Regional Airlines

Sat in on an ExpressJet recruitment pitch last week. They were noticeably quiet about upgrade times. They also had a chart showing time to majors, which seemed like a good thing to promote, except the year-after-year number kept trending for the worse.

Heh, the guy bristled when I asked him if he was concerned about Skywest rolling them into their group. Actually, come to think of it, most of my questions kinda irritated him. I think I spend too much time with you guys.
 
Thanks for all the insight all.

Expressjet is definitely out of consideration. Mesa is still a contender however reading posts dated several years ago make it seem the airline is not such a great place too work. Is that still the general perception today?
 
Low_Level_Hell said:
Thanks for all the insight all.

Expressjet is definitely out of consideration. Mesa is still a contender however reading posts dated several years ago make it seem the airline is not such a great place too work. Is that still the general perception today?
Click to expand...

What would make you choose Mesa? Compass has only west coast bases, slightly faster upgrade times and PHX base as well and are purely west coast. I'm not the best guy to talk to as I passed on the regionals, but the friends I have at Compass all seemed pretty happy with their decision. Their pay rates are higher. Maybe you can find someone on this forum to split the referral bonus with too. Do your homework and talk to some experienced folks and I wouldn't put much faith in recruiters.
 
Low_Level_Hell said:
Thanks for all the insight all.

Expressjet is definitely out of consideration. Mesa is still a contender however reading posts dated several years ago make it seem the airline is not such a great place too work. Is that still the general perception today?
Click to expand...

Upgrades are closing on 4 years at Mesa. There are better options with better upgrade times.
 
Low_Level_Hell said:
I am looking for the best option to commute out of Austin. The attraction for Mesa are their Houston and Dallas domiciles.
Click to expand...

That makes sense. If you want to stay in Austin have you looked into VIA who have a base there? It's a gamble, but it might make for a much better QoL. Via Airlines, Inc.

I'd also recommend doing your homework and applying to WheelsUp as you can base in AUS and likely move to the west coast when ready, make more and have a much better schedule.
 
I looked at Via as well. I just hope they're around two years from now.

Every one thinks I want to go to the West Coast. I don't. That is the OP's intention. I just D.B. Coopered his thread.
 
The OP CFIChad49 is the one who wants to go West, not me. Probably because he likes cannabis, high mortgage payments, and Tupac.
 
Low_Level_Hell said:
I looked at Via as well. I just hope they're around two years from now.
Click to expand...

And if they don't? Maybe you'll have 121 captain mins and can go to whatever regional is hiring street captains or you'll have enough time, an ATP and a type rating which will open up a ton of doors. You might end up at the wrong regional and still need to make a lateral move for that captain upgrade at some point as I've seen it happen.

I am always going to prioritize QoL so that's what I stress when talking to other young pilots as it's easy to get carried away chasing big jets and big money maybe while your hairline recedes and your personal life withers. With VIA it sounds like you guys get a crew car instead of a shuttle so you can actually get out and explore instead of eating Applebees in the LaQuinta parking lot on some horrible overnight.

Every one thinks I want to go to the West Coast. I don't. That is the OP's intention. I just D.B. Coopered his thread.
Click to expand...

Sorry to get you guys confused. Best of luck on your job hunt. You don't have to do what everyone else is doing as the job market's incredible right now and I don't mean to discourage you from the regionals just take your time and be willing to consider alternatives and if you do go to the regionals you'll be much more confident in your decision.
 
How many days off do you get at VIA? I just looked it up, and nothing about it seems good. No pay during training, and the pay is terrible.
 
ASpilot2be said:
How many days off do you get at VIA? I just looked it up, and nothing about it seems good. No pay during training, and the pay is terrible.
Click to expand...

Honestly I have no idea, but mentioned them because he's based in AUS and can't speak from them beyond what little I've read. I can speak highly of WheelsUP as I have friends there and think an 8/6 schedule is very livable, but it seems like VIA has some interesting perks compared to the regionals as well as drawbacks that might rule it out as a good place. I was under the impression that pay during training was only $100 a day and that salary was 55k to start, but I might be mistaken. It's a gamble, but maybe one worth doing some homework on.
 
srn121 said:
Honestly I have no idea, but mentioned them because he's based in AUS and can't speak from them beyond what little I've read. I can speak highly of WheelsUP as I have friends there and think an 8/6 schedule is very livable, but it seems like VIA has some interesting perks compared to the regionals as well as drawbacks that might rule it out as a good place. I was under the impression that pay during training was only $100 a day and that salary was 55k to start, but I might be mistaken. It's a gamble, but maybe one worth doing some homework on.
Click to expand...
I agree about WheelsUP. I was reading about VIA and it sounds like there is no pay during Indoc, then that daily rate kicks in. It also sounds like the schedule comes out weekly, which makes it hard to plan a life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top