ASA - minimums

[Lazy8]

Wow! What's going on here?

http://www.flyasa.com/careers/pilot.php

 

[rausda27]

Wow! What's going on here?

http://www.flyasa.com/careers/pilot.php

Enormous demand and no supply...

 

[Lazy8]

How long are the newhires sitting reserve?

 

[ASApuppy]

I've heard that Scott Hall has hired many "soon to graduate" pilots. They have been given seniority numbers and then placed on LOA while they finish school. Can anyone confirm this? Unfortunately, I believe this is legal per the contract as management can issue LOA's to whomever they see fit. So, keep this in mind if you come here. You might find yourself sliding backwards on your aircraft seniority. All that matters is your driving a jet, right?

 

[Lazy8]

So what do you think is to become of ASA?

 

[TOOL CRIB]

So what do you think is to become of ASA?

Nothing. All the regionals seem like they're having staffing issues now. They are all dropping their minimums. Sooner or later they will start upping their pay. This is a good thing for all of us.

 

[Lazy8]

Is the massive attrition level at ASA due to pilots moving on to better paying major/fractional jobs or lateral moves to other regionals?

 

[TOOL CRIB]

Is the massive attrition level at ASA due to pilots moving on to better paying major/fractional jobs or lateral moves to other regionals?

Moving up! Some junior FO's I'm sure are moving laterally but I doubt any captains are.

 

[flylowman]

You don't want to work here. I have been here for six years. There has not been anything good happen at ASA in six years. I don't see this company in buisness in two years. This place sucks. Do yourself a favor and get an education, go to work doing something you like, and fly for fun.

 

[McNugent]

You don't want to work here. I have been here for six years. There has not been anything good happen at ASA in six years. I don't see this company in buisness in two years. This place sucks. Do yourself a favor and get an education, go to work doing something you like, and fly for fun.

Move on then if you are so bitter. Guys like you bring me down man. It's bad, but it could be worse. Make due with the hand you are dealt, and let the newjacks decide for themselves whether or not this is the right place for them.

 

[SilverandSore]

You don't want to work here. I have been here for six years. There has not been anything good happen at ASA in six years. I don't see this company in buisness in two years. This place sucks. Do yourself a favor and get an education, go to work doing something you like, and fly for fun.

So never mind the profit part of this ehh? We're only one of the most profitable in the industry, but since they treat us like s hit we're cooked! That makes sense.

 

[TOOL CRIB]

So never mind the profit part of this ehh? We're only one of the most profitable in the industry, but since they treat us like s hit we're cooked! That makes sense.

Well, this is airline management we're talking about. I got an idea! Let's buy the most profitable regional airline and then shut it down 2 years later!

ASA isnt going anywhere. It's always the worst in the final contract negotiation stages.

 

[Lazy8]

So never mind the profit part of this ehh? We're only one of the most profitable in the industry, but since they treat us like s hit we're cooked! That makes sense.

Without starting a flame war or b.s. thread could you please explain to me how you're treated like sh*t? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm really asking. I don't have any contacts at ASA so I don't really have a clue what's going on there; hence, the reason for my questions.

Some posts say, "hey ASA has it's labor problems, but all in all it was/is a great place to work" and others are more like yours.

If we could just stick to specifics and facts I'd appreciate it. Saying "Scot Hall IS AN A-HOLE" doesn't do much for folks researching an airline.

Thanks

g

 

[JoeMerchant]

Without starting a flame war or b.s. thread could you please explain to me how you're treated like sh*t? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm really asking. I don't have any contacts at ASA so I don't really have a clue what's going on there; hence, the reason for my questions.

Some posts say, "hey ASA has it's labor problems, but all in all it was/is a great place to work" and others are more like yours.

If we could just stick to specifics and facts I'd appreciate it. Saying "Scot Hall IS AN A-HOLE" doesn't do much for folks researching an airline.

Thanks

g

Grove,

As a fellow parrothead, here are my honest opinions from someone who has been here a while...

I am not treated like "$hit". If I was, I would leave. Most saying that either are chronic complainers or are trying to make it sound worse than it is so as to put pressure on management to settle the contract.

It used to be much worse than it is now. Most things have improved here in the past 13 years.

Is is perfect? NO. Could it be better? YES. Is it the best? NO Is it the worst? NO.

Contract will be settled soon. It will be short of what some expected, but it will be better than we currently have.

Growth is uncertain and will be for sometime. The portfolio concept is alive and well at Delta. The better the contract, the less growth. Double edged sword, but we aren't the only ones under the knife...

