Trans States Airlines - Good to go or no?

floridabeachbum

floridabeachbum

Well-Known Member
Anyone know anything about them? I know at one time they were pretty dubious. Have they changed? Qol? Ground school? Sims?
 
Any dubious place's "dubiousness" gets overlooked for quick upgrade....

Couldn't tell you much about them...People bailed when they could back before they started getting more flying.
 
I have a special place in my heart for them. ;) all jokes aside, it wasn't a horrible place to work, no worse than any other regional. Ground school was easy if you do a little studying.
 
Did 6 years there. The contract isn't the worst anymore with some good cancellation provisions. Also, live in base if you can, it'll make your life much easier. Study and know your memory items cold before class. Get in, get your time, get out. Don't eat Bandana's every night. You'll live longer.
 
It's a regional. That said the idea is to get in, get your time and get out as quickly as you can. Trans States is a fine place to do that, with the grow still to come you'd be in a good spot seniority wise to enjoy the movement if you got on board in the next couple months.

Training is tough, the organization factor leaves a lot to be desired as does the pay but discipline in both study habits and budgeting will help you get by without issue. Don't forget there is a $10,000 bonus to be had at the moment.

The contract is "meh" in my opinion. Better than what they had before, but there are areas that need improvement. There are also areas that are pretty decent for a regional. With all of the grow coming, there are already some growing pains. It's a small company trying to nearly triple in size but they seem reluctant to change the "small company vibe" if that makes sense. We're currently switching to iPads, as well as the LIDO/Lufthansa systems for everything which should be an improvement.

As someone said, living in base here will go a long way to your quality of life, especially on reserve. The people here have been great for the most part, Flight Ops folks are former Comair and have a great attitude and are very approachable if you have any issues.

Overall I'd recommend it, as long as your goal is to build time, upgrade eventually and move on. If you're thinking you could be happy long term here, I'd look elsewhere.
 
Almost every time I have flown with them, they have been late......

I do hear they have a bunch new planes on order and are growing like crazy. The people I know who fly for them seem to like it.
 
Runincolorado said:
Almost every time I have flown with them, they have been late......

I do hear they have a bunch new planes on order and are growing like crazy. The people I know who fly for them seem to like it.
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Not that we were much better with our CRJs, but I had a gate agent almost cry when I told her who was taking over the flying once our contract was over.

"Mesa and Trans states? I hate working with those guys!"
 
Runincolorado said:
Almost every time I have flown with them, they have been late......

I do hear they have a bunch new planes on order and are growing like crazy. The people I know who fly for them seem to like it.
Click to expand...

So, I'm not doing this to bag on you, I just don't think you realize what you just said.

Those aren't new airplanes; they are XJT airplanes, and they include tail numbers I have in my logbook. XJT is shrinking the ERJ side by 2 aircraft per month until the airline doesn't exist anymore in late 2017.

The reality is that regional aircraft are shuffled around, but I want you and everyone else who hasn't been around for a while to understand that this is what's happening. It's not industry growth, it's a net total shrinkage of regional aircraft in the United Express system, and they're going from XJT to TSA.

This isn't good bad, it's just how the industry works, but let's not call them new aircraft.

The flying I'm doing right now was originally done by ASA, until Skywest bought them and closed down that base and took over the flying. Then XJT took over the flying, which I was hired for in 2007. When Delta pulled out of that contract, I was furloughed in 2008 and it went back to Skywest. Now, I'm at another regional, flying the exact same pairings I was hired for in 2007, with the 5th airline to fly these same segments in 8 years.

The flying isn't new, it's just got a new tenant.
 
jtrain609 said:
So, I'm not doing this to bag on you, I just don't think you realize what you just said.

Those aren't new airplanes; they are XJT airplanes, and they include tail numbers I have in my logbook. XJT is shrinking the ERJ side by 2 aircraft per month until the airline doesn't exist anymore in late 2017.

The reality is that regional aircraft are shuffled around, but I want you and everyone else who hasn't been around for a while to understand that this is what's happening. It's not industry growth, it's a net total shrinkage of regional aircraft in the United Express system, and they're going from XJT to TSA.

This isn't good bad, it's just how the industry works, but let's not call them new aircraft.

The flying I'm doing right now was originally done by ASA, until Skywest bought them and closed down that base and took over the flying. Then XJT took over the flying, which I was hired for in 2007. When Delta pulled out of that contract, I was furloughed in 2008 and it went back to Skywest. Now, I'm at another regional, flying the exact same pairings I was hired for in 2007, with the 5th airline to fly these same segments in 8 years.
The flying isn't new, it's just got a new tenant.
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I appreciate the clarification. I knew there were jets being transferred to TSA but I did not realize XJT would no longer exist. I was speaking to the announcement that TSA will be purchasing 50 MRJ90 and 50 E175s. Maybe I missed their cancellations with the more recent transfer?
 
Runincolorado said:
I appreciate the clarification. I knew there were jets being transferred to TSA but I did not realize XJT would no longer exist. I was speaking to the announcement that TSA will be purchasing 50 MRJ90 and 50 E175s. Maybe I missed their cancellations with the more recent transfer?
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The MRJ's are over the max weight limit for all mainline carrier scope provisions, and as such don't have homes yet. Who knows if they'll ever be flown in the US by a regional.
 
