PSA and ASA guys!

[jrav8tor]

Hey PSA and ASA guys/gals,

I know this has been beaten like a dead horse, but I need some up to date info to help make an educated decision!

I have an offer from both airlines. I am extremely excited about having the opportunity with having the choice, but it is a difficult decision. So I need some info!


PSA

1. What is your opinion on what will happen to PSA? If USAIR goes into liquidation?

2. What is the morale at the airline? I have heard both positive and negative, I guess it matters who you talk to?

3. What happens to the jets and orders if USAIR liquidates?

4. Anyone know what current reserve time is? They told us "0", but I find it hard to believe? (Remember I am a 121 virgin!)

5. They told us 12-18 mos on upgrade if hired now. How accurate is that?

6. What is the typical schedule like for a line holder? Days on, Days off?


ASA

1. What is current upgrade time now for a newhire?
2. How long is reserve for ATL and DFW?
3. How is the pilot morale?
4. What is the typical line for a line holder? Days on, Days off?
5. What is your opinion of what will happen to ASA if Delta goes into Bankruptcy?
6. Where and how far is the current contract at and how will Delta BK affect the contract?

A question for all:

If I go with ASA I will be commuting from CVG. How is commuting in general for those of you that do commute?




I appreciate all of those that answer and want to say thanks in advance! Just trying to get a better perspective of how life will be with these two airlines.

Thanks again!

 

[General Lee]

Many many Delta people commute from DFW to CVG, mostly ex DFW 737 pilots that now are based in CVG on the 737. I think there is an ASA CR7 from DFW to CVG daily, though.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Ted Striker]

Hey PSA and ASA guys/gals,

ASA

1. What is current upgrade time now for a newhire?
2. How long is reserve for ATL and DFW?
3. How is the pilot morale?
4. What is the typical line for a line holder? Days on, Days off?
5. What is your opinion of what will happen to ASA if Delta goes into Bankruptcy?
6. Where and how far is the current contract at and how will Delta BK affect the contract?

1. 
   
   1. I think it is running 2.5 years or so now, but that is really up in the air. For a newhire, it will more than likely be longer.
   
   2. I don't think reserve in DFW is lasting even a month right now. DFW is typically the more junior base and you move up the list quicker.
   
   3. Morale is getting worse. We are under constant attack from management during these negotiations. It's only going to get worse in the near future.
   
   4. No one knows for sure. Not the company, ALPA, lawyers, no one. Could go either way.
   
   5. The contract is moving at a glacial pace. The items we TAd during 18 months of IBB are now back on the table thanks to the company. Total waste of time, our "leaders" are a bunch of jackasses. See above for how DAL Chapter 11 will effect us. No clue.
   
   Not sure about the commute, but ASA does have at least one 50 and one 70 CVG-DFW daily. Not sure about the loads. Good luck with everything, the industry is a crapshoot!

 

[CF34-3B1]

I think Ted pretty much answered everything.


All I'd add is:

1) Lots of rumors flying about what will happen to DFW base. Some say more RJ flying, some say less, some say zero. Had a gate agent tell me we're getting EMB120s back to do Kileen and similiar markets (see Gulfstream-Delta thread)

2) I did the DFW CVG legs several times in the past few months. Loads seem to vary a LOT, depending on the day of the week. Out of 4 round trips I'd say 3 or 4 legs were full with 1 on the j/s, the rest were all less than full with 1 or 2 being less than 1/2 full. This is on the -200 daytime flight. The -700 late night one I have no idea.

3) There are a lot of intermediate cities between CVG and DFW you can make your own connections through using ASA, CMR or mainline DAL. Also a few served by other carriers (MEM, etc)

Best of luck. It's a great job (and a lousey career)

 

[DorkProp]

PSA

1. What is your opinion on what will happen to PSA? If USAIR goes into liquidation?

2. What is the morale at the airline? I have heard both positive and negative, I guess it matters who you talk to?

3. What happens to the jets and orders if USAIR liquidates?

4. Anyone know what current reserve time is? They told us "0", but I find it hard to believe? (Remember I am a 121 virgin!)

5. They told us 12-18 mos on upgrade if hired now. How accurate is that?

6. What is the typical schedule like for a line holder? Days on, Days off?

1. Absolutely nobody knows this. Coming here is a high-stakes gamble for anyone. You could be back on the street within weeks, or everything could work out and you'd be CRJ-701 captain less than two years.

2. Morale stinks. Things just don't look that good around here. The only silver lining is all the new jets we continue to take delivery of for the time being.

