Commutair...

[CornJulio]

Re: I seem to have touched a nerve here.

I know it's probably not wise to look a gift horse in the mouth, but has anyone else wondered what's prompted this surge of interviews all of a sudden?... Are these interviews driven by expansion or the fact that a good amount of people whom Commutair has called back are declining to actually return?

The latter. And it's more attrition than anything else -- We lost a ton of people to Executive Jet, and we've recently had people going to class at AirTran, ASA, and ComAir. And yes, a lot of people are declining their recall from furlough.

There hasn't been any expansion since August, but we are adding one more airplane to the fleet next month to start service between Albany and Allentown, PA. That'll be the first sign of any growth. We have between 7 and 8 pilots per airplane, so with the new plane, that brings our pilot group to 112 now.

My previous posts notwithstanding, the work itself is pretty good. My only concern is that the company's on very, very shaky financial ground -- we haven't been profitable since December 2000, when we switched codeshares. But it's certainly a step up from instructing and good experience. Best of luck with the interview.

 

[SuperD]

Go to the interview!

brew3departure and snine3departure,

By all means, go to the interview with an open mind and learn a few things about the company. To even hesitate to come here from a CFI job is insane. Anything is better than smashing bugs and doing stalls in a Cessna 150! Just my opinon.

It's good that you are getting opinions from everyone on this subject, positive AND negative. Whoever said that things really aren't any better everywhere else is absolutely correct. I can't tell you how many pilots I've talked to lately who have gone on to other regionals and have regretted it every day. You will get experience here that is hard to come by in an RJ after engaging the autopilot. As for dealing with the negative people, you will find that there are some people who just love to complain. They could be hired right into the right seat of a 777 making 100K a year and will still find something to complain about. How you perceive CommutAir depends solely on your attitude and expectations from the company. The ones who come here expecting to get rich and have everyone kiss their behinds normally are the ones who are unhappy. Before CornJulio attacks me for drinking the company Kool-aid, let me tell you a few things.

I've been here for 2 years. I have been based in PLB the whole time and have never had any problems with management, scheduling, etc. I come to work, do my job the best I can, and go home. I don't hang around and kiss butt and I don't look for things to gripe about. Actually, most of the people who work at headquarters are very friendly. Has my experience at CommutAir been perfect? Nope. Did I have issues because I was furloughed last summer with one week to go before upgrade? You bet. Did I complain a lot about it? Yep. But now I'm over it and I'm ready to get the PIC experience that I came here for. Don't get me wrong, I was very close to leaving after our furloughs, but because of other circumstances (Sept 11th and such), I'm still here. Call it fate, dumb luck, whatever, I managed to keep a flying job while every company at which I was hired furloughed heavily. I don't regret it one bit.

As far as for seeing a lot of people at TSA being thankful that they were out of CommutAir, that must have been last fall. You see, most of us felt that way since we were still bitter from the furloughs. Most of us have changed our tune since Sept 11th. Call us hypocrites if you want, but this industry changes so rapidly that companies that you had turned your nose up at last summer start looking a little better. A year ago, if you would have told people that you had an AirTran interview, they would have laughed at you for leaving for a "national carrier". Now, we are losing people left and right to that very company. That is the source of our need to hire at this time.

As far as the company's financial health, I am as uncertain as the next person. Everything you do in this industry is a gamble. Although RJs are the wave of the future, most of them are owned by the majors who have extremely ticked-off pilots that their routes are being given to an RJ with a crew who makes a fraction of what they make. Once again, my advice to you is to go to the interview and check us out. If you take the job, you will learn more in one month than you ever could in 2000 hrs of dual given. You will never find a better pilot group and a more fun airplane to fly. All this being said, should you stay here forever? No. 98% of us will move on to other things after getting the experience that the larger carriers want to see. We move on for different reasons such as $$ and wanting to live in a different part of the country (personally, I'm tired of snow). But the beauty of it is that the company knows you will leave after awhile. They expect it and they accept it. So come here and get all the experience you can to enhance your career. PM me if you have any more questions.

SuperD

 

[Company Man]

Next Trick

Col....

here it goes... Watch close... Continental NEVER gave us money to paint the airplanes. They picked up the bill. Why they stoped, I don't know if that's a major concern for you, feel free to call the DO, or DM. Despiite the rumors they are not out to get you. (Or maybe they are, I'm not sure who you are) But bottom line when you have a question, go to the CORRECT souce for the answer.

No flames necessary. But there's a difference between appreciating what you have a working to make it better, and putting blinders on and thinking this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. If you really believe Commutair has your best interests even on their map, you're nuts.

I'm not really sure what you are trying to get across with this, but you obviously know who I am, so the appreciating what I have and working to make it better doesn't apply. As far as the blinder go, I don't need the blinders. I look ALL around and see what I'm involved in. What I see is a place (this has been mentioned before) where they do treat you fair, if you return the favor. Name one other company that has a schedule like ours, I know it burns the top of the seniority list, but where else as a new hire are you given trips right after IOE instead of months of straight reserve. As I.P stated, there is no junior manning, and your days off are your days off, gaurenteed.

As far as calling me nuts, well then that applies to you as well.. Do YOU know what my interests are? without knowing that, how can you say that the company doesn't have my interests on their map? Now I have no intention of staying here any longer then I want to, but I'm not going to make a lateral move (personal preferances). Other's have and I'm not going to judge them, as I'VE said before we all have different reasons for being here...

AS far as Andy's lie line goes, I've never once listened to it. Not because I have my head up and locked, but because when I want to know what's going on with the company I go and ask the people who write the reports that Andy read's. That's what an open door policy is....