Runincolorado said:
I appreciate the clarification. I knew there were jets being transferred to TSA but I did not realize XJT would no longer exist. I was speaking to the announcement that TSA will be purchasing 50 MRJ90 and 50 E175s. Maybe I missed their cancellations with the more recent transfer?
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The end of 2017 is when our CPA ends with United at XJT. Saying we will not exist after that is like saying Mesa wont exist at the end of 2019 when their CPA expires. Obviously the possibility exists. There is no evidence that is United's plan is to kill the ERJ side of XJT.. Our CPA does not have a draw down of our ERJs all the way through 2017. The bleeding will eventually end.

My guess is that United doesn't like the fact that SkyWest and XJT flies well over half of their Express flying. Think single point of failure.

The short CPAs are likely due to the expected instability of the regionals over the next 10 years. Expect planes to shuffle around a lot over the next 5-10 years.

As Delta has found out, they can't get rid of their 50 seaters. United will run into the exact same issue unless they find a lot of single aisle planes to replace them and reduce flight frequency.

That said, TSA will not be able to make use of any of those aircraft. All Mainline scope clauses are currently fully saturated for 70+ seat aircraft. Also as jtrain said, the MRJ is too heavy to be used under current mainline scope. I believe the E175-2 is also too heavy so if TSA is getting that version they will have issues utilizing them as well.

Expect the MRJs an E175s to be leased out overseas. I fully expect SkyWest to do this as well.
 
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Runincolorado said:
Hmm, learned a lot new. Thought the MRJ and E175s were an addition for the domestic market. Thanks for clarifying things..
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Not a problem. They are just a really expensive recruitment tool at this point. Nothing more. I got my MRJ fill when I was hired at XJT as well. They all say stupid stuff to try to get you on the seniority list.

Screaming_Emu said:
Not that we were much better with our CRJs, but I had a gate agent almost cry when I told her who was taking over the flying once our contract was over.

"Mesa and Trans states? I hate working with those guys!"
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First time I heard that was in the middle of our meltdown last year. A STL gate agent made the comment. Kind of stuck out since or performance was ass and STL is TSA's HQ. That says something.

I had been watching performance numbers. TSA struggled to make A:14 over 50% of the time last month. D:0 for half the month was something like 35%. They are doing better so far this month but still well behind the top regionals. GoJet has been really bad. I have seen numbers as low as 30% A:14. Actually. That is what they did yesterday. Doh!

Honestly I don't see how Trans States Holdings expects to keep 3 separate airlines staffed. TSA, GoJet, and Compass all hire from the exact same pool of applicants for the most part. Compass will likely do a bit better because of their LAX base but otherwise they are all looking to grab people up from the east half of the US flying out of similar bases.

IMO Mesa is cheating for their top tier numbers. They have warm weather bases that don't get hit several times a month by a winter storm. It is almost a bad joke watching ORD get hit followed by CLE and then EWR all by the same storm.
 
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I wouldn't mind Tsa and compass merging. And gojet can ride off into the sunset. Most of the delays I've seen at TSA have been ramp/gate delays.
 
jtrain609 said:
So, I'm not doing this to bag on you, I just don't think you realize what you just said.

Those aren't new airplanes; they are XJT airplanes, and they include tail numbers I have in my logbook. XJT is shrinking the ERJ side by 2 aircraft per month until the airline doesn't exist anymore in late 2017.

The reality is that regional aircraft are shuffled around, but I want you and everyone else who hasn't been around for a while to understand that this is what's happening. It's not industry growth, it's a net total shrinkage of regional aircraft in the United Express system, and they're going from XJT to TSA.

This isn't good bad, it's just how the industry works, but let's not call them new aircraft.

The flying I'm doing right now was originally done by ASA, until Skywest bought them and closed down that base and took over the flying. Then XJT took over the flying, which I was hired for in 2007. When Delta pulled out of that contract, I was furloughed in 2008 and it went back to Skywest. Now, I'm at another regional, flying the exact same pairings I was hired for in 2007, with the 5th airline to fly these same segments in 8 years.

The flying isn't new, it's just got a new tenant.
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Just to add, they are getting aircraft from Envoy too.

Of course, so is Expressjet...and Piedmont....and PSA...
 
Thanks for all the replies. I ran into a TSA flight crew(s) yesterday and they were more than helpful along with you all.

They say things have changed, they got rid of all the problem managers except one guy who during sims is tough and they have a lot of x Comair there who have changed things a lot (for the better) they are now offering a 10,000.00 sign on bonus too for new F.O.'s.

Again everyone, thanks for the help!
 
floridabeachbum said:
Thanks for all the replies. I ran into a TSA flight crew(s) yesterday and they were more than helpful along with you all.

They say things have changed, they got rid of all the problem managers except one guy who during sims is tough and they have a lot of x Comair there who have changed things a lot (for the better) they are now offering a 10,000.00 sign on bonus too for new F.O.'s.

Again everyone, thanks for the help!
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Yeah I said guy for my ATP sim. He paused the sim during my ride and I thought I failed. There is only two outcomes with his ride. First and you get yelled at and pass. Second you fail and get yelled at.
 
Trans states interview was...............strange. Passed the written went in for the two on 1 with 2 captains and then...........

They tore through my airline apps going all the way back to 1998 asked me a question I would answer and then he would tell me I don't want to hear that! He sounded like a broken record! Some questions like why wasn't I flying during x time was stupid - how could I fly during that time when I wasn't commercially rated dumb a-ss? Then again with the I don't want to hear that! Good ole boy network- alive and well at trans states!!!!

I guy from eagle was told straight he wasn't about to get a cqfo position in a very rude way. They treated us both like •!!!! And this guy is waaaaaay qualified on the 145.

And Laura wonders why people don't come that are f.o.'s. If the 2 that are from the movie deliverance are interviewing people well good luck with that!
 
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