Wheels Up (135 - NetJets spinoff)

I know several NJ pilots on LinkedIn. Why don't you search by company and ask them. One is a great friend who has been there 14 years--he would definitely answer any questions you have.
 
moxiepilot said:
Well, so far - nowhere :p

I understand there are about 400 furloughed at NJ. And I also understand they are still in contract negotiations. But what I am looking for is information from folks who currently work there or are furloughed about the good and the bad. Doesn't seem like an invitation to a popcorn fest to me, but that's why I ask questions....
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There's a ton of furloughed NetJets guys over at JM (other program at your current company). PM me if you need contact info.
 
I have looked into them, but the 3 days off and not living in base would be brutal. When / if the DEN base opens, I may apply.
 
moxiepilot said:
I don't really know much about NetJets, and therefore can't make any comparison to this company. Can someone take the time to explain to me what it is like to currently work at NetJets (or be one of the furloughed guys), the upside and down - so that I can have a base line?
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I might be able to shed a little light:

Schedule:
  • At NetJets, we have a few different schedule options. Our current default schedule is 7 on, 7 off, which is exactly as it sounds. There is an open bid period every September, and once you are awarded a line, you can't be bumped off until the next open bid period. This schedule is nice if you need to plan your personal schedule a year out.
  • There is also an option to work 18 days in a month, for 3 extra days pay. The company can use you up to 18 days a month, with 1 trip per quarter allowed to be scheduled 8 consecutive days. We use a 'preferential bid system' where you can request certain parameters to be met (ie, short trips, a certain weekend off, etc), but the company is under NO obligation to honor any of your requests. There is a minimum of 3 (sometimes 4) days off after a trip, and the schedule is published on the 15th of the month prior. Most guys I know that work this schedule need to extra money, and know that they sacrifice home time.
  • Finally, we have a 15 day schedule that gives the company a ton of flexibility. The daily rate on this schedule is higher than any of the other schedules, and the trip length can be a maximum of 5 days. As you can imagine, it is pretty popular (and limited to 10% of pilots). The tradeoff is that you don't know your schedule. At all. You have to call in every night and find out if the next day is a work day. Once you complete a trip, you get 3 days off, then the calling in starts again.
Pay:
  • Check out airlinepilotcentral for the pay scales. As far as I know, they are accurate (except the BBJ...we haven't had any of those in a while).
Culture:
  • The 'family' feel is gone. Ever since our new management team took over, there has been almost zero cooperation with the pilot group. We are managed by metrics and we get flogged constantly with statistics about our performance. Contract negotiations means the contentious relationship isn't going to change anytime soon.
Furloughees-
  • We need them back as soon as possible. Management just announced a recall of 12 more pilots, but I don't know if that is even keeping up with attrition. I sincerely hope that all of the pilots who want to come back are called soon!
Life on the road:
  • We stay in Hiltons and Marriotts for the most part, but the quality of accommodations has decreased a bit as the company pinches pennies. We are getting worked harder now with less rest, and 10 hours off is pretty normal now. When they pile these on a little too often, we do have a fatigue policy that can be used to get some extra time off to recover.
With that being said, there are more than a few pilots here looking for greener pastures. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to know, and I'll do my best to answer.
 
NightCargo said:
I might be able to shed a little light:

Schedule:
  • At NetJets, we have a few different schedule options. Our current default schedule is 7 on, 7 off, which is exactly as it sounds. There is an open bid period every September, and once you are awarded a line, you can't be bumped off until the next open bid period. This schedule is nice if you need to plan your personal schedule a year out.
  • There is also an option to work 18 days in a month, for 3 extra days pay. The company can use you up to 18 days a month, with 1 trip per quarter allowed to be scheduled 8 consecutive days. We use a 'preferential bid system' where you can request certain parameters to be met (ie, short trips, a certain weekend off, etc), but the company is under NO obligation to honor any of your requests. There is a minimum of 3 (sometimes 4) days off after a trip, and the schedule is published on the 15th of the month prior. Most guys I know that work this schedule need to extra money, and know that they sacrifice home time.
  • Finally, we have a 15 day schedule that gives the company a ton of flexibility. The daily rate on this schedule is higher than any of the other schedules, and the trip length can be a maximum of 5 days. As you can imagine, it is pretty popular (and limited to 10% of pilots). The tradeoff is that you don't know your schedule. At all. You have to call in every night and find out if the next day is a work day. Once you complete a trip, you get 3 days off, then the calling in starts again.
Pay:
  • Check out airlinepilotcentral for the pay scales. As far as I know, they are accurate (except the BBJ...we haven't had any of those in a while).
Culture:
  • The 'family' feel is gone. Ever since our new management team took over, there has been almost zero cooperation with the pilot group. We are managed by metrics and we get flogged constantly with statistics about our performance. Contract negotiations means the contentious relationship isn't going to change anytime soon.
Furloughees-
  • We need them back as soon as possible. Management just announced a recall of 12 more pilots, but I don't know if that is even keeping up with attrition. I sincerely hope that all of the pilots who want to come back are called soon!
Life on the road:
  • We stay in Hiltons and Marriotts for the most part, but the quality of accommodations has decreased a bit as the company pinches pennies. We are getting worked harder now with less rest, and 10 hours off is pretty normal now. When they pile these on a little too often, we do have a fatigue policy that can be used to get some extra time off to recover.
With that being said, there are more than a few pilots here looking for greener pastures. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to know, and I'll do my best to answer.
Click to expand...