3. Nobody knows.

4. If our growth continues on schedule, reserve will not last long at all. Plus, changes to our contract regarding scheduling now require all open time to be built into build-up lines, which should reduce the number of reserve lines in each base.

5. Sounds pretty accurate unless dad furloughs again and lots more J4Js come here.

6. Line holders get 11 days off minimum, with some lines going to 15 or more. The jets lines have recently been worth mid to upper 80s. Lots of four day trips but there are other trips out there as well. The new scheduling software we'll be getting (when the cows come home) will help you bid for lines that work best for you.

 

[79%N1]

ASA upgrade nowhere near 2.5 or even 3 years. More like 5-7. I am 2 years now, and NOT EVEN CLOSE to upgrade!


That said, I'd still pick ASA over PSA. Too much uncertainty at USAIRWAYS to hang out there IMHO.

ASA should really improve in morale and QOL, even maybe a little pay, when the new contract comes ----- whenever that may be!

 

[LoveGun]

I work at PSA and have a good friend that works at ASA. If I were you, I'd work at ASA. ASA has better bases and is much more stable. PSA is a huge gamble right now. At PSA you could upgade in 12 months, be furloughed next week, or be stuck on reserve for two years because of J4J. Also, moral at PSA stinks. Even if PSA became the best airline in the world a lot of the guys here would still complain. We have been through so much at PSA that it's hard to have a positive outlook.

 

[1900D]

ASA vs Pinnacle

Which is considered the better place to go Pinnacle or ASA.

 

[ProLine4]

ASA

1. What is current upgrade time now for a newhire?
2. How long is reserve for ATL and DFW?
3. How is the pilot morale?
4. What is the typical line for a line holder? Days on, Days off?
5. What is your opinion of what will happen to ASA if Delta goes into Bankruptcy?
6. Where and how far is the current contract at and how will Delta BK affect the contract?

1. Realistically I think 4 years for a newhire FO to upgrade. The captains are going very slowly to FL, WN, and others.

2. Reserve in DFW is 1 month on the 50, much longer for the 70. Once you get your first relief line you never look back.

3. Morale is OK. The main complaint now, besides being in contract negotiations, is the Company Operational Awareness 1-day classes that are a forum for management to get to the pilots without ALPA being present.

4. The lines have decent variety. 10 days off a month at least for all lines....in DFW the day lines and 2 days tend to go more senior, while the 3/4 day trips go somewhat junior and/or to commuting pilots. Reserve is usually built with 6 days on/2 off and 10 days off. 4 are golden days (cannot be moved) while the remaining 6 are floating and can be moved at will by scheduling.

5. The answer changes every week. Latest word is that Delta will be addressing the future of the DFW hub on Sept 8 or 9. I have heard that DL plans to reduce the mainline presence at DFW while keeping the DCI operation intact...for what that's worth. If the entire company goes under, who knows.

6. The latest word on the contract seems to be "zero net increase!!!" I have heard this from various pilots and people in close contact with the negotiation process. Management is apparently attempting to not allow any total increase from the current contract (ie, a minor pay increase would be offset by no more underblock pay). The contract has been in negotiations for 2 years and I don't think anyone has a realistic idea when it will be done.

DFW-CVG loads do vary a lot. Right now there are 7 flights a day- 4 MD88s, 2 CRJs (1 EV, 1 OH), and 1 EV CR7. Also, Eagle flies that route 3-4x daily with E145s, so that's a great alternative now especially since they are taking unlimited jumpseaters.

ProLine4

 

[English]

Also, Eagle flies that route 3-4x daily with E145s, so that's a great alternative now especially since they are taking unlimited jumpseaters.

ProLine4

Eagle is not taking unlimited jumpseaters yet.

 

[ProLine4]

Eagle is not taking unlimited jumpseaters yet.

English,
Thanks for the heads up, but I specifically asked if they were taking unlimited J/S yet when I called the J/S number last week to catch a ride. She responded "oh yes, now as long as we have available seats its not a problem." Unlimited or not, though, thanks for the rides guys.

