Alaska vs....

[msmb]

Serious question...depending on what the announcement at Comair is...what are the benefits of going to Alaska? I have a family to support and going to Alaska would be a huge paycut for a couple of years. Also I will have to commute for 2 years which means I will miss ALOT of family time. This is tough decision for me, quality of life and all. Of course if the Comair announcement is really bad, that will make my choice alot easier. Yes, I did get an interview call.

 

[Ty Webb]

If you have to ask spmeone else to "sell" you on it, maybe you should leave it for someone who really wants it, and figure out where you want to be.

FWIW, I remember when I interviewed at AirTran, there were a lot of striking Comair guys offered jobs who left during training to go back when the strike was settled . . . those guys would be 737 or 717 Captains holding good lines now

 

['72Gremlin]

Go to the Alaska interview. Get hired. Then make your decision. Alaska is STILL a good company to work for. How many years do you have left flying? If you can still crank out a 20 year Alaska career, it should be worth it. You should look 5, 10, 20 years down the road, not just the next 2. When is your interview?

 

[mach none]

Do what is right for you and your family. Don't ask for verification on this board. You have to realize that pay at the "regionals" is going down. It has to considering the pay at the majors and the fact that the magets...oops, I mean managers all went to the same business school and use the same play book.

Despite all that has happened at Alaska in the past few months, I still like it and it is sure better than a lot of places that I have worked in the past.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Serious question...depending on what the announcement at Comair is...what are the benefits of going to Alaska? I have a family to support and going to Alaska would be a huge paycut for a couple of years. Also I will have to commute for 2 years which means I will miss ALOT of family time. This is tough decision for me, quality of life and all. Of course if the Comair announcement is really bad, that will make my choice alot easier. Yes, I did get an interview call.

When I thought the regionals were getting 90 seaters I would have stayed. For now the pendulum may have swung and 90-110 seaters appear to be headed for mainline.

With that in mind, IMHO (which is often wrong), I see shrinkage in regionals as mainline gets a long awaited shot in the arm. Mainline may take market share from Regionals. I see Alaska as doing well in all this and somewhat insulated from the eastcoast and midwest battlegrounds.

 

[msmb]

Thanks for the posts. Do you see moral getting better anytime soon? Do you see the pilots going on strike in 2 years? If I had a crystal ball...if I had a doller for everytime I heard that, I could retire now.
I have about 25 years left of flying. The interview choices she gave me were for next week and I couldn't take them... I am calling her back today to set something up for next month.
How is health insurance when you have a family? I heard it went up to some ungodly amount in May. How many retiring in the next 7-8 years? What is the plan as far as purchasing a/c? I know this can change....

 

[mach none]

Thanks for the posts. Do you see moral getting better anytime soon? Do you see the pilots going on strike in 2 years? If I had a crystal ball...if I had a doller for every time I heard that, I could retire now.
I have about 25 years left of flying. The interview choices she gave me were for next week and I couldn't take them...closing on a new house!! I am calling her back today to set something up for next month.
How is health insurance when you have a family? I heard it went up to some ungodly amount in May. How many retiring in the next 7-8 years? What is the plan as far as purchasing a/c? I know this can change....

Moral is OK for now...it has been better and it has been a lot worse. It depends on the day and the person. Some people are never happy and others just drone along. As far as the crystal ball thing...good luck. Let me know what you find out.

The insurance for a family is 154/month. Not bad when you consider my wifes insurance for the local school district would be approximately 500/month for the family. But our insurance is a far cry from the 30/month I was paying.

We have 351 pilots retiring by 2011. 553 by 2015. Starting next year, the average is 52 pilots per year for the next 25 years. As far as a/c orders. We have 35 -800s on order with 50 or 60 options. How that translates into growth, who knows. We will phase the -200s and the MD out over the next few years and probably some of the older -400s too. We will grow, but how much is a big ???

The scary thing looking forward is Alaska may end up being one of the top paid carriers again with a pension

 

[mach none]

Here is a link for the -800 order.

http://www.alaskasworld.com/news/2005/06/15_announce.asp

 

[Yank McCobb]

Even a marginally trained interviewer will see through your "desire" and indecision. Save everyone's time and money and stay at Comair.

 

[msmb]

Yank, you're missing my point. Anyone would want to get all the info they can before making a decision on where to go.
Mach-thanks for the info. That's what I was looking for.

 

[xjlifer]

Even a marginally trained interviewer will see through your "desire" and indecision. Save everyone's time and money and stay at Comair.

LOL...you in HR? Cause that my friend is bull sh!t

 

[Yank McCobb]

Coming from a self-proclaimed commuter lifer, I'll consider the source.

I may not be in "HR", but I was a long-time interviewer at my company. You either fit or you don't, and the ones that don't are blatently obvious in very short order. Friend.

 

[xjlifer]

Yep long time Puddle jumper driver so sure my opinion would be suspect.

Tell ya what we can agree to disagree. I have seen some real knobs get hired at the Three airlines I have flown for and also seen a few complete idiots get hired at Majors.

 

[seefive]

Sorry Yank, you're full of it on this one.

 

[sf340flyer]

actually i don't think yank is very far off on this one. I just went through the interview, and was questioned about commuting (i live in the midwest). Alaska has plenty of people interested, why hire someone that isn't 100% into them?

what do I know, i'm just a lever pushing, peanut eating monkey

 

[whymeworry?]

Are you nuts? Frigging insane? You would have to be forced into leaving Comair for Alaska merely if the "announcment" makes your mind up for you?

Trust me, there is no comparison between working for Comair and Alaska. Plus being able to be based out West? What more could a pilot want in life?

If you have to ask questions about whether to go, perhaps you're not ready for the move.

Pay cut or not, I would surmise you'll never regret it getting hired with Alaska. No matter where you go you will have to take a paycut or face flying an RJ for the rest of your career (with a 600 hr wonderkid johnny new-hire in the right seat helping you when the sh$t hits the fan... yeah!). Sell your toys, mortgage your house, tighten the belt and make the move.

Oh, first you have to get hired. The hard part is yet to come.