PSA offering $5,000 sign-on bonus

chrisreedrules

chrisreedrules

Master Blaster
I can't for the life of my find a PSA thread to post this in, so here it is.

PSA Airlines now offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus for new hires. I don't know any details or if there are any strings attached. Just saw that on the company website.

New(ish) info:

*Cincinnati crew base opening January 1st. It is currently our most junior base on the FO side.

*Our preferential interview has turned into a direct flow (ala Piedmont and Envoy). Starting in January it will be 5 /month and it goes up to a maximum of 8 /month depending on the amount of active CAs we currently have on property. Most expect it to go up to about 7 by the end of 2016 and maybe to 8 sometime in 2017 depending on how many pilots we are able to hire. We will also be back to the negotiating table in 2016 to discuss the current metric and perhaps increase our flow.

*Training backlog is completely gone. New hires can expect to get through training pretty quick.

*Taking delivery of new 900s every month in 2016, and Envoy's 700s are scheduled to continue delivery by the end of 2016. Although there is speculation that they may be deferred further for the remaining CRJ900 options AAG has.

*Upgrade times have remained low for those with the prerequisite time. Half of my January class has either upgraded or moved on to other opportunities. And still more will be upgrading in the coming months when they have their 1,000 121 SIC. Those of us who started with zero 121 time back in January have flown an average of about 300-350 hours in 2015. We are all holding lines now so we will likely upgrade by early 2017 as long as everything keeps rolling the way it is.

My take on things for 2016:

Everything that I was told would happen when I came on here at PSA has happened. I got my base of choice quickly out of training. I haven't say much reserve (maybe 3 or 4 months of short call reserve and 1 month of long call). Upgrade times will gradually increase through 2016. However, with steady attrition off the top of our seniority list from pilots flowing up to American and still more pilots leaving for other opportunities, there will be continuous movement and upgrades here for a long while to come. And you must also take into account new aircraft deliveries scheduled through 2017. And to the point of aircraft deliveries, 900s are scheduled through the end of 2016 (with options for more) and AAG is still planning on transferring the remaining Envoy 700s in 2017. There is a lot of talk about what will happen to the 200s here. I think that ultimately, 50-seaters will be almost completely gone by 2020. Not just at PSA, but almost everywhere. There are no plans for the PSA 200s to go anywhere, but I would bet the nickel in my pocket that if hiring becomes a challenge, the company will begin to retire the 200 on a one-for-one basis to keep the deliveries of the 900s or Envoy's 700s coming. They are simply more profitable, and we have already begun flying 700s on routes that used to be primarily flown on 200s. I also think the company will likely offer a larger new-hire bonus by summer of 2016 as hiring becomes more and more challenging.

Anyway, that's most of the relevant latest scuttle butt and my opinion on things.
 
I find it interesting how PSA is so far behind with the bonus/first year pay stuff.

The quick upgrade isn't going to keep people coming in the door when C5 has better pay (FOs), bases (no outstations), commuter benefits, fast upgrade and likely quicker career advancement.
 
Now all the AA wholly owned regionals offer a 5k bonus, but still lack in first year pay and most likely work rules. AA is going to have to step it up if they want to hire and retain pilots at the regional WO level. You can't dangle that flow through carrot forever. Especially with endevor (delta wholly owned) offering lucrative hiring/retention bonuses, growth, and a semi flow through.
 
The AAG wholly owned regionals are the only airlines with a true, no interview, no degree required flow. The other regionals have interview agreements. Not to say that you aren't correct however. The WO regionals and AAG really need to step it up if they don't want to get left in the dust.

Just for comparison (take from APC):

*Air Whiskey: $28, 2nd year $41 w/ trip/duty rigs and great healthcare
*CommutAir: $36, 2nd year $38 w/ UA interview and 7k - 15k in bonuses
*Compass: $36, 2nd year $37
*Endeavor: $25, 2nd year $33 w/ DAL interview and 20k /year in bonuses (pro rated for new hires)
*Envoy: $26, 2nd year $34 w/best flow to AA of the AAG regionals and a 5k bonus (or 10k if you come up through one of their college programs)
*ExpressJet: $23, 2nd year $34 - $39 (ASA side).
*GoJet: $25, 2nd year $32 w/ 10k - 15k (if CRJ typed)
*Horizon: $30, 2nd year $40
*Mesa: $22, 2nd year $29
*Piedmont: $25 - $29 (Dash pay), 2nd year $33 - $36 (145 pay) w/ flow to AA and 5k bonus
*PSA: $24, 2nd year $35 w/ flow to AA and 5k signing bonus and paid 24/7 per diem in training
*Republic: $40, 2nd year $41 w/ 7.5k - 20k in bonuses
*SkyWest: $30, 2nd year $38 - $41 w/ 7.5k bonus
*TSA: $36, 2nd year $39

This is of course just a snap shot and doesn't cover a lot of other "soft pay" considerations.
 
at1024 said:
No interview and reduced qualifications to get into mainline? Sounds like a winning formula for success!!
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I mean, it is what it is. Everyone knows the ability of a person to obtain a 4 year degree has very little to do with the physical act of safely flying an airplane. Having a 4 year degree says a lot about a person and I believe it is certainly something important to consider, but it is what it is.

