Express Jet.....

[captjim]

Bluto, I concur with your statements.

Nimiz, thats a bad attitude my friend. It will be written in Commutairs' contract that they hire our furloughs. The company(CAL) came to the union and requested this as a show of good will, this will happen. The only question is whether guys will be recalled here at Express before they get called at Commutair.

BTW, I have a personal friend thats furloughed right now, that would love to quit his job at Home Depot and go fly a 1900.

 

[Company Man]

Commutair Rates

I'd like to take a minute and dispute some of the CommutAir myths.

Yes, Mckpickle was right, starting pay is 16 and hour, but as Bluto stated it does go to 18 after 90 days. Most of our new hires only flew the line for at the most month and a half before recieving the raises.

Our guarantee is for 76 hours. But that is for a 28 day bid. With 13 bids per year, it averages out to 82.3 a month. As of now we are scheduled to fly less then the guarantee. Right now I'm guessing that the average per bid is 65-70 hours. That could change at the drop of a hat, and I've seen the bid requirements as high as 95-100 hours per bid. Also in the 28 days you get 12 off, it averages to 13.5 per month.

A couple of large items that are almost always overlooked when people look here, is (as of now) we have no union so there are no union dues. (We, as a pilot group, are trying to get ALPA on the property but only time will tell). The second and most important when it comes to the paychecks is the company pays 100% of your medical insurance. You the employee and your family if you have one. I don't know what the insurance plan costs at Express Jet, but I know that my Fiance pays about 40-50 a week for single coverage with a government job. So that could equal approx 200 a month.

Another thing that Mcpickle addressed was commuting on reserve. One aspect of our schedule is that we don't use the line system. We bid day to day, one month (at least that's how its supposed to happen, those who work here will understand). WIth this system, the company likes to have everyone fly. I mean He!! they are paying you to so why shouldn't you. The idea is that no matter how junior you are you'll only sit at the most two weeks of reserve. I've seen some shedules where there are three week on it but that's rare. I'm the most junior capt here, and I only had 6 days of reserve this bid. One thing is true though, if the rumors are true, and we are asked to grow as fast as rumor has it, we'll be adding more pilot seats then we will be adding pilots...


If you have any more questions please feel free to PM me

 

[mckpickle]

Just wondering what the gaurentee is at Express Jet?

Death and taxes

 

[captjim]

Death and taxes

Can't argue with that one mckpickle

 

[mckpickle]

"My bet 10 people or less will take it."

Mckpickle,
I'll take that bet. How much? First, I seriously doubt if it will be Gulfstream. Secondly, your statements make me wonder if you actually know anyone on furlough from xjt. What kind of great jobs do you think the furloughed pilots are getting that $16/hour sounds so horrible? Keep in mind, if it were CommutAir, that $16 is only for the first 90 days. Then it goes to $18. This is with an 82 hour guarantee.
After 3 months, furloughed pilots would be making more at CommutAir just based on guarantee than they were as reserve RJ FOs just prior to the furlough.

1424.25 XJT guarantee in 9/01 (18.99 X 75)
1476.00 CommutAir guarantee after 90 days (18.00 X 82)

Company man,
guarantee at Xjet is 75 hours or 1467.00 with current pay rates (75 X 19.56) assuming no per diem. Per diem is around $1.40/hour.

p.s. Mckpickle, the vast majority of the furloughed pilots could have stayed home and made more money than we did at Coex as commuting FOs on reserve...did you see many people quitting then? What's the difference now?

Easy big fella

As I said its just my opinion. Some people I have talked to do not want to leave home to commute on reserve for lousey money. I agree that it would be lousey money first year pay here as well, however after the 2nd year longevity increase there is a chance at a half way decent wage. Now I dont think it will be Gulfstream either, however who is going to do the flying in IAH when that happens? Logistcally I dont think Commutair can operate that far out of the northeast. I think they still have a bad taste when they got burnt about 5 years back flying southern routes around Virgina.

Now if someone is on furlough chances are they have a job already. And as sad as it is I dont think anyone has become homeless. (at lease I hope not because I have an extra bed I would gladly give them) SO if they had a job, were going to be recalled in 03, then why risk a training cycle, and a pretty lousey quality of life when they could just sit at home and have a normal life. At least this is what the fuloughed folks I've talked to tell me,( and yes I do know a few)

Now if you figure with taxes and everything else the average xjt (1st year) pilot would take home 300 a week. Plus perdiem, if they flew on reserve. How hard would it be to make 300+ a week and be home every night? Like I said JMHO

 

[mckpickle]

Can't argue with that one mckpickle

wait I forgot paying for a seat in the back

 

[captjim]

mcpickle, I think you'd be surprised how many guys are itching to get back in the cockpit. Besides there are going to be only about 60 position open at Commutair. I'm willing to bet $1 that all of them will be filled with furloughed.

 

[Bluto]

Mckpickle,
I think I overreacted. Sorry. Coex is clearly a better paying company long-term. Unfortunately, for most of the furloughed a job at Coex is a year or more away. I hope that most of the senior pilots feel the way you do about avoiding a delay in their Coex recall. I think many have become somewhat wary about taking recall estimates at face value. Personally, I'd be willing to sacrifice a few months at Coex a year from now to insure a good flying job a month or two from now.

Sorry if I seemed overly excited. I meant no offense.

ps If you were serious about the bet, please let me know. I could use the cash.

 

[RichardFitzwell]

Now if someone is on furlough chances are they have a job already. And as sad as it is I dont think anyone has become homeless. (at lease I hope not because I have an extra bed I would gladly give them) SO if they had a job, were going to be recalled in 03, then why risk a training cycle, and a pretty lousey quality of life when they could just sit at home and have a normal life. At least this is what the fuloughed folks I've talked to tell me,( and yes I do know a few)

Now if you figure with taxes and everything else the average xjt (1st year) pilot would take home 300 a week. Plus perdiem, if they flew on reserve. How hard would it be to make 300+ a week and be home every night? Like I said JMHO

mckpickle,

I agree with your logic. I won't return to fly for a "vendor carrier." Maybe when I was first laid off I would have, but enough time has past and I have become set in a new job. I am making decent money and flying on the side to stay current. It isn't what I had hoped for when I joined CAL but I'm home every night and I'm able to pay our bills.

With the way aviation has been going, I don't want to risk another job change to get furloughed again, this time from a "vendor carrier." No thanks.

If and when I get recalled to CALEX, I'll have a serious decision to make. Right now I think I'll wait for CAL or Southwest.

 

[mckpickle]

Gentlemen, consider the first round on me.

And Bluto, its alllllllll good brother!