More about ASA

[texarkana]

I fly 135 cargo and want to migrate to ASA for several resons, mainly to be awake during the DAY and because I can easily commute there (ATL) from HSV and BHM. I am almost 6 months into a 12 month training contract and dont want to have to pay my way out. Do y'all anticipate hiring well into the future or should I try to jump into the process now? Also is ATL accessible to new guys? I know this is probably somewhere else in the board but all the ASA posts were "all about why i hate asa" and I got sick of reading them!

 

[boknowsASA]

All new hires are sent to ATL. 99% going to the crj-200. I have been at ASA for six years. If I were you I would start trying to get hired now. We have 90 pilots in the pool now and who knows how long it will take to get thru those.

 

[Mmmmmm Burritos]

Also is ATL accessible to new guys? I know this is probably somewhere else in the board but all the ASA posts were "all about why i hate asa" and I got sick of reading them!

ATL is the junior base. You'll notice the ASA bashing is from the same 5-10 people over and over pretty much.

 

[bailout]

Seniority is everything in this business. Waiting a WEEK longer than you could have, could mean the difference of being a Captain in two years, or an FO for 5 years.!

 

[sgwabd]

I wouldn't come to ASA. Look somewhere else.

 

[sweptback]

I wouldn't come to ASA. Look somewhere else.

This is probably coming from somebody who a year ago couldn't wait to start class, so take it with a grain of salt.

Either BHM or HSV should be a relatively easy commute -- there are a handful of ASA flights to both that you could reserve the jumpseat on, and it would be drivable if absolutely necessary.

 

[Lolikoka]

Apply now

Apply now and try to get into the pool - you never know how long it will take to get a class date.

There IS a lot of ASA bashing on this site - and I'm guilty of it as well, but it's because we're trying to make ASA a better place. It's honestly not bad as it seems - but it could be much better if they didn't play "management games" with us. Like most airlines I suppose - ASA has great guys and gals for pilots and it's a pleasure to go to work. There are things out of our control - like the Atlanta ramp - but they could be controlled by management if they would get their act together. Get your application in, interview, and get in the pool. As someone mentioned above, seniority is everything, and you could lose much more than the money you pay to get out of your contract by just being stuck as an F/O longer than necessary.

Nobody knows the future hiring plans - depends on the success of Delta and SkyWest whipsawing us with the other connection carriers, or whether our management can steal someone else's flying from another regional. I'll go now before I get more cynical.

Good luck - ASA is a good place to work all-in-all.

 

[jeroom]

Did DAL gave its new fleet plan yet?

 

[FORE LEFT]

Be carefull about the commute from either HSV or BHM. There are quite a few Delta and ASA employees that have moved to this area in the last few months. It has gotten much more difficult to commute out of BHM especially.

 

[silverandsoar]

Did DAL gave its new fleet plan yet?

No, they didn't gave it yet.

 

[Fly-n-hi]

Just suck it up. Pretty much any regional you go to will blow. ASA is no different.

 

[sgwabd]

This is probably coming from somebody who a year ago couldn't wait to start class, so take it with a grain of salt.

Either BHM or HSV should be a relatively easy commute -- there are a handful of ASA flights to both that you could reserve the jumpseat on, and it would be drivable if absolutely necessary.

Rather Close... 2 years ago.. but my comment still stands that if i could do it all again, i wouldn't come to ASA.

 

[blueridge71]

Right now ASA plans four classes to run through June. After that it depends on Skywest and Mother Delta.

There is good and bad at ASA.
Bad:
First year pay
The Contract
The Negotiations
The Possible Strike
The possibility that Mesa and Chataco will undercut us
The ASA management (reserving judgement on the SW guys)
Crappy lines
The possibility that growth will end and you'll be a ten-year FO

The Good:
Most people are pretty nice with the exception of a few senior captains
Cool flying- you can go coast to coast, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean
More destinations in the islands and Central America coming- Guadalajara soon

 

[blueridge71]

Right now ASA plans four classes to run through June. After that it depends on Skywest and Mother Delta.

There is good and bad at ASA.
Bad:
First year pay
The Contract
The Negotiations
The Possible Strike
The possibility that Mesa and Chataco will undercut us
The ASA management (reserving judgement on the SW guys)
Crappy lines
The possibility that growth will end and you'll be a ten-year FO

The Good:
Most people are pretty nice with the exception of a few senior captains
Cool flying- you can go coast to coast, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean
More destinations in the islands and Central America coming- Guadalajara soon
Things seem to be getting better as far as corporate culture goes.

 

[texarkana]

Hey everyone thanks for the insight. Is it wise and/or possible to commute to ATL as a new FO? I will always be within 4 hours away by car. Also are there any (relatively) good sources of company info online, or are we limited to the usual rumors? Thanks!

 

[legalalien]

Commuting from HSV or BHM as a new hire can be done and we will get some sort of commuter clause in the new contract ( have a look at ASAcontract.com). However you will need a crashpad at least on short call reserve (2hours) and probably anytime on reserve.
It looks like you will get 10 or 11 days off as a reserve under the new contract with still only one block of 4 days they can't touch. Any other off days can and are moved at short notice.
Having the option of a 4hour drive will mean that you should be able to spend most days off at home rather than a crashpad though.

Best of luck getting on, ASA isn't as bad as this board makes it out to be and even the biggest naysayers agree that most of the crews are great. At the end of the day that is what makes or breaks the job working at any regional.

 

[sweptback]

I know you know this, but for the benefit of the newbies, asacontract.com is not our new contract. It's just the company proposal, and not a very good one at that.

 

[sigler]

Best of luck getting on, ASA isn't as bad as this board makes it out to be and even the biggest naysayers agree that most of the crews are great. At the end of the day that is what makes or breaks the job working at any regional.

I'd say that makes or breaks any aviation job out there, not only at the regionals.

 

[flylowman]

I commuted for my first 3 years out of PNS and MOB and never missed a trip. It can be done. But let me tell you. It sucks! Get you a crash pad on Verginia Ave., you will not need a car in ATL, and maby by time you get tired of commuting you will have senority to park at Lot 3. Good luck

 

[blueridge71]

I commuted from TYS for a while before moving to the ATL. Commuting to reserve at ASA is not something that I would recommend under the current contract unless you don 't have a family and like living in a crashpad. We'll see what happens with the new one. We're supposed to have some long call reserve so maybe that will change things for the better.

One thing about our current contract is that it is impossible to get released on the last day of reserve early unless you are timing out from flying. Most of the reserve lines don't release you until after most flights have departed, so if you commute nonrev, you are stuck for an extra night. And yes, I have had Scheduling call me with less than 2 hours left in my on-call period going into my Guaranteed Days Off.

I'm not sure about the drive from HSV but I found that it was easier to drive from TYS. By the time you give yourself a backup flight in case you miss the first one, driving is quicker and you have the added benefit of the extra freedom that a vehicle gives you. You aren't tied to a crashpad or MARTA. There are several crashpads that allow you to either take MARTA or a hotel bus though.

 

[legalalien]

Sweptback,
You are correct - I wasn't clear. I was pointing out the commuter clause in the General section and it is pretty much all matched.

For those who haven't read the things on asacontract.com, if it says matched the union has agreed to that language. A section is then TA'd if all paragraphs in the section are matched.

I would also say that it doesn't make for nice reading after three and a half years!