Lateral Move???

[pdub20s]

I was told going from a regional to a fractional is a lateral move. i was told you lose all travel benefits in exchange for a better pay check..What do you guys think? And what are the pros and cons for this move?

 

[hydrarkt]

what's important to you? Traveling for free on standby while making crappy pay or making a decent living and getting lots of time off? You may not get free airline travel at the frax but you do get tons of hotel points and frequent flier miles (at least NJA). I use my Hilton points to stay free all over the world.

 

[NJA bound]

I was told going from a regional to a fractional is a lateral move. i was told you lose all travel benefits in exchange for a better pay check..What do you guys think? And what are the pros and cons for this move?

Thanks for the laugh.

I think your source must have meant ladderal, climbing the ladder to a higher place.

Made over 50K last year (1st yr FO) and should be upgrading to capt. in about 1.5 years and making over 100K, add to that two 3 week vacations starting your first year.

 

[learflyer]

Thanks for the laugh.

I think your source must have meant ladderal, climbing the ladder to a higher place.

Made over 50K last year (1st yr FO) and should be upgrading to capt. in about 1.5 years and making over 100K, add to that two 3 week vacations starting your first year.

Is upgrade that fast now?

 

[fly4funcrj]

it looks like 2-3 years depending on how many people plan on leaving now that they have the rest of their bonus.. Also made over 50k first year here. I was a regional guy and view this move as the best.. I have 3 weeks off now for vacation..and I only used one week of vacation..go figure You won't get that kind of time off at the airlines..

 

[Twotter76]

For a new hire now I would guess that it would range from 3-5 years to see the left seat. The people upgrading now have been here a little over 2 years but that time will get longer due to accelerated hiring over the last few years.

 

[honeycomb]

Derinda told the pilots of the Jan. 3/4 interviewees that it would be under 2 years to upgrade.

I'm told that the XL/XLS is and has upgrades that are under 2 years right now. Is this info wrong on the current upgrade classes? Thanks.

 

[WrknStff]

Don't forget to compare the 7 and 7 schedule to the regional guy's where he's getting 12 days off or so a month (really less if you're commuting on your own time). I worked for a regional for two years and the travel benefits there are crap compared to what I have now, especially if you have a family you are trying to travel with. I can get enough airline points enough for five or six free tickets every year easy. Plus the fact that you are holding an actual ticket, none of that standby b.s..

Sounds to me this "lateral move" nonsense is coming from someone trying to make themselves feel better because they can't get on with anyone else. Personally I wouldn't even consider moving to a major like southwest a step up from here. It might be someones idea of a dream job, but not mine.

 

[CA1900]

I was told going from a regional to a fractional is a lateral move.

I guess it depends on which fractional, but NJA was the best move I ever made. Lateral? Not hardly. Not only is the pay better, the benefits are leaps and bounds above anything I could have even conceived at my regional job.

i was told you lose all travel benefits in exchange for a better pay check..What do you guys think?

Depends how often you travel, really. If you go to Vegas every other week, then yeah, you've lost some travel benefits. But if you do a few trips a year, you haven't lost anything -- except the misery that is trying to non-rev on oversold RJs with a boarding priority below everybody else. As others have mentioned, you earn lots of frequent-flier and hotel points, which translates into free hotel rooms and free positive-space flights. If anything, the "travel benefits" are actually better here.

 

[Fozzy]

Derinda told the pilots of the Jan. 3/4 interviewees that it would be under 2 years to upgrade.

I'm told that the XL/XLS is and has upgrades that are under 2 years right now. Is this info wrong on the current upgrade classes? Thanks.

Not anymore! Just looked at the wait for the XL/S. I have my bid for it. I am about 1500 (4.5 yrs in) and there are 20+ senior to me waiting for it.

I can about hold the 680 and 750 today. I believe many were waiting till the holidays ended to bid. I did, now I loose.

Plan on 3 years min for upgrade.

