Going from 121 supplemental to LCC/Major

T

TRANS ATLANTIC

New Member
Hello, so I'll be closing in about 3 years experience at a medium sized 121 supp cargo airline that also flies internationally to mexico, canada, and the carribean islands.

I had several friends tell me that supplemental experience is not very good experience compared to flag/domestic and that it would be frowned upon if I tried to move up to a LCC or a major. they advised I apply to a regional before trying to move up there.

Is having 121 supp experience really considered that bad? I can understand not having the passenger experience but can you guys, especially ones that came from a 121 supp give some insight?

thank you for all the responses!
 
No it's not bad. I've dispatched 121 passenger flights and 121 cargo and in my experience it's the exact same thing. Passengers come in a Payload the same as cargo does. You're dispatching under 121 which is really all that matters. Applying to places where you have friends should help you out a lot, as having friends is vital in this industry.
 
i only have 2 friends and theyre both at regionals unforunately. but thank you, i was freaking out because i would have felt like i wasted my time at a 121 supp cargo. thank you
 
I think it's especially good experience for one of the big cargo carriers like UPS. But yeah, I would say your experience is valuable and should look good to any major you apply with...
 
It definitely doesnt hurt your chances. It can help get an interview. New hire classes at majors are filled with a wide variety of experience so it doesnt necessarily give you a huge advantage in getting hired. I would put supplemental dispatching in the same category as regional coordinators and supervisors because the major airline union contracts dont really place a premium on previous experience for new hires. A new hire with 10 years experience will make the same, maybe even less depending on seniority for international/premium positions, than the new hire in the same class with one year experience. The same new hire with lots of experience can easily have far less job security and a crappier schedule than the dispatcher in the same new hire class with little experience who slipped through the cracks during hiring process. You start from the beginning at a major just as you did on your first day in this industry. It doesnt matter what you did in your previous jobs.
 
TRANS ATLANTIC said:
i only have 2 friends and theyre both at regionals unforunately. but thank you, i was freaking out because i would have felt like i wasted my time at a 121 supp cargo. thank you
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I spent 2 years dispatching at a 121 supplemental and a year and half prior of 135 and I got a job at a major. Plenty of other people I worked with at my supp carrier went on to different major and most had regional experience so I was in the same boat as you and concerned if it was going to be harder for me. Also if you have etops experience like I did then that definitely helps your chances, just keep applying and you'll get there.
 
TRIGGERED said:
I spent 2 years dispatching at a 121 supplemental and a year and half prior of 135 and I got a job at a major. Plenty of other people I worked with at my supp carrier went on to different major and most had regional experience so I was in the same boat as you and concerned if it was going to be harder for me. Also if you have etops experience like I did then that definitely helps your chances, just keep applying and you'll get there.
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i unfortunately do not etops experience, but thank you for the resassurance
 
A1TAPE said:
Why is ETOPS experience so critical with getting in with a legacy carrier?
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It's not. There are very few places to even get ETOPS experience outside of a legacy. Almost everyone I know at a legacy had no experience until getting there. Either way they would almost certainly put you through their ETOPS program anyways.
 
who'swho said:
Atlas is flag/domestic. I think a lot of people think cargo means supplemental.
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Atlas is supplemental, has ETOPS and it isn't just cargo. They do have FAs for the pax flights. Some others airlines with ETOPS are kalitta, national, amerijet, southern (now atlas), omni and ati. I think the definition of supplemental is the question. But alas is a nonscheduled airline which puts it in the supplemental bracket. They do have dispatchers which isn't required under supplemental but they probably elected to have people with certs given what all they do.

But in the grand scheme of things its all about networking, a good resume, great interview skills and a decent score on any interview test. Things like ETOPS are just rainbow sprinkles on top.
 
Wingy said:
Atlas is supplemental, has ETOPS and it isn't just cargo. They do have FAs for the pax flights. Some others airlines with ETOPS are kalitta, national, amerijet, southern (now atlas), omni and ati. I think the definition of supplemental is the question. But alas is a nonscheduled airline which puts it in the supplemental bracket. They do have dispatchers which isn't required under supplemental but they probably elected to have people with certs given what all they do.

But in the grand scheme of things its all about networking, a good resume, great interview skills and a decent score on any interview test. Things like ETOPS are just rainbow sprinkles on top.
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This is all very eye opening for me, considering I dispatch for them.
 
Wingy said:
Atlas is supplemental, has ETOPS and it isn't just cargo. They do have FAs for the pax flights. Some others airlines with ETOPS are kalitta, national, amerijet, southern (now atlas), omni and ati. I think the definition of supplemental is the question. But alas is a nonscheduled airline which puts it in the supplemental bracket. They do have dispatchers which isn't required under supplemental but they probably elected to have people with certs given what all they do.

But in the grand scheme of things its all about networking, a good resume, great interview skills and a decent score on any interview test. Things like ETOPS are just rainbow sprinkles on top.
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So how does one network? I don't hang out with my co workers outside work but some of them do.
 
who'swho said:
This is all very eye opening for me, considering I dispatch for them.
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The amount of misconception and misinformation on this thread is just crazy laughable.. people get so fixated in the "regional -> major" narrative that they completely become oblivious to other facets of aviation.. ultimately developing their own incorrect assumptions based on hearsay and what they see from the outside.o_O
 
Jaketheman said:
Do you have a C70 in your Opspecs that you do most of your flying to and from?
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Of course, without a C070 it would all be supplemental. We do operate flights now and again as supplemental when we are operating one off charters, but that's no different than the major pax carriers when they operate charters to destinations not listed in C070.
 
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