HOW MANY more is Mesaba going to hire

[xjhawk]

dont believe?

Hey now, i have something to tell all of you that do not believe what you are told in interviews. If you are taking what is said at face value, I.E it's prob the best case scenerio, good job! But if you are taking it as a contract, spoken as law and must be upheld, than you are an idiot! And if you are so distrusting of those that are interviewing you , why in gods name are you interviewing for a job for people you do not trust and feel are telling you lies and setting you up for failure! Now i know spocks beard, and if you read this, are you thinking that your current management lied to you and screwed you over because they said they had a contract for flying out of Atlanta with _____? Airlines, but have since lost the contract? Did they tell you they would be hireing to cover that flying and the United contract? And now may have to scale back the flying to compensate for the loss of flying all those routes?

My point is, for those of you that are bitter because someone tells you something and it does not come true, learn that what is always said, does not happen, especially during contract negotiations! The chief pilots are more than likely not makeing up lies to impress a possible new hire, if you believe that, you are thinking way too much of yourselves!

 

[SpocksBeard]

Dude - I was strictly speaking from my XJ experience. My current management has nothing to do with it. They have not lied to me or misrepresented their motives in any way. Atlanta was never a sure thing and our hiring is not to cover anything down there and never was. They are still hiring - the only thing losing atlanta will do is cause some displacements and mess up people's lives who have moved down there. Those airplanes will be absorbed by United. It has all been due to United expanding. Notice in my above post I said "I can't really say that I was lied to exactly." I don't believe Dan or anybody else was really clued in to what was going on with the contract at the time and were just repeating what they had been told by those above them. I was only cautioning people from believing stuff they are told at interviews - especially with a publicly held company like XJ. There is always a certain amount of Kool-aid involved. Especially under the umbrella of the NWA whipsaw. I don't believe everything I was told in my interview with my current company either - I don't believe upgrade will take 5 to 8 years! (I think it might be closer to 4.5 ) The other guys in my indoc class had it far worse than I did (xjhawk) - becase i was on the SAAB I got to finish training before they told me I was out of a job - the avro guys didn't even get to finish their training and they were sent home. I'm not bitter; I wouldn't have changed anything that has happened with my career lately. I was just trying to illustrate an extreme example of how buying into an interviewer's sales pitch can really screw you over. It turned out well for me but it doesn't always go that way.

 

[Simon Says]

Are there really 100 CRJ options NWA can exercise, or is it just a ploy to keep morale up?

There are really 129 Crj options.

 

[TurboAWD]

actually, 129 is the number of AC PCL will have on line in about 12 months (there are about 90 right now).

NWA has, if I recall correctly, 175 options in addition to the 129. 75 of those already have financing taken care of. Who will get them? Nobody knows, and anyone who claims to know is probably full of it. Could be PCL. Could be mesaba. Could even someone not currently flying Airlink (Horizon, Skywest,?).

I really hope that NWA doesn't add an additional Airlink partner, but it wouldn't surprise me.

We probably won't know untill mainline ALPA and the company figure out the concessions. But I bet we all know by the end of the year.

 

[T-handle]

I hope MGT is not feeding an overdosage of Kool Aid to the prosective pilots in the interviews. It all sounds good when you hear things like 100+ CRJs, prospective growth, etc... Sure Mesaba is a fun place to work, but I've heard some fairly outlandish stories that new hires are telling us. Like 8-9 month upgrades??? uh no.. sorry to burst your bubble, but the most junior captain award at the moment is around "5 years". And yes we're in good position to receive CRJs.... but so is Pinnacle, Mesa, Skywest... anyone that decides to underbid us is in good position. Sure the most logical choice would be us, but just remember nothing is guaranteed in this business.

On the hiring note, straight from the training center's mouth, May is most likely the last 15 newhire class and they plan to trickle it down to 5 per month after that, or 5 every other month, indefinitely. Attrition is expected to pickup as a handful of pilots are expecting class dates at greener pastures this summer.

And because attrition is virtually non existent, the only "movement" we'll ever see is due to growth=new airplanes. Expect reserve for quite some time.

 

[captpetefam]

xjhawk - couldn't have said it better.

I think xjhawk is reading my mind. First, I agree you have to take everything with a grain of salt. As one XJ Saab Capt I look up to once said, "I'll believe the rumor when I'm sitting in the front of it, starting the engines." I realize the CRJ options are going to be dangled like a carrot over Mesaba, Pinn., and other underbidders. My hope is that since XJ just signed a "happy" contract with NWA, there will be less mess having them come to XJ.

However, what Mr. J said about needing 90-100 in the next 12 mo just makes logical sense. The current number add up to XXX which is 90-100 short. Obviously, things could change (routes no longer needed or even park an AvroRJ) but the current numbers just make sense.

Those that have been sitting reserve for 3+ years, I respect you for sticking it out and I will do my best not to hurt your feelings if I move quickly. I do know it is tough and I'm sorry you've had that experience. HOWEVER, If I sit reserve for 3 years, BIG DEAL! As is sometimes said in my home state, "It could be worse." Think about the US Air guys who were hired in the 80's and are now walkin' the street; those guys were older in years and probably had a lot more at stake than just college debt. Think about sitting reserve for 3 years as an FE flying sideways on the 72' and then getting "upgraded" to the Deisel? All I'm saying is I respect you guys for sticking it out, just be careful what you sob about.

