Various Continental Questions

[Pocono Pilot]

Why are we comparing a legacy carrier with a regional?

Because a job at CAL is barely better than working at a regional maybe? LOL

Just a wild guess. hehe

 

[Daddy69]

Hey pocono, why don't you have some guts and tell all of us who you are? If you don't have the balls to do that why don't you just go sit quietly in your RJ or go home and cook your husband dinner! We are all TIRED of your CAL bashing. Get a life!

 

[EMBpilot]

http://www.spellcheck.net/

Thanks, I'll keep it in mind. Typical of you Express pukes.

 

[XJTAv8r]

Thanks, I'll keep it in mind. Typical of you Express pukes.

No, just trying to help you with basic 5th grade spelling. How do you expect management to respect our message if we pilots come across as lacking basic skills? (and you know management types troll these boards)

BTW, if you took the time to read my signature line, you'd see I no longer work for Express, but thanks for the "mature" response

 

[Pocono Pilot]

I always new that CAL pilots couldn't spell. hehehe

Time for someone to buy a dictionary, or just use spell checker! LOL

 

[XJTAv8r]

I always new that CAL pilots coudn't spell. hehehe

Time for someone to buy a dictionary, or just use spell checker! LOL

Pocono, maybe you should follow your own advice before trying to be a smart ass.

 

[LJDRVR]

The XJT to CAL comparision is always good for a laugh.

Anybody who claims to have "done the math" and decided to stay at the regional is probably not telling the whole truth.

Go compare something as short as a twenty year career using the current pilot wages. Be conservative and figure on a five year upgrade and an entire career on the 737. Even then, you'll find the disparity is in the neighborhood of six figures and goes to CAL's favor in the middle of the fourth year. (This is not including the potential for widebody pay after probation, upgrade in two years, or the high liklehood that when the CPA comes up for renegotiation, an additional 25% percent of the current XJT lift is likely going away.)

Look, Express is a great airline. Good people, excellent labor relations and much better work rules than CAL's POS 02'. I enjoyed every single minute of my time there.

But if you really are using the justification that XJT is a better long-term career choice than an airline that flies to more countries on the planet than anyone, then it's time you took the rose-colored glasses off. (Unless your employee number starts with an "8", in that case, you're fine where you are.)

XJT is a really cool red wagon. It's shiny, fun to ride in, and the people inside are as good as anybody in this industry.

But at the end of the day and when the potholes start, do you want to be riding in the wagon, or the truck it's hitched to? Or some other truck for that matter?

Oh well, to each his or her own. I wish nothing but the best for my Brothers and Sisters at Express.

 

[SlapShot]

Am I the only that notices that Poc hijacks just about every CAL thread? Perhaps he/she whatever does it just to get people worked up.

Why does anyone care if he/she turned down CAL or got turned down? Is CAL a better airline without him/her? Obviously since one did not want the other.

Can we please move on????

 

[whatitdoing?]

Look, anyone that goes for the 2 year upgrade is STUPID!! You'll upgrade on your 2nd year and die your 3rd. That's why it's SO JUNIOR!!! But whatever, go for it so I can move up.

10 years to break even? I think you just stuck one thumb up your arse and used the other thumb to test which direction the wind was going and said...."yep, sounds like 10 years". What kind of bs statement is that?

 

[pkober]

Ignore Poc Pilot.

Like a child, if you ignore her/him he/she will go away.

As far as life at CAL goes. I've been here two years and have enjoyed it. This is my third major so I can make comparisons to other airlines.

I think with our young pilot group we will make a positive change in this new contract. I find that talking to scabs, and some non scabs, about contract issues is like banging your head against the wall. I hear allot of "it's always been that way" about shi++y rules like junior manning, RX days, trainingon days off, crapy reserve rules, bad commuter policy, etc... I think that the scabs will become even less relavent in the future and the normal pilots will prevail. We do have a scab on our negotiating committee which is worry some. Hopefully the normal pilots will keep him in check.

As far as working 20 days during a training month. That shouldn't happen, that's what sick calls are for. Drop a four day during training, end of story.

All of us junior guys need to push hard to get a good contract. Our voices need to be heard. Many older guys have always lived with strange work rules and appear content to live with them in the future. We need to educate them on what a good contracts look like.

If you have the choice I would come to CAL. Don't pass up the chance to come here because of what some one who failed an interview says about CAL. I'm an October 2005 hire and am only 50 numbers from holding a ERW captain. That's unbelievable. There are negatives here, just like any other major. But the positives outwiegh the negatives.

 

[rk772]

I always new that CAL pilots couldn't spell. hehehe

Time for someone to buy a dictionary, or just use spell checker! LOL

www.dictionary.com

new adjective, -er, -est, adverb, noun
–adjective 1.of recent origin, production, purchase, etc.; having but lately come or been brought into being: a new book.


know1 verb, knew, known, know·ing, noun
–verb (used with object) 1.to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty: I know the situation fully.

 

[thor2j]

Look, anyone that goes for the 2 year upgrade is STUPID!! You'll upgrade on your 2nd year and die your 3rd. That's why it's SO JUNIOR!!! But whatever, go for it so I can move up.

10 years to break even? I think you just stuck one thumb up your arse and used the other thumb to test which direction the wind was going and said...."yep, sounds like 10 years". What kind of bs statement is that?

Let's see...12 days off at 60% 756 (until Sep) at about $74/hr (due to PBS Splat) or 12 days off at $144/hr....not as stupid as you think. FYI, some of those 2 year captains won't even be on reserve.

The main reason it is soo junior is for a 8 year f/o to switch he is only gaining $20/ an hour or so. No reason to give up quality of life for that little extra. For a "junior" f/o it is double. If it was a much bigger disparity then you would see many more senior people do it.

 

[whatitdoing?]

Some of the 2 year guys won't be on reserve? Name one.....just one. I'll give you all the money in my wallet......$2 bucks to be exact. It's all QOL issues, that's all I'm saying. Ya, blended 737 rate of 144/hr would be really nice, but you are going to work your ass off. I have a 737 Captain in my crashpad and he is going to downbid to 777 FO. That says it all.

 

[atrdriver]

I don't know what kind of math you used to figure a break even point, but I was a 9 year RJ Captain, and I will make the same amount or more this year overall with CAL as I did my last year at ASA. Granted I am Guam based, but that only speeds things up by about a year and a half, and again, that is not considering the faster upgrade.

 

[whymeworry?]

I remember right after I was hired at CAL some XJT pilots were contemlating, on another forum, whether to bite the bullet and come on over or to stay at XJT. One recent transfer pilot wrote a list of something like 47 reasons why he likes CAL better than XJT.

I have to say, I agreed with every single reason. But it would have only taken two to sway me. I can't remember which two they were.... one was the lav in the front of the plane, I remember that one.

Point is, there are sooooooo many compelling reasons one can make in order to justify the initial pain of coming over to CAL from XJT, but there are few if any reasons to stay at XJT. Not slight to XJT, I was there for over 9 yrs and have many friends still on property. and I repsect their decisions to stay. But the opportunity to improve your life, PBS aside, is far greater at CAL. The adage that it will take 5-8 years to make up the difference is just not true. I am in my 3rd year and make more now than I made as a line pilot at XJT. When I upgrade my pay will literally double.

I for one am glad I made the move. That first year was painful, and I am still sore from it. But it's all about the long-run in this business. Wether it's CAL, NW, DAL or UAL, if one ever leaves their beloved regional carrier to fly the bigger iron, thefinancial/ QOL pain will always be there in those initial years. I just figured it was best to get it out of the way now rather than later. I mean, 9 yrs was enough.