Mesa pilots in PHX with plywood boards?

[siucavflight]

First of all what you are reading is the base pay. There is not a line holder at Mesa who is only working base except the CDO's. (god bless anyone who has to work those) As for the rest, it's called JA. JA and open time is paid at double time at Mesa. Also, don't forget per diem. Per diem is great when you are TDY. It is then 24/7. This is due to our short staffing. My last pay stub had me at 76K for the year. I will now make 80K by the end of the year. For 7-8 year Captains that I know who hustle, 90K+ is not that unusual. I know an 9 year Captain who will make 100K this year but he has been rode hard and put away wet this year. Most of our 20+ year Captains will make over 100K just due to the $109.00/hr rate on the 900. When I talk with pilots from other carriers I find that the W2s aren't all that different. It is the QOL issues that are very different. If I was at Skywest I could make the same money and probably have 3 to 4 days off a month or more, work far less than 14-16 hours a day, and get paid for things that I don't do. At a union carrier like Comair, ASA, or AWAC, I would even do better. I average 10 days off a bid period, don't get paid for cancellations, and constantly have the interpertation of my contract changed. Things are not rosy at Mesa by any strech of the imagination, but there is money to be made. I didn't sign on with a commuter in 2000 for the quality of life. I signed on to get the experience to go to a major. I, like many others just got stuck after 9/11. Every day I am thankful that I got stuck at Mesa. I have been a Captain for all but 6 months of my career, work has been steady, and as I stated earlier I work with some of the best "whores" in the industry. I guess my biggest problem must be that that I have low expectations. But, I am very happy. Good news is that the looming pilot shortage is here and this broken down, bottom feeding, scumbag Mesa whore will more than likely be moving on within the next year or so. Life is all about what you make it. Believe it or not people in Somalia smile too.

Well if you are counting per-diem as your income(which I dont) and you are working all of your days off, and maxing out on time then I can see it. To me my days off are worth much more then what I could make going in to work. and you must be on the road a lot, after all Mesa pays the lowest per-diem out there at 1.25.
Believe it or not there are some regionals that you can work at that allow you to have a decent QOL and pay pretty well.

 

[acaTerry]

Why do you people work there?? I would rather work at McDonald's than deal with that kind of treatment. At least you get to fly a big shinny jet for less than you could make at McDonald's. But hey, at least you upgrade in two years or not really. It seems Mesa has seen it's best days. Now that airlines are making more money they might not go with the cheapest any more realizing that Mesa's product is about as bad as it gets. I guess you really do get what you pay for.

This is by no means a jab towards you Soverytired. Thanks for showing people what it's like there.

Haven't you heard of SJS yet?

 

[ttuite]

Well if you are counting per-diem as your income(which I dont) and you are working all of your days off, and maxing out on time then I can see it. To me my days off are worth much more then what I could make going in to work. and you must be on the road a lot, after all Mesa pays the lowest per-diem out there at 1.25.
Believe it or not there are some regionals that you can work at that allow you to have a decent QOL and pay pretty well.

I know that there are. Unfortunately I am not working at one of them. My statement was just a response to someone who was trying to raise the BS flag on me. It is in no way an endorsement to apply to Mesa. I try to make the best out of the cards I am delt.

 

[rickair7777]

Well if you are counting per-diem as your income(which I dont) and you are working all of your days off, and maxing out on time then I can see it. To me my days off are worth much more then what I could make going in to work. and you must be on the road a lot, after all Mesa pays the lowest per-diem out there at 1.25.
Believe it or not there are some regionals that you can work at that allow you to have a decent QOL and pay pretty well.

I can compare mesa paystubs with my current airline...but total income is not the whole story...

Since I have 6-8 more days off per month now, I like to pro-rate mesa pay based on days worked. I get paid about twice as much now (still at a regional, not comair). And that's after giving up my seniority at mesa!

 

[siucavflight]

I can compare mesa paystubs with my current airline...but total income is not the whole story...

Since I have 6-8 more days off per month now, I like to pro-rate mesa pay based on days worked. I get paid about twice as much now (still at a regional, not comair). And that's after giving up my seniority at mesa!

That is a valid point, I dont know what the average work month is like at Mesa, but I dont think that they get as many days off as most regionals. I hope that this new contract gets you guys better work rules at Mesa, after all we are all in this together.

 

[Metro752]

Heres a question...........in regards to the first post, was that for real or just flame to get this subject going? Seriously carrying plywood to lay across the seats so they can sleep. I've seen the video, just not the wood........

 

[Soverytired]

Why do you people work there??

This is by no means a jab towards you Soverytired. Thanks for showing people what it's like there.

None taken. Actually, I keep posting this "crip" because I'm furious that the FAA won't take action to make this kind of stuff illegal. At the end of the day, Mesa can say with a straight face that they're just following the law.

As to working here: for most, it's a bit of a gamble. Get in, get on, get off, get out kinda thing. For those who can't get out . . . . it seems like a faustian bargain.

TT: I agree, this place has great folks. (except a certain "The Kidd" . . .. UGH!) And I've certainly had much worse jobs, so all the kevetching needs to be kept in persepective.

Rode hard and put away wet, indeed (would that I were so lucky). . ..

 

[Soverytired]

Heres a question...........in regards to the first post, was that for real or just flame to get this subject going? Seriously carrying plywood to lay across the seats so they can sleep. I've seen the video, just not the wood........

I've never seen one, and lord knows I've done alot of these camping trips. But then I haven't seen a purple windbreaker (a.ka. the "barney jacket") for at least 6 years, but to read it here you'd think it was everywhere.


Sleeping bags, jammies, cots, pillows, sleep masks, ear plugs, ear-muff type hearing protectors, fa's with their tops off as they change (sweet), portable alarm clocks, and surprised passengers coming on board with shirtless crewmembers sleeping in the back across the aisle . . .. . yes.


Boards . .. . no.

Still, spawned an awful lot of puns, no?

 

[dooork]

That is a valid point, I dont know what the average work month is like at Mesa, but I dont think that they get as many days off as most regionals. I hope that this new contract gets you guys better work rules at Mesa, after all we are all in this together.

Typical. Do you listen to yourself type? "I dont know what.....,but"
If you dont know then STFU!

 

[siucavflight]

Typical. Do you listen to yourself type? "I dont know what.....,but"
If you dont know then STFU!

How can you listen to yourself type?

 

[Metro752]

How can you listen to yourself type?

cheap keyboards, like the ones you can get from Sams club for $7.99 click real loud every time you hit a key. I can hear myself type sometimes, but it's nothing that special..........