 

[wms]

At ASA you get ten days off per month. If you're on reserve, six of those days are floating, and they move them around constantly at their discretion. If you're sick and call in it's an occurence. After so many you can be disciplined. Scheduling will harass you on your days off, and if you answer the phone on a day off and can't come in because you're a commuter, you'll be harassed, if not disciplined. Payroll will screw up your pay once per quarter. If it's in their favor they'll take it all out the next pay period, if it's in yours it will take months to get what rightfully belongs to you. Scheduling will try to trick, coerce or force you to violate the FARs, they've tried it with me 4 times in six years. But no one in mgmt has told them to stop. The fact that mgmt knows that scheduling lies to flight crews and tries to force them to violate FAR 121.471 is only an endorsement of scheduling's practices. In fact, they just keep giving us more NLT info on our releases that scheduling fudges when they need to.

The only places I hear of that are worse are Mesa and TSA. I've been here almost seven years, 4 on reserve, and finally hold a fair line, and I can tell you honestly that things at ASA are the worst I've seen. I love what I do enough to tolerate things here and I will not let anyone keep me from what I enjoy, but I would discourage anyone from coming to ASA. Go to SKYW, XJet, Eagle, etc.

 

[FmrFreightDog]

From the aforementioned website:

"Pilots joining ASA become part of an operation characterized by first class working conditions, a reputation for safety, customer service, and professionalism."

First class working conditions? Have they seen the employee bathrooms lately? Crew buses that run on a "When I feel like it" schedule... Pilot pushing at an all time high... Airplanes carrying 8 or 9 deferrals... HR personnel that refuse to answer the phone or respond to an email...

Absolutely first class working conditions. Although the pay was lousy and the airplanes were poorly maintained, I was treated more like a "respected team member" at the fly by night 135 operation I used to work at than I am here.

First class working conditions, my ass.

 

[wms]

"Reputation for safety". Working pilots to the point of fatigue and then giving them an occurence for refusing to go any further.

 

[TOOL CRIB]

From the aforementioned website:

First class working conditions? Have they seen the employee bathrooms lately? Crew buses that run on a "When I feel like it" schedule... Pilot pushing at an all time high... Airplanes carrying 8 or 9 deferrals... HR personnel that refuse to answer the phone or respond to an email...

8-9 deferrals?!?! I have never seen an airplane with more than 3 deferrals and I've been here a few years. Usually the three referrals are related (something broken also knocks out RVSM and Cat 2). I'd say at least 80% of the flights I do there are no deferrals.

Bottom line is, this is a job, not a dream! Most of my friends have real jobs and they are quite jealous that I get half the month off and dont have to do crap when I go home. In the pilot world there seem to be a high percentage of pompous individuals who think they are better than the job they hold. Sure, we are professionals and we have a lot of responsibility, but it's the pilots who are always thinking how management can do their job better that are always complaining. Just do your job and go home. Get some friends who AREN'T in aviation. Otherwise it's a never ending cycle of crying over spilled milk to each other!

Some of these people will never be happy until they retire. Then they croak at 65-70 as most pilots seem to do probably for the simple fact that they have nothing to complain about anymore!

 

[TOOL CRIB]

"Reputation for safety". Working pilots to the point of fatigue and then giving them an occurence for refusing to go any further.

If you are fatigued, call in fatigued. If they give you an occurance and they try to discipline you over it, get a union rep and call the FAA. That'll take care of that.

Some guys complain that they fly fatigued but yet they complain that they miss our 3-day trips with 7+ hrs a day and <10 hr overnights. Can't have it both ways.

If a pilot wins $10,000 he'll probably complain about the taxes he'll have to pay on it.

 

[Lazy8]

8-9 deferrals?!?! I have never seen an airplane with more than 3 deferrals and I've been here a few years. Usually the three referrals are related (something broken also knocks out RVSM and Cat 2). I'd say at least 80% of the flights I do there are no deferrals.

Bottom line is, this is a job, not a dream! Most of my friends have real jobs and they are quite jealous that I get half the month off and dont have to do crap when I go home. In the pilot world there seem to be a high percentage of pompous individuals who think they are better than the job they hold. Sure, we are professionals and we have a lot of responsibility, but it's the pilots who are always thinking how management can do their job better that are always complaining. Just do your job and go home. Get some friends who AREN'T in aviation. Otherwise it's a never ending cycle of crying over spilled milk to each other!

Some of these people will never be happy until they retire. Then they croak at 65-70 as most pilots seem to do probably for the simple fact that they have nothing to complain about anymore!

Thank you for that.

blue skies~
g

 

[JoeMerchant]

From the aforementioned website:

"Pilots joining ASA become part of an operation characterized by first class working conditions, a reputation for safety, customer service, and professionalism."

