Is Pinnacle really that bad?

flywithmyeyesclosed

flywithmyeyesclosed

Well-Known Member
I've read a few post and some reviews from people who actually work for them and it doesn't sound like a pleasant place to work. Any dispatcher's here that work for them(or used to)? I'm starting a class soon at Sheffield and I was planning on applying to them after I graduate, but I feel kind of put off about them now.
 
Im in a similar position as you right now. I actually dont mind working for Pinnacle/Colgan after I get my ADX license this fall. I dont have any ADX experience so I am willing to put up with a little grunt work to pay my dues before something better comes along. Pinnacle isnt meant to be a career place. I was told starting pay is around 30K but I am not 100% positive about that. Sure, MEM isnt the nicest of cities but you need to start somewhere. Right now people complain about Pinnacle. Before that it was Mesa and also Skywest because of the cost of living in St. George. I am going to apply to whatever airline has a job posting for entry level. Entry level jobs are hard to come by. Sure, everyone wants that major job or to get ExpressJet as a starting ADX. The simple fact is that there are more dispatchers than jobs which means pay will be poor. Unlike pilots, there is always a chance if dispatchers strike for better pay that the govt will let the airlines have emergency approval to operate without dispatchers. Passengers dont have a clue who dispatchers are or what they do. If passengers ever got told their flight was cancelled because of a dispatch strike, the govt would be quick to end that.

I wonder the age breakdown of people getting ADX job at entry level is. I am 23 and I know people working for the govt and in Congressional staffing in DC, that has one of the highest costs of living in the country, for 30-35K a year. That is the same starting wage for dispatchers normally. Those jobs require an advanced degree and internships as a bare minimum. Most ADX entry level jobs only require a license as the minimum to apply. For someone changing careers or older in age, dispatch pay and work conditions suck to start out. But when looking at what others my age are doing, it doesnt seem that much different from what others are making. Pilots make as much 2 times less than ADX starting out. They invested at least 30-40K if not 60-90 or more. A dispatch license costs 4-5K.

There is a lot of negativity on these boards. Its the nature of the internet. Its a place for people to unwind after a hard day at work without fear of trouble from the boss. I would take what people say into account but remember that the worst that can happen if you go to a place like Pinnacle and hate the place is that you can quit and find something else.

I am I saying definitely go to Pinnacle? If its the only offer you have then you would be silly to turn it down assuming you have nothing tying you down to another city or the need to support a family with the pay. For a single person, Pinnacle pay isnt that bad for MEM. MEM is a fairly cheap place to stay. You have the choice of three states including TN with no state income tax on salary. You can live in TN and do your shopping in MS which has a lower sales tax than TN.
 
You can get JA'ed with a contract as well anywhere...contracts dont shield you from being immune to a JA; just having seniority does that...
 
This is about Dispatch right?

Jetcareers > Career Specific > Flight Control/Dispatch > Is Pinnacle really that bad?
 
jynxyjoe said:
This is about Dispatch right?

Jetcareers > Career Specific > Flight Control/Dispatch > Is Pinnacle really that bad?
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Yup. Funny thing is, I've got friends in dispatch and scheduling.... I had NO idea that they could be junior manned into working on days off.

Funny industry this is...
 
I don't think it's that simple as not answering your phone, especially for them.

I know on the pilot side, as a LINE HOLDING pilot, we're required to check out, either by logging into crew trac or calling scheduling. They can junior assign us via crewtrac or phone call at that point...
 
I've heard more horrible things about the neighborhood than the company. Very rough part of town- cars broken into regularly in the parking lot, etc.

:tmyk:
 
Kev said:
I've heard more horrible things about the neighborhood than the company. Very rough part of town- cars broken into regularly in the parking lot, etc.
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Their HDQ is gated with the typical roaming "security gaurds" (note the quotations) but then again my apartment community in Cordova when I lived there was gated and my 8 month pregnant neighbor who lived below me was robbed at gunpoint getting out of her car.

Like I said, if you can stomach the area Pinnacle is actually a good place to gain solid busy dispatch experience.
 
double_d said:
Their HDQ is gated with the typical roaming "security gaurds" (note the quotations) but then again my apartment community in Cordova when I lived there was gated and my 8 month pregnant neighbor who lived below me was robbed at gunpoint getting out of her car.

Like I said, if you can stomach the area Pinnacle is actually a good place to gain solid busy dispatch experience.
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Yeah that doesn't sound too inviting. I just looked on a website for neighborhood statistics and it said that Memphis is "safer than 2% of the cities in the US." I think I'll wait until something opens up with ASA or Skywest. I can deal with the boredom in St. George, just as long as I don't have to worry about getting carjacked everyday coming to work.
 
It's not just Pinnacle.. its the entire regional pay scales.. don't you new guys thinking about, or going to dispatch school, realize that the airlines use your desire to work for """"anything""" just to get that first job... mentality against all of us?

Your willingness to supply them with all the raw greenies they want just further dilutes the entire wage scale.. but its worse than that.. the reality of today’s dispatch world is NOT what the schools tell you...

They breath, eat and spew the 80K to 100K dispatch jobs and how you will be there with a few years of experience... Think about it.. they have to do this in order to fill new classes, if they told you the "real" ratio of those that will EVER make it long enough in the regional ranks to get a shot at a majors position was in the order of 1 in 250... they would out of business..

