Nja News

[RNObased]

Is it typical to get trips shorter than 7 days?

On the reserve yes it is. Keep in mind if they work you 7 in a row they have to give you 4 off and they hate that. You will be gone more in a month then a 7/7 guy, but you get paided more. I'm on the reserve and haven't worked a 7 day tour in three months. Lots of short tours which is good and bad.

 

[pilotpat]

This is the best post I've seen in a long time!!...I know your pain.

I'm glad someone else understands...:beer:

 

[johnsonrod]

Man is this NJA/JetBlue thing is a tough choice. My wife broke down last night at just the thought of me being gone every other week. That has me rethinking things a little bit. I think the 7 days gone might be a little too much for the wife and little one. The flexibility of an airline schedule is nice too.

I think JetBlue is definitely higher risk than NJA however. NetJets has so many nice benefits too. Ok now I really wish I had only gotten one offer so I don't have to make this choice. Maybe I should just take the earliest training date which would be JetBlue. sigh

Tough choice (both options are good) but I personally would take Netjets if given both options. When you think about it, with 7/7 if you take a week off during a month you would get three weeks off in a row. I too have heard that the Jetblue schedules on the Airbus can be brutal (transcons with day-rests and then another transcon the following night are very common - and the LGB base is even worse if you want the West Coast base). Being home 7 days in a row is long enough so that your wife won't want to see you for another week... Also, do you want variety of flying or the same routes over and over again? Let us know which path you choose - good luck!

 

[BeechScrub]

Also keep in mind the benefits package at each carrier. From talking to my buds at JetBlue, their insurance really sux and their 401K leaves a lot to be desired as well. Obviously, JetBlue is still a new carrier and a lot can change over time, but from what I've seen, NetJets' benefits can meet or beat any other company I've seen. At JetBlue, you'll obviously have the flight bennies, so maybe that evens it out. For me, going to NJA will be a $300/month raise just cuz I don't pay for my insurance. The 7/7 sched is exactly what I want as well.

A good friend of mine has been at JetBlue since August and is very happy flying the Bus. He just got a hard line in JFK which had less days off than he was getting on reserve. He bids for overnights in the city he lives, so he averages another 2-3 nights at home doing that. From what he's told me, if you're on reserve, they let you choose a 6/4, 5/3, or 4/2 schedule with all late starts/early finishes on the first/last day.

 

[pilotpat]

Agreed BeechScrub, my bud is also at JB and he says family cost is like 300 bills. NJ is 100% paid by the company. Also, your wife might be upset at the 7 days away, but when you figure you're probably gonna sit reserve in JFK for a couple months, well, I'm liking the NJ idea. My bud got off reserve in like 3 months two years ago, so I don't know what its like now, but he drove to JFK to sit at his crash pad, and figured he'd been away for 5-6 days anyway. Then he'd get 3 or 4 days off. 7 off sounds pretty good after your 7 on.

Though, my wife just wants me to get away from the, oh, you're working for the next 2 weeks and then we'll see what happens, schedule.

 

[dudemize]

Thanks for the input fellas.

Compared to NJA the bennies at JetBlue do suck. The retirement is a lot better now, I would say comparable to NJA. Compared to the 7/7, it looks like the FO take home pay is better at JetBlue even factoring in $300 a month for the medical stuff. The upgrade time is the wildcard. Most guys say 4-5 at NJA, who knows at JetBlue.

 

[On Your Six]

Having worked on both sides of the coin, I far prefer corporate flying (similar to fractional) to airline flying. The flying is far more interesting and I enjoy meeting interesting people/celebrities in this type of flying. I think you should consider two points:

1. Netjets is the leader in its industry by a far margin while JetBlue will continue to get pounded by Delta, SWA, AirTran, Spirit, CAL and new entrants like Skybus and Virgin America.

2. Netjets is unionized and you are afforded protections under unionization. I realize that many on this board are non-union, but I really, really appreciated the protections afforded me while at UAL. That's my opinion (may not be shared by others).

Difficult choice but I know which direction I would go. Good luck.

 

[T-1GUY]

I have been on IOE for six months. Most of my call outs have been very respectable. I normally get to see the kids on both my first and last day on the 7/7 rotation. Its more like being gone from the family for 5 days. I am not sure if this will still be the case after IOE. Also, for all you new hires. There is a provision in the contract for something called a "True up". This is in regard to the 401K. Make sure that you educate yourself on this, or you might be leaving money on the table. It was never mentioned at indoc, and I only found out by accident....

 

[gunfyter]

6 months of IOE!

 

[VVJM265]

Good grief! I hit IOE next week in the Ultra - I hope 6 months isn't the norm.

The "true up" is addressed in one of the LOA's; the contract says a 50% match, and the LOA ensures that is indeed the case. Closely tracking my rollover check from the Navy, can't wait to get the 401k setup!

SIDEBAR:
gunfyter - good gouge on the commute info to DAL; I just called Hawthorne and the NJA rate is $38, they have a shuttle from DAL and looks like Signature still has the pickup service as well.

See you guys on the road!

265
:beer: