Oh Alaska(n)

BEEF SUPREME said:
The pilots getting hired are great and are quite smart too. Trust me it only takes a couple of weeks of management emails before they start asking me questions that I wished I had asked my first year.
Keep your eyes wide open and decide for yourself what you’d like to do with your career.
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Reserve4Ever said:
Time will tell. For the moment, come to training work hard get your type and get on line, and seriously look at the better opportunities that are out there.
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You're both right and something I think worth mentioning, IF we do go on strike it may be rough on first year peeps. Just keep your options open and an eye on the negotiating process. However, welcome to the sh-t show, we're all in this together!

P.S. Please do not call it "The Jet". You'll see what I mean in ground school.
 
Reserve4Ever said:
Im not sure what hate you’re referring too. Presently, Alaska Airlines is the worst non regional airline a pilot can be at or be hired by. I understand that technically that’s an opinion, but I’m pretty sure the facts support it.
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That hate. Literally the sentence you wrote after saying you're not sure what it's referring to. If you truly think Alaska is the worst [editor note: words mean things] non-regional airline one can be at or hired by, you are delusional.

You've been here 4 yrs?

When I was at VX for 4 yrs, I was looking to leave too.
 
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Cherokee_Cruiser said:
That hate. Literally the sentence you wrote after saying you're not sure what it's referring to. If you truly think Alaska is the worst [editor note: words mean things] non-regional airline one can be at or hired by, you are delusional.

You've been here 4 yrs?

When I was at VX for 4 yrs, I was looking to leave too.
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Well I did say that was my opinion. I’m curious which other “peer” airlines, or major airlines in your opinion presently offer a total package that is worse than Alaska. Please don’t go into the 91, 91k, and 135 world as clearly there are worse options there. Of the comparable airlines which ones would people be leaving to better their future by coming to Alaska?
It has nothing to do with hating Alaska Airlines, but facts are facts, some people certainly have different levels of tolerance for the areas in which Alaska trails the rest of the industry and that’s fine, but people coming here hopefully come armed with the knowledge of what life is presently like at this airline. If they accept it for what it is that is fine, welcome, let’s try and make it better. Perhaps it is all they have at the moment, that is true for many, but for those I would recommend working hard through training and seeking better opportunities.
I’m not sure what the significance of 4 years longevity is but I’ve been here longer than that.
 
Reserve4Ever said:
Well I did say that was my opinion. I’m curious which other “peer” airlines, or major airlines in your opinion presently offer a total package that is worse than Alaska. Please don’t go into the 91, 91k, and 135 world as clearly there are worse options there. Of the comparable airlines which ones would people be leaving to better their future by coming to Alaska?
It has nothing to do with hating Alaska Airlines, but facts are facts, some people certainly have different levels of tolerance for the areas in which Alaska trails the rest of the industry and that’s fine, but people coming here hopefully come armed with the knowledge of what life is presently like at this airline. If they accept it for what it is that is fine, welcome, let’s try and make it better. Perhaps it is all they have at the moment, that is true for many, but for those I would recommend working hard through training and seeking better opportunities.
I’m not sure what the significance of 4 years longevity is but I’ve been here longer than that.
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This is like lining up girls in a line and asking which one you find hotter.

Answer: it depends on your preferences.
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
This is like lining up girls in a line and asking which one you find hotter.

Answer: it depends on your preferences.
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Well. SkyWest had better reserve rules. Better rules about cancellations. Better rules about your schedule when you complete training. I could go on. Sure its an accomplishment to get hired here. I agree. Should I have researched the rule book a bit more. Absolutely.
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
I’m old. I’m also a curmudgeon. I’ve updated my apps for United about 4 times since I’ve been hired here. Every time something bad happens: OG Covid, Delta, Omicron, War in Ukraine. Then I don’t follow through. I know I should but I’m old. I’m tired. I’m deeply cynical and bitter about aviation. Most people who suffered through the lost decade are too. They just aren’t honest about it.

Cynically I think I’d make a move and wind up in a worse spot than last time. Furloughed after the Great Garbage Avalanche of 2505. 4 years + of seniority is hard to give up on. I was 125 numbers away from upgrade last time. Maybe I’ll get it on this latest bid. Maybe we will get a good contract. Maybe I’ll find a parking spot in short term parking and the FAs and the captain will be nice again. You get sucked into the comfort of the devil you know. I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m old and I’m tired.

Lastly I just can’t bring myself to walk into some stupid office or hotel ballroom, with my stupid red tie on and gag on someone’s johnson about how much I love XYZ airlines. I’m old. I’ve seen it all. All airlines suck. All charter companies suck. Private flight departments suck. They change like the tides. The United I get hired at might be amazing one day and a complete nightmare after the Great Garbage Avalanche of 2505. I probably couldn’t even say I hope this is the last place I interview with a straight face to some HR lady or an indifferent captain with a poor fitting suit. Deep in my soul I know it all sucks.