The reality of this business is there is a hugh difference in pay between the regional’s including Airtran, Jet blue and SWA and the pay of the Delta's, and COA's in the U.S... it's always been that way and the few fortunate to get to a so-called major want to keep it this way and will till they retire usually in their late 60's and 70's...
Add the much expanded use of regional carriers now adding larger aircraft to supply a steady stream of pax to the hubs for long trips and you should see that the prospects of large new hire numbers are actually flat or reduced over time, as all the airlines want to reduce the high earning expense as much as possible.. it only makes sense.. basic econ 101..

You new folks are looked at as the unlimited supply that will assure the control of wages over the broad spectrum of wages, from cradle to grave..

I have said it before, and will say it again.. the facts is simply this.. Regional airlines ARE CAREER DISTINATIONS.. Remember senority is everything in aviation.. when you leave one company and go to the next, you start all over including the pay!.. There are many many people I work with that have 20+ years dispatching.. the same at all of them, SKW, 9E, Colgan, Republic etc.. they all have very senior people that make top out pay in the $50's and will not leave to start over somewhere else.. with that, you will be pulling many years of vacation relief lines and subject to being J/A'ed.. it might be 3 to 5 years at some places before you ever have enough seniority to hold a regular line..

My suggestion, it to fully understand the real world of dispatching.. take what the schools tell you as the "best possible" scenario with a likelihood of 1 in 250 that you will get to the top.. make sure you understand the work hours you will be expected to work for years.. YEARS.. and realize the intolerance to missing time from your assigned shift for "any reason" and how your schedule will affect your family when you miss Christmas or the kids birthday for work.. all the while making $26K to maybe $38 K by your 5th year at some places..

The regional airline you choose to work for will be where you stay unless you want to waste time for years just to start all over like you never dispatched a day in your life!.. With the unions, there is NO credit for previous experience...

This, like it or not is the FACTS of dispatching.. unless you really love it and Love the city your in, the love, excitement, romance of airline dispatching will quickly fade away as the rigor and routine of the job sinks in and your union contract awards all your hard work with a 38cent increase for the next year and your non-airline friends pay checks blow right by you without all the responsibility that comes every time you sign that release..

Think long and hard.. I say go be an A&P mechanic.. there is unbelievable demand everywhere for them and you can always find a way to make good money.. I wish I did that 22 years ago when I had the chance... my 2 sons are now moving in that direction...
 
dxbear said:
The reality of this business is there is a hugh difference in pay between the regional’s including Airtran, Jet blue and SWA and the pay of the Delta's, and COA's in the U.S
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Care to share your source backing this claim? I can personally attest to a portion being completely false.






....O ya, the spell check button is in the upper right corner.
 
Really.. ok.. not here to argue with anyone.. 21 years in the business.. with close associations with Airtran, SWA, UAL, AAY, SKW, Republic, Pinnacle, ASA, SA with personal experience being in PAFCA, and TWU..unions..

Perceptions are real to each, living it is a whole nother thing.. As to 9E, they are still the only regional that requires its dispatchers to perform W&B calculations.. Living in Northing MS is where many stay..

I might be a bit harsh and to the point on the schools, but they are a business in it to make money, the facts of the profession are what they are.. why would I waste my time otherwise.. Obviously I don’t represent the schools here.. do you?? If so, I understand your defensive posture..

And excuse my typos.. the cut and paste function from my PC did not paste over the rough draft I originally worked on over the day
 
dxbear said:
Really.. ok.. not here to argue with anyone.. 21 years in the business.. with close associations with Airtran, SWA, UAL, AAY, SKW, Republic, Pinnacle, ASA, SA with personal experience being in PAFCA, and TWU..unions..

Perceptions are real to each, living it is a whole nother thing.. As to 9E, they are still the only regional that requires its dispatchers to perform W&B calculations.. Living in Northing MS is where many stay..

I might be a bit harsh and to the point on the schools, but they are a business in it to make money, the facts of the profession are what they are.. why would I waste my time otherwise.. Obviously I don’t represent the schools here.. do you?? If so, I understand your defensive posture..

And excuse my typos.. the cut and paste function from my PC did not paste over the rough draft I originally worked on over the day
Click to expand...


No, not with a school nor am I disagreeing with what you are saying...you speak the truth. Just wondering why you were classifying SWA and Jet Blue in the same category as regionals when in fact their contracts are more comparable to those of DL and CO than any regional contract I've seen regarding pay. I'm not in the arguing business, just being curious.
 
Well, your sort of right.. however the starting pay and pay for the first 5 years at SWA, JB and AT are all similar to the regionals.. yea , you start in the $30's range and the top out is higher.. but not like it use to be in the old days at UAL/DL/NW/CO etc..

I think their top outs are in the 80's in 15 years.. not sure about SWA.. they would probably have the better of all of them, though I have not been updated on the new AT contract..

The point of my post, it to help young bucks out, like I have my sons, in making sure they have the "real" picture of the job.. I still enjoy my work, good thing cuz I would not want to start over now and would not..

I really think getting an A&P is the way to go, it pays pretty well even at your local FBO, and like a dispatch license is alway good, never expires, no medical required... and everyone in aviation need one...
 
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