Expressjet needs pilots bad!

[LJDRVR]

Tell your upper management to get rid of that bitch Dawn, and you'll have all the pilots you want.

That's pretty classy. Your willingsness to denigrate someone anonymously on a public board speaks volumes about your character. I thought Dawn was a consumate professional. The only behavior I saw that could have been labled as agressive, she directed torwards folks that simply did not have a clue. (Someone who shows up with a logbook that claims 500 hours of light twin dual given in 6 months with 250 hours of that actual IMC should expect some difficult questions concerning their integrity.)

I thought the interview process at Express Jet was a great experience. You'll have to answer some questions in front of everybody, so don't show up if you don't have you act together.

Some advice for the hopefuls would be this: This is a great job. Put some effort into your preparation. If they ask a question you don't know the answer to, just say you don't know.

 

[flap operator]

NOVA,

You're right, days off don't pay the bills. But why should you go to work and get treated like crap? Oh, you make a good hourly wage! My point is that work rules and pay go hand in hand. Training and testing, days off, min day or duty rigs, CDO provisions all make the contract, in addition to a good hourly wage.

You're also right... turboprop, jet, large, small, narrow or chubby, we all do the same thing. We transport people safely, efficiently, comnfortably and mostly ontime. But if your airline has 200+ jets and another airline has half your fleet you do the math. Do you think the revenue is the same? Do you think the profits are the same? Where do you think your pay comes from?

I'm not drinking anyones Koolaid. I prefer water. I'm thinking realistically and from the eyes of an outsider who just recently went through what you're going through now. It isn't easy and you're not going to get everything you want. I voted no for our contract because there were some glaring issues that didn't meet my satisfaction. But there are things in the contract that are good and are better now than our old contract.

It's a big game and after all airlines are businesses.


FO

 

[Nova]

My point is that work rules and pay go hand in hand.

I agree.

But if your airline has 200+ jets and another airline has half your fleet you do the math. Do you think the revenue is the same? Do you think the profits are the same? Where do you think your pay comes from?

If an operator makes $500 profit per hour on each airplane than it's obvious that a larger operator will see a larger total profit. But how does that affect what a pilot gets paid? If $85/hour plus retirement, work rules, per diem, etc. ends up costing a company $120 per block hour how would that number different at a different company? It wouldn't be. With pilot longevity being the exception Company A's contract would cost just as much if it was implimented at Company B.

Factor in different costs like different equipment, training costs, the cost of the other employees and yes a companies profits can vary. That doesn't mean that a company with a jet/turboprop mix is less able to afford another companies contract.

 

[LegacyDriver]

Just for fun I applied to Coex. The retarded interviewer asked a stupid question...

"What would you do if you heard a passenger complain about a bad landing when getting off the airplane?"

I said it depended on how the passenger said it, but that in all likelihood I would keep quiet. No sense coming across as a smart ass and getting in trouble over it.

Next day I get a letter saying I don't meet their experience and skills requirements.

3,693 hours in ERJs with more than 1000 as a Captain and I don't qualify. They must not need pilots too badly!

 

[NWA]

LJDRVR, I had a few drinks when I made my last post, and I shouldn't have used profanity. I've never met her, but I have a lot of friends that have interviewed with her, and they all said the same about her. I also have a buddy in the training dept. and they have received a lot of complaints about her. Maybe she's changed her style as of late.

 

[AZaviator]

The problem you might run into by waiting is that once the contract is signed I'm sure the interest will increase in applying so competition for the last slots will grow.

That's a good point, however, a lot of us can't afford to apply with and or get on with Coex given the current payscale, with only the HOPES of a new contract having a more livable pay scale. I personally am going to wait and see what the new contract is before I consider applying. I did the same thing before considering applying with Mesa, and am glad I never applied after seeing their new contract. However, I do realize Coex and Mesa probably aren't on the same page when it comes to contracts!

