Best Regional

[TGT]

Which regional is the best to work for today, and which do you see as having the most potential in the next few years (upgrade, QOL, larger a/c, etc). Since most of the majors are struggling and will be for a while, it seems that one should look at a regional as if they would spend their career there. Any input would be great. Thanx.

 

[chperplt]

Which regional is the best to work for today

Probably the one that won't be the best tomorrow.

 

[kj6991]

SkyWest is probably the best place to be.

 

[nimtz]

To paraphrase an old airline pilot expression "the best regional is the one you retire from." F*CK, that's a sad thing to consider. Well let's all keep flying those 70's and get to work on 90 seaters.

 

[WolfManPack]

Why?

KJ,

This is a straight up question because I've wondered the same thing....who IS the best regional to work for!

Anyway...I'm not doubting SkyWest is the best....but why do you think so?

Later!

 

[chperplt]

How can anyone say who the "best" regional to work for is? Sit the pilot group down and ask them for a list of Pros and Cons about their airline and they will all be different.

Skywest might be best for you if you live in SLC and think the work rules are great. CVG might be the best if you're from Cincinnati and so on and so on.

The "best" is way too subjective a term.

 

[jaybird]

How can anyone say who the "best" regional to work for is? Sit the pilot group down and ask them for a list of Pros and Cons about their airline and they will all be different.

Skywest might be best for you if you live in SLC and think the work rules are great. CVG might be the best if you're from Cincinnati and so on and so on.

The "best" is way too subjective a term.

Who's CVG? Are they hiring?

 

[kj6991]

wolfman.

my times are low and considered in-experienced, which i agree upon. but after working for SkyWest for 6 months, you really get the feeling that their pilot group feels very fortunate to be there. Of all the pilots I met and talked with, I never, ever, once heard any of them say they want to be anywhere else but there. Are they a little bias, well maybe, but you don't hear SkyWest pilots leaving for other regionals. And the pilots that are now there and have come from other 121 carriers usually say that they are extremely glad to make the switch and they don't want to go anywhere else. But hey, what do i know anyway.

 

[Dodge]

All regionals are equally bad in their own ways. They all have the same problems. Lack of staffing, poor training of dispatchers, FA's, ramp agents, pilots, etc....Poor pay, small airplanes, no pensions, lousy sick time accural. They are all the same. The key is to try to get hired at one where you will average the most days off. Everything else to me is equal.

Remeber, everyone working at a regional is there because they aren't deemed "employable or qualified" at a major. That holds true for management all the way down to the guys who sweep the hangar floors.

 

[Rogue5]

All regionals are equally bad in their own ways. They all have the same problems. Lack of staffing, poor training of dispatchers, FA's, ramp agents, pilots, etc....Poor pay, small airplanes, no pensions, lousy sick time accural. They are all the same. The key is to try to get hired at one where you will average the most days off. Everything else to me is equal.

And you know this because you have worked at how many regionals?

 

[cl65capt]

The best regional is the one with a resonable upgrade time so you can get your PIC and try to move on. Keep in mind the best one should also be one you wouldnt mind being stuck at if the above doesnt happen.

 

[scotts]

I talked to another FO who went to Skywest after being furloughed from XJT. He took the recall to XJT after flying the CRJ at Skywest. He said that he liked the ERJ more and that the cockpit culture at Skywest was more rigid. He was happy to be back at XJT.

FWIW...

 

[rattler]

The best regional is the one with a resonable upgrade time so you can get your PIC and try to move on. Keep in mind the best one should also be one you wouldnt mind being stuck at if the above doesnt happen.

and go where?

I don't know, compare the contracts at different regionals and see which one is the best for you. Remember pay isn't everything, there are many equally important sections, such as scheduling, work rules and scope. Plus living at your base is great, commuting just takes some time to get use to.
Personally SkyWest may be good, but I just can't get past the union thing. In my personal opinion having representation in this industry is essential. Without it, there are no rules in which the company must follow. In any case, I hope you all find the place that's best for you.