Blue Side Up!

 

[Simon Says]

I hope MGT is not feeding an overdosage of Kool Aid to the prosective pilots in the interviews. It all sounds good when you hear things like 100+ CRJs, prospective growth, etc... Sure Mesaba is a fun place to work, but I've heard some fairly outlandish stories that new hires are telling us. Like 8-9 month upgrades??? uh no.. sorry to burst your bubble, but the most junior captain award at the moment is around "5 years". And yes we're in good position to receive CRJs.... but so is Pinnacle, Mesa, Skywest... anyone that decides to underbid us is in good position. Sure the most logical choice would be us, but just remember nothing is guaranteed in this business.

On the hiring note, straight from the training center's mouth, May is most likely the last 15 newhire class and they plan to trickle it down to 5 per month after that, or 5 every other month, indefinitely. Attrition is expected to pickup as a handful of pilots are expecting class dates at greener pastures this summer.

And because attrition is virtually non existent, the only "movement" we'll ever see is due to growth=new airplanes. Expect reserve for quite some time.

Thats right, I apolagize. Too many numbers.

 

[mesaba2425]

t-handle, Great post. You have experience drinking Kool-Aid and everyone would be smart to take your advice.

 

[scabseeker]

I've beeen here five yeARS UPGRADED downgraded, f**** so many time by this company it's sick. Do not come here this place sucks if your a FNG your not even worth talking to unless you've been here 6 months because your probably going to get furloughed at least three to four times. As far CRJ's goes I ve heard were going to get CRJ in MSP. DTW, MEM, LAX, BOS, CVG, ATL and every other city in the lower 48 for the past five years and I've seen zippo!!!! As far as upgrading in two years go to pinnacle and fly with a bunch camel back water wearing F**** who are a bunch of idiots on the radio and even worse in the air and if you think I lying just ask any ATC dude in DTW, MSP or MEM. I have to listen to these idiots everyday. I can't beleive were losing to these guys!!!!

 

[sf3boy]

Wow, that was a lot.

Back to the topic, the most junior line holder in the most junior base, MEM, was hired in Aug '00 in the Avro and Mar '01 for the Saab. So, for anyone out there who has dreams of working at Mesaba, plan on being on reserve for a long time.

I do think something will shake lose when 9E starts up with negotiations. NWA will lay the wood to them, threaten furloughs, route closures, aircraft taken away, you name it. Why do I think this, you ask. NWA did it to us for the last 3 years and they did it to Express in 1996-97.

 

[captpetefam]

That'd be fun!

Wouldn't you just love to be on a 4-day with Scabseeker?! Ahhh, bitterness is so entertaining.

Just because it happened the last 3 years, doesn't mean it's going to be the same for the next 3 years. I have a very good friend who was hired by Mesaba in 1993 and Capt. in 1995! He had a great experience at Mesaba.

As with anything, I think xj is cyclicle. I think we will see a few years of prosperity but then woe to the guys that get hired there in 2009! If I'm wrong, at least I'm still getting paid to fly once in a while! If I'm on reserve a lot, that just means more will get done on the house and I'll get to spend more time with the kids. There's bigger things in life than being upset at an airline.

 

[cvoav8r]

captpetefam,
I do hope that it is as they said it will be. I myself am teetering on skeptism. With that said you have no worries cause If they don't treat you right, you know I'll get you set up in corporate with me!



PS. My buddy B called me this morning...a long standing all 91 flight dept just offered him 15K to relocate 600 miles and starting pay at 90K, with two weeks paid this year and three weeks paid next year. Our goal is to get all of us one a place. Am I tempting you yet...

 

[xjhawk]

yes the bitterness

hey scabbie seaker! why don't you just !@#$'in leave! yes, i have been given a furlough notice, am i bitter, no, its a part of the industry, though sad, but true. It is all cyclical! Your Bad attitude and dislike for anyone new is pathetic! Its the new pilots that give you yor buffer zone " and will let you become a captain again, though i am sure you are a **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED**ty one that is terrible to fly with. If i fly with a asshole be sure i will not be too scared to speak up and put you in your sorry pllace Yes i have been here over six months, maybe if i am lucky, i will recognize your bull**CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** and tell you to **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** off for all the new guys you so dislike!

 

[captpetefam]

Say it like it is...

Amen, XJhawk! I realize I am the greenest of greenies at XJ but I have never seen how an attitude like that can be healthy for any company. If you (scabseeker or anybody else) have such an attitude for the company your with, it might be time to go someplace else. As it is, your not happy, the pilots you fly with aren't happy, the company's not happy, and the passengers aren't happy. So.... why are you still there?

cvoAV8er - I'm there! You're not gonna make me live in some God-forsaken place like HPN, are you? Either way, we've sailed the San Juans; maybe next time it's someplace carribean!! Mmmmm, nice an warm! I bet I could find us a Geocache with Travel Bugs on it. Did I ever show you were the Travel Bug is now that we left on that Island? It's in China now. Anywho, let me know when you need your Falcon 50 FO!

Blue Side UP!

 

[justmeinmsp]

Re: yes the bitterness

hey scabbie seaker! why don't you just !@#$'in leave!

He could always come to work at Pinnacle. From the description he gives of us, he would fit right in.