One thread gets closed down so you have to bring it to another? Give it a break.
I have never told any one that my way is the only way. I really don't even know when I suggested anyone to follow my way even remotely.

 

[Dan208B]

That's a good thought, but exactly who's hiring right now? And why would they want to hire you over a person that is furloughed from, well, pick a place, with around 10k and a few thousand widebody?

Not trying to pick on you, but the 1k turbopic and out is a dead animal for now, IMHO.

Agreed. I did speak with a captain there though that said their hr dept looks at things a little differently. She said they tend to take Regional captains over furloughed major guys because regional pilots come to allegiant with a great attitude towards the next step in their careers while major guys are the exact opposite... Of course this doesn't apply to every person, but I can certainly see where they get that concept.

 

[falconvalley]

Sounds like they know which ones are the ones that burn them after being hired. I've seen it happen repeatedly in this industry.

 

[FlyChicaga]

....for you. Needs change from person to person. Someone without a family in good health might not see a term of 6 month with no health care as a big deal at CAL. It's a deal breaker for me.

If Allegiant decided that it was more cost effective after some schedule changes to have overnights, would the company be as attractive as it is today?

I have to ask: Do you all truly believe I'm playing devils advocate here because Allegiant is a non-union company? Where did jumpseats come into play in this discussion? I'm trying to make a point that we need to demand more for ourselves in this profession.

 

[ChasenSFO]

Wow, and here I was thinking they were nuts flying routes like OAK-BLI/EUG and MRY-LAX.

 

[kellwolf]

If Allegiant decided that it was more cost effective after some schedule changes to have overnights, would the company be as attractive as it is today?

That's actually a good point, and you're right. It would be less attractive as an option. That being said, I'm looking at them compared to Pinnacle. Would I rather go to Allegiant or sit at Pinnacle indefinitely? THAT'S the no brainer I'm talking about. Realistically, SWA isn't gonna hire for 2 years. If I had to stay at Pinnacle until 2011, unless this new contract is stellar, I'd probably drop out of the industry altogether. 3 years on RSV here is enough to put someone in Arkham.

I have to ask: Do you all truly believe I'm playing devils advocate here because Allegiant is a non-union company? Where did jumpseats come into play in this discussion? I'm trying to make a point that we need to demand more for ourselves in this profession.

Nope. I know you, Matt. You've done research, and this is just a topic we disagree on. Which is cool. That's how I learn stuff. Everyone I've talked to at Allegiant (including the guy on the JS yesterday that's based in SFB, how ironic was that?) seems genuinely happy. I'd be interested in knowing what (other than the pay) you've heard that you don't like about them. JS came in to play when Velo entered the argument. When it comes to non-union carriers, that always seems to happen.

 

[grnclvrs]

Oh, and just don't ask Union pilots for jumpseats, either.

Will you let the 80 pilots you put on the street by voting to increase the amount of flying you can do in your jumpseat if they are one of the 100+ AS pilots that sent in their resumes to Allegiant?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Will you let the 80 pilots you put on the street by voting to increase the amount of flying you can do in your jumpseat if they are one of the 100+ AS pilots that sent in their resumes to Allegiant?

Thats kind of funny. In 2002 after being furloughed from Airways I got a call from the newly formed Freedom Air. They hired me over the phone as a Captain.

I called the former FO rep for Airways in PIT, Tim Baker. ALPA had put their foot down on Freedom and didn't want anybody going there.

Tim told me to stay away from Freedom. I asked him if ALPA was going to pay my mortgage and put food on the table for me. Of course the answer was no. I asked him then what he expected me to do. Thousands of pilots on the street, I had no income, and a job offer from a company that the association deemed unfit. Do you feed your family or stand on principal?

Well, needless to say I didn't go to Freedom. But to this day i'm angry that the Association had the gall to tell me who I could and could not work for when, at the time, I was working through my emergency fund at a rapid pace eating ramin noodles.

Meanwhile, I hear Tim Baker is now at AirTran having abandoned both ALPA and US Airways for greener pastures. Wonder if he's happy to have ALPA back on the property. Don't get me wrong. Tim was a good man, but the way that the Airways pilot group and even the Furlough Administrator dealt with the furloughees disgusted me.