 

[CiFIknow]

If you look historically, the cards have shifted many times. When I first started looking into this profession, Mesaba was near the top of the list as far as one of the best places to work. At that time, Express One (now Pinnacle) was hiring PFT'ers from FlightSafety with 500 hours. Now look how the worm has turned. Mesaba is basically stagnant and Pinnacle is flying around in shiny new CRJ's. One could never have predicted that in the long run. There are several other examples similar to this. I guess you have to go with who presents the best opportunity for you at the moment and hope that it will work out in the long run. One never knows what changes a few years can bring.

 

[Mustang5.0]

Is there a website that has the contracts for various regionals? Sure would be nice for comparison purposes.​

​

There used to be airlinepilotcontracts.com but it doesn't work anymore.​

​

 

[cl65capt]

and go where?

Where ever you can. Airtran, Jetblue and Southwest are all hiring.

 

[Dodge]

Rogue5,

I have only worked at one regional, but I do talk to other pilots from other airlines. Believe it or not, we all have the exact same stories. Scheduling screwed me again, got my vacation cancelled, flying planes with 8 MEL's, had to get a doctor's note for calling in for a two day, I hate 8 leg days.......

Regionals are regionals, the only difference is the color of paint slapped on the planes.

 

[I.P. Freley]

Rogue5,

I have only worked at one regional, but I do talk to other pilots from other airlines. Believe it or not, we all have the exact same stories. Scheduling screwed me again, got my vacation cancelled, flying planes with 8 MEL's, had to get a doctor's note for calling in for a two day, I hate 8 leg days.......

Regionals are regionals, the only difference is the color of paint slapped on the planes.

I'm sorry, did you say something?

Too busy looking at yer avatar...

 

[homerjdispatch]

What I.P. Freley said!!!!!

 

[sleeve]

honestly and not trying to toot my airlines horn, but besides the upgrades coming to a hault Comair hasn't really been that bad... Maybe three or four times a year you'll get displaced from a trip(wx etc..)and then its a 50/50 chance of getting screwed...sometimes you'll get released early and sometimes you'll work a full shift..

besides the "small dents" and "migrating bushings" we really don't have that many deferrals...sure you'll get a deferred APU like every three months but that about the worst of it...

never got a vacation cancelled, and nobody ever made me get a note for a sick call, even that time i was injured becasue i spent to much time waterskiing...

but everybody likes to bi.tch including myself

 

[Flash 7]

The answer to the original question is so subjective depending on many factors.

I would say from a contract standpoint, Comair has the best pay and work rules of any regional. At least for now.

 

[rattler]

Rogue5,

I have only worked at one regional, but I do talk to other pilots from other airlines. Believe it or not, we all have the exact same stories. Scheduling screwed me again, got my vacation cancelled, flying planes with 8 MEL's, had to get a doctor's note for calling in for a two day, I hate 8 leg days.......

Regionals are regionals, the only difference is the color of paint slapped on the planes.

Scheduling has to follow the rules in your contract, so they aren't really screwing you, they are just following the contract that your union made for them. I might be lucky, but I have never been junior maned, reassigned, called on my day off etc.

Again, My vacation has never been cancelled, and I don't know anyone who had their vacation cancelled. I am sure it has happened, I just have never heard of it. My company has excellent language in this section.

MEL's just happen that's how airlines continue operation. If you have MEL's that are not cleared in a timely manner, that is another thing.

I have never been asked to produce a doctor's note for a sick call. I call in 4 times a year.

We have some 5 leg days, and they suck. I couldn't imagine doing 8.

I don't believe they are all the same.

 

[rvsm410]

ASA gets my vote on the Regionals

All regionals are equally bad in their own ways. They all have the same problems. Lack of staffing, poor training of dispatchers, FA's, ramp agents, pilots, etc....Poor pay, small airplanes, no pensions, lousy sick time accural. They are all the same. The key is to try to get hired at one where you will average the most days off. Everything else to me is equal.