I like ‘Laski because: the captains are overall not bad to work for. The legs can be short if you’re willing to fight the elements in SE. I could give zero Fs about flying any particular airframe or going overseas. I got to hand fly a 737 from PSG to WRG. No autopilot or auto throttles. Mixed bag on WX. 9 minute leg. The captain asked that I flew the next leg because I did a good job. My landings are the safest they have ever been. I’ve done multiple missed approaches for windshear and bad turbulence just this winter. I went a whole career without doing that before Laski. I like challenging myself and getting good at things and SE keeps me happy. It’s all better than 91/135.

I’ve also carved out a relatively nice life for myself here in the PNW. I recreate how I want. People leave me alone. Ill never have a boat or an airplane but I’ve got my trusty old car lots of cool bikes and guns. I guess I’m a simple guy.

I probably should leave the sooner the better. But I’m old and tired. Like one captain said to me over and over when I first started flying: “life is hard and then you die.”


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So despite all the beotching about this place, you're still putting in an upgrade bid to be CA at the literally bottom of the bottom barrel of endless reserve.


Real talk: it can't be that bad if you're taking it...
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
So despite all the beotching about this place, you're still putting in an upgrade bid to be CA at the literally bottom of the bottom barrel of endless reserve.


Real talk: it can't be that bad if you're taking it...
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I’m doing it so I won’t wind up getting fired the next time some dbag doesn’t want to de-ice.

I’m better than that. I’m good at CRM. I’ll make working here fun because I’ll be the one setting the tone.

It’s still the best job I’ve had when I’m flying with someone good at CRM. As long as you realize that isn’t saying much good about AS we are on the same page.


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Cherokee_Cruiser said:
So despite all the beotching about this place, you're still putting in an upgrade bid to be CA at the literally bottom of the bottom barrel of endless reserve.


Real talk: it can't be that bad if you're taking it...
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Be honest. You probably wouldn't be there if Virgin hadn't been bought out. You would have gone to the big three. Hell you made a thread asking if you should go, or apply at any of the big three. Just sayin'
 
BEEF SUPREME said:
I’m doing it so I won’t wind up getting fired the next time some dbag doesn’t want to de-ice.

I’m better than that. I’m good at CRM. I’ll make working here fun because I’ll be the one setting the tone.

It’s still the best job I’ve had when I’m flying with someone good at CRM. As long as you realize that isn’t saying much good about AS we are on the same page.


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Sorry the more you talk like this, the more I'm starting to think the problem is you. The "I can't wait to be CA so I'm the boss and can set the tone" are usually the bad ones. (No offense).
 
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the honest advice and thoughts/experiences. Looking forward to it, and mostly for the reasons that Beef mentioned in terms of the challenge of the flying (at least for a 121 carrier). I still have 26 years before mandatory retirement, so I probably have a little time to test the waters and see if it is a good fit or not. Hope to see you all out there!
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
Real talk part 2: people don't leave Alaska for 3 reasons. They have too much seniority. They have applied but not heard anything. They have interviewed and busted.
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People had to tell you that you'd be stupid to leave AS with your seniority and your upgrade. Because you were still thinking about bailing. Anyway, not my fight. So like whatever.
 
Maximilian_Jenius said:
People had to tell you that you'd be stupid to leave AS with your seniority and your upgrade. Because you were still thinking about bailing. Anyway, not my fight. So like whatever.
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Oh I got no ego. I'm completely honest. Yes, I had my apps at the big 3 once AS bought VX in 2016 (merger annoucement in April 2016). Figuring NYC's days were limited, I went to OBAP in Aug 2016 and a Delta job fair. I was honest when I said I wanted the big 3 for the NYC base. I never heard anything from the big 3 (reason 2 in list of reason above for not leaving). Then NYC closed, I moved to LA county, and Covid happened. Now I could probably very easily get a call at the big 3, but my reason not to leave is reason 1 listed above - too much seniority to start over.

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like my job. I do wish I was on the east coast but it is what it is, and you have to go with the flow. And of course I can't beotch too much because from day 1 when I got hired, I was hired AT a west coast based airline - VX.
 
///AMG said:
Thanks everyone! I appreciate the honest advice and thoughts/experiences. Looking forward to it, and mostly for the reasons that Beef mentioned in terms of the challenge of the flying (at least for a 121 carrier). I still have 26 years before mandatory retirement, so I probably have a little time to test the waters and see if it is a good fit or not. Hope to see you all out there!
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Welcome. See you on the line. Aiming for SEA?
 
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