ASA or XJET

[PapaSiera]

If you had to make a choice weather to go to ASA or XJET whch would you choose. I live near ATL, but im young and would move for the right opportunity. Mainily I would like to go to the airline that will let me upgrade this century. Any thoughts.......

 

[AdamKooper]

ASA if you live near ATL. Live near your base I don't understand commuting.

 

[COEX-FO]

In 2000, I was offered a position with ASA and COEX at the same time. Class dates were within 1 week of each other.

I live in Atlanta and have for the past 25 years. I love Altanta and really not very fond of Houston (or Cleveland and Newark for that matter).

I went with Xjet (then COEX) and have absolutely no regrets at all. Would make the same choice today as well.

 

[PapaSiera]

ASA if you live near ATL. Live near your base I don't understand commuting.

If I went to XJET I would move, although I do love ATL. I have close personal ties with ASA, so I know the intimate details about what goes on there. However I know that I will be an FO for life there. With the closing of SLC, and the fact that the ATR's are on there way out without replacements scare me. On the other hand XJET does not know what they are doing with the 69 airplanes yet. There upgrade is at 3 years now, but that could easily double, or worse, furloughs. It seems like either one is a gamble right now. One positive for XJET is that the people like working there. I don't hear the bitching and moaning out of IAH like I here from the Acey group.

 

[AdamKooper]

If I went to XJET I would move, although I do love ATL. I have close personal ties with ASA, so I know the intimate details about what goes on there. However I know that I will be an FO for life there. With the closing of SLC, and the fact that the ATR's are on there way out without replacements scare me. On the other hand XJET does not know what they are doing with the 69 airplanes yet. There upgrade is at 3 years now, but that could easily double, or worse, furloughs. It seems like either one is a gamble right now. One positive for XJET is that the people like working there. I don't hear the bitching and moaning out of IAH like I here from the Acey group.

Sounds like you have already made you choice.

 

[Hypoxik]

Well I made up my mind that I would love to turn you avatar into a sandwich!
Shocks, Pegs,.....LUCKY!

I am going to choose XJT as well over ASA. The XJT guys/gals love their jobs and sounds like they have good management. (Was it true the crew from a couple weeks ago got steaks and brew on management later that night)

 

[ratherbeflyen]

(Was it true the crew from a couple weeks ago got steaks and brew on management later that night)

Probably. There have been several letters from management glowing over that crew. They used to give us lots of free fringe bennys but a lot of it left when cal wanted us to pull in the ropes.

We might not know where the 69 birds are going, but they will still be ours. I turned down ASA because of the uncertainty of how skyw will treat that pilot group. Its possible skyw could pull an AMR TWA type of merger, they aren't ALPA. That was eneugh to scare me away, but if you live in base anyway being on reserve is not such a bad gig.

 

[PapaSiera]

So we are sure these 69 airplanes are being used for something besides collecting dust right?

 

[PapaSiera]

Can anyone at XJET predict if upgrades will be greater or less than 5 years. Im not looking to upgrade in 2 years or anything, but 3-4 would be nice.

 

[chuychanga]

No one can predict upgrade times at any airline beyond the next six months or so, unless it's so stagnant that movement is not possible.


Right now XJT is 2 years (not 3 as posted above). Two years is a fact right now.

 

[modesto2]

XJT upgrade is currently 2 years. I've been in training here for two weeks and the people are great! It's true that the atmosphere and corporate culture is very positive and employees are very happy to work here. It's very similar to my experience while interning at JetBlue. Despite the uncertainty of the 69 airplanes, I'm very happy to be here and have no regrets about this decision. Good luck!

 

[AdamKooper]

If I had to do it over again I'd choose Skywest just for the great west coast bases. Houston and Atlanta are both hell on earth.

 

[Weasil]

Probably. There have been several letters from management glowing over that crew.

It was true about the dinner with management: Last time i was in the training center, I heard first hand from somebody who attended.

 

[PapaSiera]

I was just reading a thread from a couple of weeks ago, and it said the upgrade time is going way up because all of the captains that could have left to go to CO have done so, and that there are about 500 lifers.