First class working conditions? Have they seen the employee bathrooms lately? Crew buses that run on a "When I feel like it" schedule... Pilot pushing at an all time high... Airplanes carrying 8 or 9 deferrals... HR personnel that refuse to answer the phone or respond to an email...

Absolutely first class working conditions. Although the pay was lousy and the airplanes were poorly maintained, I was treated more like a "respected team member" at the fly by night 135 operation I used to work at than I am here.

First class working conditions, my ass.

I agree it isn't "first class", but 8-9 deferrals? YGTBSM! I have been here 13 years, and 4 is about the most I have EVER seen - and that isn't often. Lately it has been anywhere from 0-3 deferrals. Give the guy an honest report, not an exageration one way or the other just because your pissed off.

Bathrooms are disgusting, some deferrals (not8-9 however), and pilot pushing is less than many other places. The key is to act like a captain and not get pushed...

 

[mcjohn]

I keep browsing the regional forum to learn about the companies and think about who to apply to and I always leave looking for all the cargo operators saved in my bookmarks. I wonder why?!

 

[wms]

If you are fatigued, call in fatigued. If they give you an occurance and they try to discipline you over it, get a union rep and call the FAA. That'll take care of that.

Some guys complain that they fly fatigued but yet they complain that they miss our 3-day trips with 7+ hrs a day and <10 hr overnights. Can't have it both ways.

If a pilot wins $10,000 he'll probably complain about the taxes he'll have to pay on it.

Say what you want, people have gotten occurences for calling fatigued. I'm not talking about commutable three days, I'm talking about reserves being stretched out to six on-one off-six on with min rest.

 

[frapper]

Moving up! Some junior FO's I'm sure are moving laterally but I doubt any captains are.

I finish pic training very soon, and I moved up 96 numbers on the last seniority shuffle (6 months)...

 

[av8tor4239]

"Free and Reduced Rate Travel throughout the Delta System"
from the web site

NOT FOR LONG... S3C on our own airplane if we are lucky.. Cant wait to get bumped by a retired Delta rampers illegitamate grandchild on an ASA flight

 

[FmrFreightDog]

I agree it isn't "first class", but 8-9 deferrals? YGTBSM! I have been here 13 years, and 4 is about the most I have EVER seen - and that isn't often. Lately it has been anywhere from 0-3 deferrals. Give the guy an honest report, not an exageration one way or the other just because your pissed off.

Bathrooms are disgusting, some deferrals (not8-9 however), and pilot pushing is less than many other places. The key is to act like a captain and not get pushed...

I was given an airplane 3 days ago with the following deferrals:
1) Gen 1
2) Autopilot
3) Ignition system B
4) RVSM (due to AP)
5) Cat II (due to AP)
6) EICAS Rudder indication
7) Cabin sidewall lighting over some row (can't remember which)
8) Lavatory (for a 2 hr. flight, mind you)

I refused the airplane. I then had to spend 30 minutes on the phone explaining why the airplane was not acceptable while the sector manager told me other crews had been flying the airplane all day (which was a lie, by the way. The airplane had not been flown all day). So, no, I'm not exaggerating because I'm pissed off. Is that the norm? No. Does it happen? Yes.

And by they way, Tool Crib, ALL of my friends are outside of aviation. I have it better than some of them, and some of them have it better than me. Don't you dare lecture me about being spoiled or ignorant about the outside world. You know nothing about me.

 

[Lazy8]

I was given an airplane 3 days ago with the following deferrals:
1) Gen 1
2) Autopilot
3) Ignition system B
4) RVSM (due to AP)
5) Cat II (due to AP)
6) EICAS Rudder indication
7) Cabin sidewall lighting over some row (can't remember which)
8) Lavatory (for a 2 hr. flight, mind you)

I refused the airplane. I then had to spend 30 minutes on the phone explaining why the airplane was not acceptable while the sector manager told me other crews had been flying the airplane all day (which was a lie, by the way. The airplane had not been flown all day). So, no, I'm not exaggerating because I'm pissed off. Is that the norm? No. Does it happen? Yes.

And by they way, Tool Crib, all of my friends are outside of aviation. I have it better than some of them, and some of them have it better than me. Don't you dare lecture me about being spoiled or ignorant about the outside world. You know nothing about me.

So did you fly it or did they swap planes?

 

[FmrFreightDog]

So did you fly it or did they swap planes?

We swapped after taking an unnecessary additional delay while we argued about it.

 

[wood pecker]

Be careful with the occurences if you are headed for Delta as they question attendance.

 

[Puck Mugger]

Classic

From the ad:

"Pilots joining ASA become part of an operation characterized by first class working conditions, a reputation for safety, customer service, and professionalism."

What a crock of $hit.

ROFLMAO