F/O's stay away from COMAIR, 5 Year Upgrage!

[superfreight208]

Been here 2 + years and upgrade not in site! Still about 2 more years. Only doing about 30 upgrades first part of next year. One good thing is you will get a line either in CVG or JFK. Anybody interview here recently, whats HR saying? I am trying to jump ship right now!

 

[DX Rick]

What did they tell you upgrade was when you got hired? Where are you based?

 

[labbats]

They'll tell you whatever you want to hear so you'll sign the bottom line. Funny thing is that most of us fall for it time and again.

For example listen to what Compass is promising, then ask them to put it in writing. You'd think you asked for their first born son.

 

[superfreight208]

Based in CVG

Need a cane and walker to fit in around ops!

 

[DX Rick]

When I interviewed last October, they told me 5-7 years of upgrade.

 

[superfreight208]

Were you smoking crack!

Or are you one of those guys who is happy being an f/o only going to make $39,000 for 8 years.

Ya, they said 5-7 years last year, we were in bankruptcy. I am talking about now. New hires what are they saying.

 

[DX Rick]

Or are you one of those guys who is happy being an f/o only going to make $39,000 for 8 years

Yup, thats me!

 

[superfreight208]

ok

Yup, thats me!

ok, at least your happy. I need to find a way to make more cash. Any ideas?

 

[DX Rick]

ok, at least your happy. I need to find a way to make more cash. Any ideas?

So you're looking at about 2 years to upgrade at OH. Say you leave for another regional, go back to first year pay and still wait 2 years to upgrade.
Hopefully you aren't the kind of guy that jumps from regional to regional. dumb move, but many make it.

Apply to NetJets, Options or XOJet out in Sacremento...all Citation X operator. There is an outfit in NC hiring for some Falcon and Lear FO's.

Go back to frieght. Last time I checked, Ameriflight is hiring for 1900's and Metros out in PHX. More money, better schedule.

 

[relief tube]

sounds like you're surprised. That's why you find out from the pilots themselves.

5 yrs might be a long time...but at least youre in a more respectable place than mesa, pinnacle, TSA or ASA.

QOL goes for something.

 

[agonyairfo]

I have been an fo for 8 years. Being an fo for 2 years is nothing. A good coma lasts longer than 2 years. Where did you get "30" upgrades from? Bid packet (fwiw) says 60 in first quarter of 08.

Like previously mentioned, where else are you going to go for a quicker (airline) upgrade?

 

[Gator1999]

Been here 2 + years and upgrade not in site! Still about 2 more years. Only doing about 30 upgrades first part of next year. One good thing is you will get a line either in CVG or JFK. Anybody interview here recently, whats HR saying? I am trying to jump ship right now!

Super,
While I feel for you, and I can certainly understand that it's frustrating to be sitting in that seat for a lot longer than you had originally expected, I can't say that I'm surprised. How long were they projecting upgrades when you got hired? I think that you are right in looking to jump ship, I sat in the FO seat for 3 times as long as you have before I decided that I was going to do something about it, and wasted a lot of time in the long run. In the end it was the best thing that I could have done for my career and my family. Good luck in your career.

 

[EMB170Pilot]

Come to RAH

http://www.republicairways.com/

and for questions, ask the pilots at Republic Airways Holdings (Chautauqua/Shuttle America/ Republic).

https://www.republicpilots.org/bulletinboard/viewforum.php?f=10

good luck

 

[EMB170Pilot]

adding this to the fire.

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=103807

 

[samballs]

Or are you one of those guys who is happy being an f/o only going to make $39,000 for 8 years.

Ya, they said 5-7 years last year, we were in bankruptcy. I am talking about now. New hires what are they saying.

Were you smoking crack they have never said otherwise and it has never been a secret that upgrade is slow at OH, yet you took the job?

 

[whaleroast]

Does that woman know you're big bald ugly head is next to her pooper?

 

[DX Rick]

Come to RAH

And you can fly the "Heavy" for the same pay.

 

[Garritto]

So the comair upgrade is 5 years for people hired 5 years ago. You're projecting 4 years for someone hired 2 years ago. So then it would be less than that for someone hired today, right? Comair had been downsizing for years, and even furloughed. And even after that the longest upgrade was 5 years. Now that we're done shrinking, things will pick up. I've moved up about 300 numbers since hired 10 months ago.

 

[DrewBlows]

'It is what it is...'

Comair is different things to different people. Keep in mind that everyone's perspective is different and while it may be appropriate for one person to 'wait it out' it may also be entirely appropriate for someone else to 'jump ship'.

Those of us who were hired before bankruptcy were hired with the understanding there would be a long upgrade. I can only speak for myself when I say this was an acceptable trade off for decent pay (even as a First Officer) and a retirement plan that would make Comair a 'career airline' if one wished. All of the things that made Comair a decent place to work as an FO are now gone thanks to bankruptcy.

Comair has openly hostile management and a dilapidated scheduling infrastructure that can make life difficult for it's pilots. Quality of life varies day-to-day for line holders and is pretty bad all the time for reserves. If you live in CVG or NY life can be good though.

I suspect a lot of people who were hired at Comair who were open to the possibility of making it a career have changed their minds. I certainly have. At the same time there are many people who are content at Comair which is why upgrade is still so slow. For anyone hired now, upgrade won't be five years. If I had to guess, I'd say someone hired tomorrow will upgrade in three to four years. It could be longer if there is any growth, but in my opinion any growth on the 76 seat side will be at the expense of the 50 seat side.

I don't see Comair growing to it's pre-bankruptcy size for six to eight more years. This is based on 15 76 seaters a year slowly phasing out 50 seaters before growth aircraft arrive. The good news is the 76 seater pays more than the 50, so everyone will make more money going forward.

I don't believe someone's decision to stay or go is a right or wrong decision. It's an individual decision based on one's own situation. There are many reasons one should stay and many reasons one should go, the goal is to make yourself happy and if you accomplish that you are doing very well. Of course not everyone will make the right choices because we can't predict the future, after all, if we could predict the future we'd all be stock brokers instead of pilots.

 

[flyboyike]

I've moved up about 300 numbers since hired 10 months ago.

Did you now? I only moved up 151 and I was in your class!