 

[flap operator]

Nova - I see your points, but I still disagree. You can't honestly say that a contract like Comairs would be viable at a company like Colgan or Shuttle America, or some other small airline. The numbers wont add up. Sure, they probably deserve to be paid like COmair, but maybe the airline just can't afford it. Another thing to remember is that the deal between ExpressJet and CO and COmair/DL etc...is very different than the deal that Mesaba and NWA have. We get a certain fee per departure and also fees bases on our ASMs. We don't have a cost plus that alot of airlines enjoy. Since 9/11 we couldn't pass all those increasing costs onto NW, and rightfully so. Don't get me wrong... I'm not at all a mgmt boy. I'm just trying to think from the business side as well as the line pilots side.



FO

 

[rumorhasit]

if xjt needs pilots so much why are they only taking 2 internal pilots a class?

who is dawn where does she work? Hr or training?

 

[350DRIVER]

who is dawn where does she work? Hr or training?

She is a female (natural one) who is supposebly head of recruitment, hr, etc, who is also a line pilot but may have lost her medical. (so I have heard) - this is where the attitude has come

Buy her a martini at City Streets and you got it made.


and ya'll thought John Dresser was bad, God bless your souls.

3 5 0

ps>> they have plenty of applicants

 

[imr125]

Reserve and hiring plans

Good questions asked previously regarding reserve and hiring for the remainder of the year: Does anybody have any insight on current/forecast reserve times for the different domiciles?

Thanks!

 

[Nova]

if xjt needs pilots so much why are they only taking 2 internal pilots a class?

You're missing the point that they are running a class every 1 to 2 weeks with 16 new hires in each. Why does it matter where they come from? There are plenty of overqualified folks out there to fill those slots. Plus 2 out of every 16 seems like an awfully good ratio to complain about. Back in the day of 40 new hires per class you'd be lucky to find 1 internally hired pilot.

Good questions asked previously regarding reserve and hiring for the remainder of the year: Does anybody have any insight on current/forecast reserve times for the different domiciles?

We haven't been hiring long enough to project the time trend to get off reserve. Basically it'll take getting about 15% of the pilots in any particular base behind you before you can count on a line. Right now the lines in each base and distribution of new hires is fluctuating enough to further cloud any guess.

Assuming we will see a pretty steady hiring trend this year (rumored to slow down by Fall) the first new hires might be off reserve by the end of this year after 9 months here. Those after them might have a longer (or shorter) wait depending on CAL flowbacks, our hiring trend, number of lines, the position of the moon, etc.

 

[AviatorTx]

Tell your upper management to get rid of that bitch Dawn, and you'll have all the pilots you want.

So... Your punk @$$ got rejected, huh?

 

[I Hate Freight]

Applied on line, called the number, did the phone screening and was told a "senior recuiter" would contact me in 60-90 days. I figure they can't be that desperate if it takes them 2-3 months to contact people after initial screening. Or maybe that's why they are in need of people....in the 2-3 months it takes them to contact an applicant, that pilot has already been hired by another regional who interviewed them quicker.
.

That's exactly what happened with me. I did the phone thing and was told 60-90 days. By the time they called I was in my third week of training at Eagle with full pay during training and a room to myself.

IHF

 

[agonyairfo]

Why would Comair take a pay cut? They where already asked to with the "future growth" bargaining chip, and said NO. What else, in the next year or two, is management going to use to get us to take cuts?

I was called by Express Jet also. This happened a few weeks after I applied online, and this was in January. I was told to expect a call in 60-90 days. It is now July 3. Must not be that hard up. By the way, I have about 6X the minimum requirements in my logbook.

And yes, in my humble opinion, they have some whacky interview processes. What was with the "xx00xx????" code on the resumes of the past. What about the reading of a PA announcement? I thought that was a strange announcement even. (If I had to get de-iced that would not be the choice of words I would useto tell the pax)

 

[El Bucho]

GO AWAY, DON'T WORK AT XJT!! (yet anyway)

I've got a novel idea. How about all of a sudden nobody applied for or accepted a job at XJT because they refused to stoop down to flying an RJ for 17 grand a year. Just tell them "When you guys get a new contract with a wage above the food stamp line, I'll be back." Maybe then these freakin' companies would get a clue. It would be even better if nobody applied to ANY regional airline, send them all a message...GAME ON!!