 

[Fozzy]

glorified baggage handlers

I was told going from a regional to a fractional is a lateral move. i was told you lose all travel benefits in exchange for a better pay check..What do you guys think? And what are the pros and cons for this move?

Was that your Chief Pilot talking??? (inside joke):laugh:

No it sucks over here. Tell you buddies. The regionals is the place to be! Forget about the frac's. We just throw bags and clean lav's.

Nothing to see here, please move on.

 

[pdub20s]

Thanks for the infor guys. My next question is about the ATP. Say your at a regional like AE that has long upgrade times(7yrs). And you dont want to wait that long for the company to pay for it. How would you guys go about getting the ATP rating???

 

[imacdog]

I don't know if it's the best way but I went to All ATPS to get my rating. I took the long course because I wasn't flying IFR at the time and they did a good job of getting me back up to speed with IFR flying and IFR GPS operations for the checkride. If I was already flying at a regional, the short course would have worked well. Pretty painless course but the ATP checkride you take is legit and you will have to earn the pass.

 

[EdAtTheAirport]

Help those of us help you by defining "lateral move." Many, if not most of us here have been regional. We don't consider it to be a lateral move.

What's your real issue? Are you conccerned that you'll interview at a Major, and some 797 Chief Pilot will look down on you for going from Reg to Frac? Here are some responses for you:

- You will have operated in both Regional and Fractional environment, bringing two sets of operating skills to the table.

- The Fractionals have a higher pay scale.

- The Fractionals fly newer and better equipment than even the Majors!

- Fractional flying involves more diverse use of your aviating skills. (When was your last nonprecision, or circling approach at minimums with your airline?)

- Fractional flying allows you to hone your customer-service skills better than at the airlines. (The HR person at your Major interview will love that one.)

- You doing any international flying at that regional? I bet 80% of the Fractional pilots know the number to Canadian customs. Do you have any cool passport stamps? Do you have Selcal and HF on that regional jet?

So if there is some definition to "lateral move" that isn't addressed, then you'll have to re-define the question.

In reading some of the stuff on the Majors board, I have to wonder how much shine is still on that penny (sadly). Many of the guys/gals over there are considering corporate, which a few of us might not do. From one Regional to another is a lateral move. From there to here is a move up!

Be realistic. The notion of the CFI to Regional to Major for 30 years, gold watch and fire truck ceremony, is extremely rare anymore. With mergers, and furloughs, and bankruptcies, anyone who hasn't had some diversity in his flying career is the oddball nowadays. We have fun here. Don't worry about it.

 

[xjjetdog]

For me personally, NetJets is better than the majors. Like others in the fractionals, I absolutely prefer fractional flying to 121. And the quality of life is much better than the 121 world. Come on over, you'll be happy you did.

 

[pdub20s]

my plan after the regionals is to find a place within the industry that pays good and can just sit back, relax, and enjoy my life. maybe at that time ill have a family or something. but im always thinking ahead...

"Selcal and HF " whats that?

 

[Griswold]

my plan after the regionals is to find a place within the industry that pays good and can just sit back, relax, and enjoy my life. maybe at that time ill have a family or something. but im always thinking ahead...

"Selcal and HF " whats that?

And why would that place not be NetJets.

 

[pdub20s]

I actualy like Netjets..lol I wanna get my hands on the "X" lol ....i can dream cant I ?lol

 

[Griswold]

I was told going from a regional to a fractional is a lateral move. i was told you lose all travel benefits in exchange for a better pay check..What do you guys think? And what are the pros and cons for this move?

Then why are you saying its a lateral move. NetJets is a far better place than any regional. It's one of the best places to be out there in some pilots view. SW, UPS, FEDEX are the only ones that could have an edge.

 

[CA1900]

I actualy like Netjets..lol I wanna get my hands on the "X" lol ....i can dream cant I ?lol

Be careful what you wish for!