What’s the deal with Horizon?

[MousyMaven]

Does Alaska actually hire Horizon dispatchers? After how long and how much of the class usually comprises of Horizon hires? If your end goal was Alaska, would you leave your current regional to go to Horizon? Do Horizon dispatchers have a good reputation within the industry? Do they tend to get picked up by non-Alaska majors at the same rate as dispatchers from other regionals?

 

[QXDX]

I left Horizon a couple of years ago, but at the time any Horizon Dispatcher who applied was offered an opportunity to interview at Alaska. Alaska hired 3 Horizon Dispatchers in that time frame.

Several of our Dispatchers left other airlines to come to Horizon. They were Pacific Northwest natives that wanted to get back home.

Before the move to SEA there was almost no turnover in Dispatch. People took jobs at Horizon because they wanted to live in PDX, and they stayed. 20 year Dispatchers were the norm, not the exception. They didn't apply to other, larger carriers because they wanted to stay in PDX. The move to SEA changed that.

Horizon is a fine airline, and I would rate their Dispatchers as competent and qualified as any in the profession. That said, I wouldn't leave another regional for Horizon in the hopes that I might get hired by Alaska. That's a poor career strategy, in my opinion. Take a job, or don't, based on its own merits, not because it might open a door in the nebulous future.

 

[Karee]

…Take a job, or don't, based on its own merits, not because it might open a door in the nebulous future.

This is good advice in general but most dispatchers don’t go to a regional intending to stay there forever.

To the OP I’d say that horizon doesn’t seem to hire very frequently (maybe I miss the postings?) so I doubt they have significant attrition which means people aren’t moving on. The pay scale ranges from 40k starting to 60k top out which is dismal for Seattle. If you have a trust fund or other streams of income and like the company culture, go for it!

 

[QXSOUP]

I worked at QX many, many moons ago (before I was a dispatcher) and it is a FANTASTIC company. There is a reason why most of the pilots, dispatchers and MX people are lifers.... because you get treated like a human being.

If you are coming from another regional and expect to get a shortcut to AS don't do it.