Overall, the flows are a ploy by mainline to staff it's cheap regional feed. It has yet to be seen if it will work. I think 2016 will be very telling as to how committed AAG is to it's regionals and to what extent it will go to prop them up by making them attractive to new hires. The regional airline market is changing very rapidly combined with a shortage of pilots willing to work for the paltry wages the regionals have mostly offered until recently. No one knows what 2016 or 2017 or beyond that holds. All anyone can promise a new hire today is what they are being told by management will happen tomorrow. And everyone knows you can't say you have the airplane until your butt is in the seat and you can't count on the pay until the check clears your bank account.
 
Screaming_Emu said:
If you want to wait damn near 10 years.
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And this is basically true. Under the current metric, anyone hired at PSA today can expect a 10+ year flow under the current metric. Our flow will increase, but I wouldn't expect it to increase more than 8/ month in 2016 (and honestly I think 7/ month is more realistic). We'll see what 2017 will hold when our NC goes back to talk with the company some months down the road.

But I would also caution anyone believing that they will flow to AA in the 6 years that Envoy is touting or in whatever time Piedmont is predicting to take those predictions with a grain of salt. I honestly don't think anyone can give you a truthful, realistic expectation for the flow. So much will change in the next couple years, a flow shouldn't really cross your mind when you are interviewing at any airline. What it will create is steady movement. Which I think, is extremely important for quality of life.
 
Thanks for the info Chris. Ive said myself exactly what you mentioned above about the flow. No one really knows what the flow will be. Everyone spits out a figure based upon x-amount per month, yada yada, but you never know about other attrition. The "pilot shortage" is across the board and regional pilots are being attracted to not just the major airlines, but all different types of outfits worldwide.
 
The Flow is crap anyways. Email sent out was the first class that AA might have is in Feb which is subject to change... so no one may even leave for it in January. If not, you're setting yourself back a month in the 10 year wait.
 
StrykerINF said:
The Flow is crap anyways. Email sent out was the first class that AA might have is in Feb which is subject to change... so no one may even leave for it in January. If not, you're setting yourself back a month in the 10 year wait.
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They already have assigned 5 to a January 5th class. That notice closed a few weeks ago. The notice sent out yesterday is for the second class of 2015.
 
The most junior pilot to go under the old SSP was a 2/2005 hire. The flow starts back at the top of the list, so a few who previously bypassed the SSP are electing to flow. Most junior flow for the January class will be a 7/2004 hire. At the current snapshot, junior flow in the February class will be a 5/2005 hire.
 
Interesting. I noticed a PSA crew in the PHL mainline crew room last week. I recognized the CA, saw him around E concourse crew room in CLT quite a bit when I was at Express. Was wondering when they were flowing. I'm sure the new pay rates have helped, plus that CLT base which seems to attract all the ex-PSA'ers. The more that flow the better, I need more guys under me pronto!!
 
What percentage would anyone guess, will bypass the flow? For those of us at the bottom of the rung, we cant fathom why someone would do that, but I have to imagine there are guys out there, decently close to retirement or up there in seniority, making over 100k who dont want to drop back down to reserve as an FO, even at mainline.

I know a guy whos a 20yr FO at United, making decent bucks, but bypassed CA several times. He basically makes his own schedule at the top of the seniority and runs a business in his off time.

I just imagine that those guys may exist at PSA, but I was wondering If (on possibly how many) would fall into the category of able to flow but dont.

Ive also seen an argument that many who bypassed SSP will flow, because they dont have to do anything at all now, whereas previously, they had to at a minimum prepare for an interview (Logbook update, brush up etc). Any truth or has anyone noticed this to also be the case?
 
Eddiebauer86 said:
What percentage would anyone guess, will bypass the flow? For those of us at the bottom of the rung, we cant fathom why someone would do that, but I have to imagine there are guys out there, decently close to retirement or up there in seniority, making over 100k who dont want to drop back down to reserve as an FO, even at mainline.

I know a guy whos a 20yr FO at United, making decent bucks, but bypassed CA several times. He basically makes his own schedule at the top of the seniority and runs a business in his off time.

I just imagine that those guys may exist at PSA, but I was wondering If (on possibly how many) would fall into the category of able to flow but dont.

Ive also seen an argument that many who bypassed SSP will flow, because they dont have to do anything at all now, whereas previously, they had to at a minimum prepare for an interview (Logbook update, brush up etc). Any truth or has anyone noticed this to also be the case?
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Now that the flow has gone through the top of the list, it looks as though the top 60-65 on the seniority list are pretty solid as no-flows. Going down through the 2005 and later hires, I think very few will bypass. That group on average likely has 20-25 years left to 65 if they chose to flow up to AA. My best guess is that 1 out of every 10 will elect to bypass. This does not include attrition to other carriers.

To put it simply, the math at this point beyond 12 months is so soft that it's not even worth doing. So much can (and likely will) change the equation.

For a new hire, or a perspective new hire, all the flow should represent is a planned attrition that will provide seniority movement and Captain vacancies. Because the chances of the game being the same in 6+ years is pretty much slim to none.
 
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