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Skywest or XJet

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Arrow11

Active member
Joined
Jul 21, 2005
Posts
41
Interviewing at both in the next 30 days, if you were lucky to get 2 offers which would be your choice? Priorities would be quickest upgrade, pay and stability.
 
Best guess would be SKYW but you never know how things can change overnight. SKYW has had some very quick upgrades, particularly in the turboprop. If you're young, single, and don't care where or how you live then quickest upgrade might be a major factor for you. Those of is that have been around for a while tend to look very closely at quality of life issues. For instance I have some friends that have gone to work for Continental. If I wanted an interview there I'm pretty sure I could get one. So what's holding me back from that coveted job at a major? Simple. I don't want to commute and CO does not have a base where I want to live. I could change aircraft where I am now and make an extra $15,000 a year but I'd rather be spending more time at home and not worrying about making a commute. I live 25 minutes from the crew lounge. Quality of life trumps money every time for me. Other pilots have different needs and/or priorities so I'm not judging or critical of anyone that chooses differently.

All I'm saying is that you might want to include a few more parameters in your selection process. Both airlines are good choices. If only one offers you a job your decision will be made for you. Good luck in the interviews and hopefully you get an offer from both. If you do get offers from both try to notify the airline that you won't be joining ASAP. Chances are there is someone anxiously waiting for that class slot. Nobody benefits from an empty seat in a groundschool class.
 
Good luck and be positive and humble and hope for both.
 
Thanks for the thoughtful replies...I'm leaning toward SKYW because I'd like to get in the EMB, upgrade and stay there. QOL is pretty important, but I'll sacrifice it in the short term for long term gains. Like you say, I may only get one offer or no offers!
 
I was in the same type of situation... I had two job offers... I ended up choosing XJT. I was lucky enough to speak with a number of crews and not once did I hear something negative out of their mouths.. And keep in mind this was the same time that they announced RP was getting the COEX flying.. To me it came down to QOL..
 
Not a bad dilemma to have, my friend. I have friends that work at both and they have great things to say about their respective airline. Things to consider:

* Where do you live, want to live, able to live?
* Are you cool with commuting? (If you're able to NOT commute, awesome)
* Are you single?

That said, if I were offered both jobs, I'd go w/ SKYW (and I'm from the East Coast). Nothing against "Jetlink." As far as operations go, they're both at the top of the heap; can't go wrong with either. Skywest just seems to have exceedingly happy employees, they've grown and grown recently, and they have bases out west and as far east as ORD. Upgrade might be a couple hours faster at Skywest, but Expressjet isn't long at all.

After a visit a few months ago out with, I got starry-eyed with the "whole West Coast thing" and almost went balls-to-the-wall in applying with SKYW, but I can drive to work and I'm close to upgrading (hard to walk away from). If I did leave for another regional at this second, SKYW would be it.

Take it all into consideration (bases, commuting, etc.) and you'll have your answer. Hope you get hired at both; they're both great airlines! Keep us informed. By the way, if you're single and go to SKW and get the EMB-120, go to San Diego. Trust me when I tell you this: Life would be g-r-e-a-t. 320 days of sun, great beaches, 65-75 degrees all the time, and TONS of eye candy to make your neck hurt.

Snaab
 
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Ready2Fly said:
Curious why you would say that? XJT will be losing flying and jets.
Click to expand...

He is being a smarta$$.. BTW XJT is not losing any jets.. They are keeping the 69 that CO is getting rid of.
 
Rumor is that XJT is going to be a feeder for someone in the EU. XJT pilots will lose jets and jobs stateside unless they have an ICAO ATP and can legally work in the EU. Those planes will have to be registered in the EU and US pilots cannot crew them.
 
Go to SKYWest


Try your hand at some gamblin. Don't even go to the XJT interview. Just do it.

Do it.








Do it.
 
Ready2Fly said:
Rumor is that XJT is going to be a feeder for someone in the EU. XJT pilots will lose jets and jobs stateside unless they have an ICAO ATP and can legally work in the EU. Those planes will have to be registered in the EU and US pilots cannot crew them.
Click to expand...


You're right it's a rumor.. However the CEO has said that no matter what we do with them current XJT pilots will be flying those planes.
 
Rumor has it xjet is getting a 777 and will be flying happy weed out of alaska and heroin out of the middle east for the columbian cartel. Upside is quick upgrade to the 777. Down side is passing the drug test.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Bushhatesyou said:
You're right it's a rumor.. However the CEO has said that no matter what we do with them current XJT pilots will be flying those planes.
Click to expand...