How's the relationship between Netjets and EJM like? Do pilots leave for that side of the house? If so, is that another interview?
 
NightCargo said:
With that being said, there are more than a few pilots here looking for greener pastures. Let me know if there is anything else you would like to know, and I'll do my best to answer.
Click to expand...

I've talked with quite a few NetJets guys on the road, and I've heard many say exactly this. Serious question, what 'greener pastures' lie beyond NetJets? The guys that I've run into at FBOs said that a few were chasing the majors.

My first aviation job was working line service at a small FBO, and every time a QS plane showed up, I had always wanted that to be my end goal. It almost seemed like NetJets was the majors of the corporate world. Now, after flying for a fractional I realize it's not all glamor, but still, I feel like if I ever had an opportunity to work at NetJets, it'd be a place where I could throw out my resume and spend the rest of my career there. Is it not like that anymore?

Is there any time frame on when NetJets MIGHT hire again? I've heard rumors of 'a handful of years', but I wasn't sure if there was anything more official than that.
 
KLB said:
How's the relationship between Netjets and EJM like? Do pilots leave for that side of the house? If so, is that another interview?
Click to expand...

Its my understanding that the EJM pilots have more of a traditional corporate/charter setup...ie a certain number of pilots per airplane, work out the schedule amongst themselves, on call, etc. I'm sure every account is a little different though.

I haven't heard of anyone leaving the Netjets side for EJM. Of course that doesn't mean it hasn't happened, just not well publicized. If a Netjets pilot wanted to pursue a EJM position, it would involve a new interview, and if successful, I'm near positive it would require resigning your seniority number at Netjets.
 
Mark815 said:
I've talked with quite a few NetJets guys on the road, and I've heard many say exactly this. Serious question, what 'greener pastures' lie beyond NetJets? The guys that I've run into at FBOs said that a few were chasing the majors.

My first aviation job was working line service at a small FBO, and every time a QS plane showed up, I had always wanted that to be my end goal. It almost seemed like NetJets was the majors of the corporate world. Now, after flying for a fractional I realize it's not all glamor, but still, I feel like if I ever had an opportunity to work at NetJets, it'd be a place where I could throw out my resume and spend the rest of my career there. Is it not like that anymore?

Is there any time frame on when NetJets MIGHT hire again? I've heard rumors of 'a handful of years', but I wasn't sure if there was anything more official than that.
Click to expand...

I think most of those at Netjets who are looking for a new gig are looking to the majors....especially those who would have little/no commute to a major's crew base. We have more than a few pilots who came to us after getting furloughed from the majors, and a lot of them are finally taking their recall. I think that says a lot about the current state of things here!

I know a few guys who have moved on to true corporate gigs where the the amount of time spent away from home is significantly less than Netjets. More money, and more time at home...I don't blame them one bit!! Kind of envious actually.

The problem is we have become the 90s version of US Airways. Total stagnation and NO opportunity for advancement. If you are a captain, there have been very few open bids for new aircraft in the last 6 years, so you feel stuck. SICs have no upgrade in sight, and also are unable to change aircraft. Our SIC pay scale also tops out at year 10, and by next fall nearly every SIC will be topped out.

As for hiring, my uneducated guess would be in 2018. I think its going to take that long to get through all of the recalls, but the true wildcard is the contract negotiations. If we get a contract with some kind of signing bonus, I think a lot of the 65+ year old guys may finally punch out and retire.
 
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