Remeber, everyone working at a regional is there because they aren't deemed "employable or qualified" at a major. That holds true for management all the way down to the guys who sweep the hangar floors.

I have to disagree with your Dispatcher statement Dodge, When I worked at ASA some years ago...they put us through 5 weeks of dispatch training as well as systems training before our Comp Check...I have since worked for several other carriers and never seen better training than I recieved with ASA. The pay scale for Dx'ers was the best then and I believe it is still on of the top 2 or 3 scales in the industry....

I can't speak for the QQL now, but it was pretty darn good when I was there...Alot of good people to work and learn from, and good management folks....and the area is cheap to live in...
JMHO

 

[Dodge]

Well, Rattler, if you want to see vacation cancellations, just come on over to Mesaba. We have cancelled pilots' vacations for 3 out of the 5.5 years I have been there. It is cheaper than staffing the airline properly. Yes, I know scheduling can't do anything outside the contract. They can however make you do another overnight on your days off when you had plans to go out with your wife or out of town, etc..

I am glad that you never have to get a doctor's note. With you being sick so many times per year, though, it prolly wouldn't be hard to get one.

Turboprop pilots tend to fly more legs per day. 7 and 8 leg days are fairly common in DTW and MSP in the Saab. You must fly one of those new push button jets. Again congrats.

Thanks also for clarifying how MEL's work. I must have been confused. From now on I will be perfectly happy to get the ladder to check the fuel panel under the wing of my plane when our fuel gauges are busted for 4 days solid.

 

[shamrock]

Scheduling has to follow the rules in your contract, so they aren't really screwing you, they are just following the contract that your union made for them.

Spend a bit of time at ASA and you might reconsider that statement.

 

[T-handle]

Which airline is requiring a doctor's note? Is that in your contract/complany manual? A sick call is a sick call, they are not allowed to ask what you have and more importantly not allowed to ask for a doctor's note.... unless it's some company policy/memo,etc. I've noticed the people scheduling tries to intimidate are the new ones that dont know the contract that well. You can tell scheduling to shove the note up the tops of the legs and talk to your ALPA rep if they call you into the office about it. (or whoever you non-ALPA folks go to for guidance)

Just dont be stupid like call in sick then jumpseat out of your homebase where u risk being seen by a CP/management.

 

[Dodge]

I have no changed my mind. All regionals are not the same. Rattler, you did a good job in proving your point. I vote yours the best.

 

[Mtnjam]

a little input

I don't fly for a regional yet, but I have been hired by Pinnacle and start training Dec. 27th. I hear alot about other company's. The one guy was right. Pinnacle is flying all new shiny CRJ's. The whole fleet!!! Upgrade time is 14 to 16 months from what they said in the interview. All the pilots I met including my friend who walked my resume in are very happy there and say they have a family environment and i did feel that comraderie while I was there for the interview. They are one of the few companies that don't pay during training which kind of stinks, but with hungry guys like me out there they can get away with it. I also spoke with an FO who has been there about 9 months and he said he loves it. I feel for the guys sitting right seat 4+ years. I just hope I'm not one of them, but you never know. By the time I get my 3,000 hrs. Pinnacle could lock up and not move anymore guys to the Left seat. However I figure if I hang at Pinnacle for 5+ yrs. the market will turn with the Major's and they will hire like crazy. I have heard this from several guys in the industry now. Only time will tell.........
I truly am grateful to have a new opportunity with an airline. Being a CFI with over 1,000 hrs. dual given has plain wore me out.

 

[Dodge]

Good luck with that 14 month upgrade. Mesaba told me 2 years in 1999. Still waiting.

 

[Mtnjam]

Upgrade

I can verify that upgrade time is that. I actually met guys while doing my interview that were doing upgrade training. They had been there anywhere from a year and a half to two years. The one FO I met who has been there 9 months has his flight time and starts upgrade training in January, but like I said who knows what will happen when my turn comes around, it could totally reverse????