When are you guys gonna find out?
 
Ready2Fly said:
Rumor is that XJT is going to be a feeder for someone in the EU. XJT pilots will lose jets and jobs stateside unless they have an ICAO ATP and can legally work in the EU. Those planes will have to be registered in the EU and US pilots cannot crew them.
Click to expand...

Well there it is! Look everyone he knows everything!!
 
AdamKooper said:
When are you guys gonna find out?
Click to expand...

When they tell us. Pretty much around the same time you find out.
 
Ready2Fly said:
Rumor is that XJT is going to be a feeder for someone in the EU. XJT pilots will lose jets and jobs stateside unless they have an ICAO ATP and can legally work in the EU. Those planes will have to be registered in the EU and US pilots cannot crew them.
Click to expand...

Dude are you kidding me? I guess CFII's are experts on Express' future ventures and European flight ops.
 
Ready2Fly said:
Read it in ATW a month ago or so. THEY know more than YOU do.
Click to expand...

ATW knows more than our own CEO? Whatever helps you sleep at night, man.
 
I'm sure he is just repeating what he has heard.. According to Reem current XJT pilots would fly the planes even if they go of shore.. I'm not sure how that would happen. But remember Delta, Ups, have had U.S. planes and crews based in europe flying point to point.
 
Ready2Fly said:
Read it in ATW a month ago or so. THEY know more than YOU do.
Click to expand...

Listen boss, your info is 1.) out of date. a month ago it hadnt even been announced that we were keeping the planes. 2.) We actually work here and talk to our bosses and mgmt first hand. And they know more than YOU and ATW. Some of you numbnuts just act like bad news for XJT gets you off and since there isnt any bad news right now you just make up your own to satisfy your pleasures.
 
Bushhatesyou said:
I'm sure he is just repeating what he has heard.. According to Reem current XJT pilots would fly the planes even if they go of shore.. I'm not sure how that would happen. But remember Delta, Ups, have had U.S. planes and crews based in europe flying point to point.
Click to expand...

Having a crew base in Europe, like FedEx, DAL, UAL, Pan Am used to have is not the same as flying for an operation that is based in Europe. Especailly if that operation is using an EU registered Aircraft. The point to point flying is nothing but the intiaiting or terminating of a flight number that starts or ends in either Europe or the US.

Besides, the FedEx SIBA bids of long ago as well as UAL were TDY, for pilots.
 
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dojetdriver said:
Having a crew base in Europe, like FedEx, DAL, UAL, Pan Am used to have is not the same as flying for an operation that is based in Europe. Especailly if that operation is using an EU registered Aircraft.

Besides, the FedEx SIBA bids of long ago as well as UAL were TDY.
Click to expand...

Best bet is South of the border...
 
Go to SKYW!! I've been at XJT almost 6 years now and it has been great and continues to be great. However, come next spring I think this will be a place to be leaving. We WILL be losing 25% of our flying in current hubs so everyone will take a hit in the hubs they are currently in. Junior line holders will go back to reserve and Junior Captains will go back to being FO's. Morale will go down and people will be less pleasant to work with. SKYW has great bases and is probably just as good of an airline as XJT is. Upgrades on the 120 at SKYW are fast although, I think you could upgrade on a jet quicker at XJT. If the airplanes to to Europe, I don't think any of us will go with them. If they go to Mexico then I think we could go with them if you want to live in Mexico City or Guadalajara. If we are lucky we might get a few of them put into service for another legacy carrier but probably not many of them. Unless you want to live in IAH, CLE, or EWR, I would say SKYW is the better place to be. You could probably get based in SLC fairly fast and take the seats of some of those ASA guys that are getting booted back to ATL after they got booted out of DFW.:)
 
Bushhatesyou said:
You're right it's a rumor.. However the CEO has said that no matter what we do with them current XJT pilots will be flying those planes.
Click to expand...

Of course he said that. It's not like the pilot group can sue if/when he backs out of that statement in the future. As soon as it's (hypothetically) announced that we're losing 25% of our jobs, everything is going down the toilet. Not just intangibles like worker morale, but customer service, sick calls, on time arr/dep's, maintenance writeups, etc.

I'm a little more optimistic than I was when I first heard that CO was pulling 25% of our flying, but overall I'm still pessimistic and cautious.
 

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