 

[AdamKooper]

Trying to predict upgrades is like trying to figure out what women want. Eveyone thinks they know but really its just about getting lucky.

The only way to really figure out when you are going to upgrade is take the most junior captains seniority number and subrtract it from where you are. The difference is what you have to work with if you are lets say 200 from the bottom and

 

[puddlejumper101]

I honestly would not base it on upgrade time...because that can change a million times before you ever upgrade. The only airline that can guarantee you a quick upgrade is Mesa...but you pay a price for that...I would base it on QOL, family, and culture. Pay, and upgrade times are all subject to change without notice at any company. It took me 4 years to upgrade here at ASA...with 9/11 included. My other choice at the time was ACA (they had a better contract, better QOL) but ASA just happened to give me a class date first. If you live in ATL...love ATL...and don't want to move then ASA is logical, the whole upgrade time discussion is a waste of time. Not even the CEOs of both XJET and ASA know what happens in a month, you think upgrade time has any value at this point, when you are talking years? I know guys here at ASA that were after quick upgrades, then they got senior on the right seat, love their schedules, and now have bypassed the upgrade. Like I said if quick upgrade is what you want then go to an outfit that can give you that 6 months from DOH. Good luck

 

[ERfly]

I was just reading a thread from a couple of weeks ago, and it said the upgrade time is going way up because all of the captains that could have left to go to CO have done so, and that there are about 500 lifers.

Then why did the company just announce 5 new upgrade classes (confirmed) and possibly more through the rest of the year? Don't believ everything you read on the internet...<whispering> Some of it's a lie.

 

[Superpilot92]

Then why did the company just announce 5 new upgrade classes (confirmed) and possibly more through the rest of the year? Don't believ everything you read on the internet...<whispering> Some of it's a lie.

I will confirm this news. :beer:

 

[scotts]

Hey Super,

How'd the PC go? Missed ya in Guad. last night!uke:
At least I had a good crew. The 3.75 hrs at 150% doesn't hurt either!

See ya...

 

[Superpilot92]

Hey Super,

How'd the PC go? Missed ya in Guad. last night!uke:
At least I had a good crew. The 3.75 hrs at 150% doesn't hurt either!

See ya...

It went great. He wasnt bad at all like others made him out to be. Sorry i couldnt hit up Guad with you as much as i love a good old fashioned unexpected Mexico overnight :uzi:Mexico:smash: .
Cya around Boss

 

[TheCheat]

I was just reading a thread from a couple of weeks ago, and it said the upgrade time is going way up because all of the captains that could have left to go to CO have done so, and that there are about 500 lifers.

That's a load of crap. Yeah, some have bypassed the CAL call, but certainly not 500. If that was the case, I'd be there too, or at least hold weekends off. Maybe some of us don't think CAL is the be all end all of airlines and are holding out for something else? It takes a long time to get that second call from SWA. It takes a long time to s*** enough purple d*** to get invited to a c***tail party at FedEx. So chill out, suck it up, and move away from Cleveland if 3 years is too embarassing to sit in the right seat.

 

[ratherbeflyen]

I was just reading a thread from a couple of weeks ago, and it said the upgrade time is going way up because all of the captains that could have left to go to CO have done so, and that there are about 500 lifers.

There's around 250 captains that bypassed the frow through to CAL. A lot of people who were lifers changed their minds after CAL's announcment. Right now the most junior captain is 2 years 2 months.

 

[XJETDriver]

Can anyone at XJET predict if upgrades will be greater or less than 5 years. Im not looking to upgrade in 2 years or anything, but 3-4 would be nice.

Our most junior CA was hired in May 04.

 

[upndsky]

Our most junior CA was hired in May 04.

This person holds captain on paper, but won't begin training until June at the earliest. Depending on how the others more senior to him bid for upgrade class, he may not go to training until August, which means he won't be online until September at the earliest.

Right now, it looks like upgrades are about 2 years, 6 months from start to finish, but that may not hold true for someone hired today or even a year ago. There are too many variables to predict upgrade times.