Alaska Questions
I've heard 98 new hires this year. We just had a HUGE company bid for about 52 new captains. The back fill from this bid, plus recent retirements is the reason for the hiring. This company has always run a little lean, SEA is rumored to be having some problems with covering the summer lines. There are no new markets on the drawing board that I have heard of.
I think the junior captain is SEA (maybe LAX) at about 4 to 4.5 years. Reserve crews get 11 days off a month. Line holder can get 12 to 16 days off. A reserve line is a mix of R days (4 hour call out) and A days (2 hour call out). Reserve lines are 76 hours, hard lines are 85 hours. Two types of per diem - I think its like $1.30 an hour for a day trip and $2.00 an hour for a RON. You buy your uniform - only 15 easy monthly payments and its all yours. The best leather jacket I have ever worn is made for us by San Diego Leather for $375.
Time to line depends on base. SEA and LAX are probably a year, but needless to say somebody has to be on the bottom and will be there for a while when movement is slow like it is now. ANC is very senior, a couple of years to hold the line. We have an A and a B fund. Pretty standard stuff. Company contributes 3% to the 401.
There are about 1560 pilots on the list right now. There are some huge retirements coming 4, 5, 6, and 7 years from now. We will be loosing 40 to 70 pilots per year during those years. That is pretty significant to a small pilot group like ours.
This is an awesome place to work. This job is better than I could have ever imagined. I would never want to work any where else.
Good luck to all.