 

[DDpaysoff]

Dfw-cvg

Dude, trust me that is a horrible commute. My friend just left Comair because of it. I do it weekly, have done it since day one. Sometimes I can't even get there and the company let's me pick up my trip in ATL or LGA. There are literally hundreds of people in that do that commute in front of you to non-rev and I see more and more ASA people every week to get the Jumpseat on the two flights a day they do have (well really one since the 50 seater is often seriously weight restricted and rarely takes a jumpseater). Fugghet about the DAL jumpseat there is normally a 30- year captain waiting to see if the fed that is listed shows up. The Comair flight, maybe you will get it if the Comair guys don't show up and the weather is clear and a million in CVG. We have the highest pax weights in the DAL system and have a lot of weight problems right now. I have done the math in and out of the cockpit on that flight if you need an alternate with 50 bags you can take 46 pax. Not to mention a lot of bad rumors here in DFW for DAL. Believe them or not the future of the DAL pilot base in DFW is in serious question right now.
You see, when DAL took a lot of mainline flying away they replaced them with ASA and Shenique. In order to do that they used a/c that used to fly DFW to say SDF, ORD,LEX,DTW,IND,BNA etc. While they still serve some of those cities SDF,ORD is no longer and the others reduced frequency. Therefore: there was a large influx of DFW passengers that had to go through CVG to get to those cities, not to mention non-revs. Meanwhile, 3 RJ's a day on that city pair is a joke as it is. There is also a lot of very senior Delta Folk that commute from DFW to JFK, and happen to go through CVG quite often. I belive one of them was hired in 1968. And more delta displacements that think DFW-CVG is easier than DFW-ATL, or could have better seniority in CVG than ATL (mostly flight attendants). Not to mention dozens of Comair types who like me would rather stay in the middle of the country in this crazy industry ( you never know where your next employer will be.
ASA is a good company with a lot of opportunities. PSA, well what's that old saying if you can't say anything nice..........
If I were in your shoes I would seriously consider relocating to go to a company like ASA before going to PSA. If you chose to commute, maybe we can split some hotels on the dozen or so nights a year we can't get home. I don't know what the upgrade time is at ASA, but I am optimistic that with their new contract it will be a place worth upgrading at and staying at until the industry rebounds. BTW, Eagle jumpseat. Well the last two times I jumped on them the flight cancelled and I lost my trip Also they eliminate one flight on weekends.
Don't get me wrong I am not whining, I will continue to do this commute regardless of the conditions.
In summary, Good company, horrible commute.
Also, to clarify a post I saw on here earlier here is a flight schedule:
DFW-CVG
flight 674 7a.m 737-800.
flight 5034 8:54a.m CRJ-200
flight 204 10:50 a.m MD-88
flight 4674 1:10p.m CRJ-200
flight 474 2:50p.m MD-88
flight 4990 7:07p.m CRJ-700
Good luck. See you in row 28, that is if we are lucky.

 

[jrav8tor]

Thanks for the replies!!

WOW!!! Thanks to all those that replied. I learned some things I didn't consider, especially about the commute. I am definitely leaning towards ASA and appreciate all of your answers.

If anyone else has anything to add, it would be extremely appreciated!!!

I see many posted about the DFW base and commute, but some questions about ATL:

1. Does any one have the current reserve time for ATL? I have heard it is longer than DFW. I was surprised to hear DFW was only a month.
2. For those in the know, how is the commute from CVG-ATL? I think they have like 20 or so non-stops between the cities?

I want to say thank you again for all your replies!! It is greatly appreciated!!!

Again if anyone has anything else to add that may be helpful, please add!

Thanks!!!

 

[jrav8tor]

I work at PSA and have a good friend that works at ASA. If I were you, I'd work at ASA. ASA has better bases and is much more stable. PSA is a huge gamble right now. At PSA you could upgade in 12 months, be furloughed next week, or be stuck on reserve for two years because of J4J. Also, moral at PSA stinks. Even if PSA became the best airline in the world a lot of the guys here would still complain. We have been through so much at PSA that it's hard to have a positive outlook.

Hey Gun,

I appreciate your honesty! Hope things do get better at PSA!

 

[asarjfo]

WOW!!! Thanks to all those that replied. I learned some things I didn't consider, especially about the commute. I am definitely leaning towards ASA and appreciate all of your answers.

If anyone else has anything to add, it would be extremely appreciated!!!

I see many posted about the DFW base and commute, but some questions about ATL:

1. Does any one have the current reserve time for ATL? I have heard it is longer than DFW. I was surprised to hear DFW was only a month.
2. For those in the know, how is the commute from CVG-ATL? I think they have like 20 or so non-stops between the cities?

I want to say thank you again for all your replies!! It is greatly appreciated!!!

Again if anyone has anything else to add that may be helpful, please add!

Thanks!!!

I have a friend at ASA that commutes between CVG & ATL. He does not have any problem, just don't tell him I said that.

 

[On Your Six]

Choose ASA

 

[Freebrd]

But but 'On Your Six', ASA has those **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** RJs!