FrontierFan
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 3, 2004
- Posts
- 106
Air Bear 8
I was hired in August of 04 and I have only been on the line for 4 months so maybe as a “newbie” who came from the Airways Express (CHQ) I can tell you about my experience. First off let me say how sorry I am about Airways. My Father is a 60 year old Inspector who is barley holding to third shift line at ORD after coming to US Air through the Piedmont deal years ago. I will probably be trying to find him a maintenance position with NJA before too long.
Anyway…as I said I came to NJA from CHQ just prior to receiving my captain award on the RJ. I decided to come here because I did not want to spend any more years at a company that I had no allegiance too and that I had no interest in retiring from. While being based in CMH I met countless Crew who mostly had good things to say about NJA…. especially Pilots who came from previous 121 carriers. Everyone I talked to would say that “NJA treats me better than xyz airline and when the contract gets figured out than this has the potential of becoming a great place to work.”
Schedules: No reserve!!!! I will remember reserve and crash pad lifestyle for the rest of my life and the fact that I don’t have to do that anymore is AWSOME! I know of lots of folks who received the 7 on and 7 off right out of training, but worse case scenario is that you will start on the 17 day (13 hard days off). I don’t know how senior one has to be where you are to hold a schedule that guarantees being “home” for 13 24hr days / month but for me that was worth a lot. Not to mention the company gives you a schedule for three months at a time. The Flex is there if you want it. Some like it and some don’t. I have been flying the Flex this quarter and had good luck with it, but whatever.
At Work: The only experience I can speak for is my own which is on the Falcon. I will point out that in my Indoc class there were folks from US Air, United, Delta, American and an endless other amount airlines and Branches of Service and at least in my class everyone was on the Falcon or the X. The biggest change from airline to fractional is that no two days are the same. You could literally be in the Islands one day and be in Vancouver the next. Some don’t like the fact that the next day could be anything. I personally don’t mind different destinations after flying day after day after day to LGA, BOS, JFK, DFW. Coming from the regionals and having 20-30 minute turns just to make another “meal” out of pretzels and diet coke are GONE! The crew decides when to invite the pax out and if you are not ready….than you are not ready. You will leave when you are ready. The typical “turn” is usually a minimum 1-11/2 hours. Delivered Crew Food can never compare with running through the terminal to stand in line to spend 10.00 on a crappy box lunch at LGA. There are some guidelines about food, but for the most part you eat whatever you want. Mean while you are keeping your per diem of 38.somthin/day…which doesn’t suck.
Treatment: I don’t personally know how Mesa works but if it is anything like other contract regionals than they are all pretty similar. The other day we had an issue that required us to get into the checklists and roll the trucks as a precaution. Even though the airplane had a tummy-ache that would down it for 4 days, the trip got cancelled, and the trucks rolled, we filled out ZERO paperwork for the company! My captain called our Chief Pilot, explained the situation, and was told “Good Job on the landing. Go Hang at the Hotel.” That would have never, never happened at my pervious airline. There would have been an endless amount of paperwork in regional management’ continual hobby of trying to get their crews violated.
Obvious Perks: Schedules, Food, Overall Treatment
Again I can only speak from my own experience and outside of the pay; I believe that NJA can not compare with any regional out there. Gauging from the demographic of everyone I was in class with, and continue to see on the road, there are many who came to NJA from one airline or another and think they made the right decision too.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.
F9 Fan
I was hired in August of 04 and I have only been on the line for 4 months so maybe as a “newbie” who came from the Airways Express (CHQ) I can tell you about my experience. First off let me say how sorry I am about Airways. My Father is a 60 year old Inspector who is barley holding to third shift line at ORD after coming to US Air through the Piedmont deal years ago. I will probably be trying to find him a maintenance position with NJA before too long.
Anyway…as I said I came to NJA from CHQ just prior to receiving my captain award on the RJ. I decided to come here because I did not want to spend any more years at a company that I had no allegiance too and that I had no interest in retiring from. While being based in CMH I met countless Crew who mostly had good things to say about NJA…. especially Pilots who came from previous 121 carriers. Everyone I talked to would say that “NJA treats me better than xyz airline and when the contract gets figured out than this has the potential of becoming a great place to work.”
Schedules: No reserve!!!! I will remember reserve and crash pad lifestyle for the rest of my life and the fact that I don’t have to do that anymore is AWSOME! I know of lots of folks who received the 7 on and 7 off right out of training, but worse case scenario is that you will start on the 17 day (13 hard days off). I don’t know how senior one has to be where you are to hold a schedule that guarantees being “home” for 13 24hr days / month but for me that was worth a lot. Not to mention the company gives you a schedule for three months at a time. The Flex is there if you want it. Some like it and some don’t. I have been flying the Flex this quarter and had good luck with it, but whatever.
At Work: The only experience I can speak for is my own which is on the Falcon. I will point out that in my Indoc class there were folks from US Air, United, Delta, American and an endless other amount airlines and Branches of Service and at least in my class everyone was on the Falcon or the X. The biggest change from airline to fractional is that no two days are the same. You could literally be in the Islands one day and be in Vancouver the next. Some don’t like the fact that the next day could be anything. I personally don’t mind different destinations after flying day after day after day to LGA, BOS, JFK, DFW. Coming from the regionals and having 20-30 minute turns just to make another “meal” out of pretzels and diet coke are GONE! The crew decides when to invite the pax out and if you are not ready….than you are not ready. You will leave when you are ready. The typical “turn” is usually a minimum 1-11/2 hours. Delivered Crew Food can never compare with running through the terminal to stand in line to spend 10.00 on a crappy box lunch at LGA. There are some guidelines about food, but for the most part you eat whatever you want. Mean while you are keeping your per diem of 38.somthin/day…which doesn’t suck.
Treatment: I don’t personally know how Mesa works but if it is anything like other contract regionals than they are all pretty similar. The other day we had an issue that required us to get into the checklists and roll the trucks as a precaution. Even though the airplane had a tummy-ache that would down it for 4 days, the trip got cancelled, and the trucks rolled, we filled out ZERO paperwork for the company! My captain called our Chief Pilot, explained the situation, and was told “Good Job on the landing. Go Hang at the Hotel.” That would have never, never happened at my pervious airline. There would have been an endless amount of paperwork in regional management’ continual hobby of trying to get their crews violated.
Obvious Perks: Schedules, Food, Overall Treatment
Again I can only speak from my own experience and outside of the pay; I believe that NJA can not compare with any regional out there. Gauging from the demographic of everyone I was in class with, and continue to see on the road, there are many who came to NJA from one airline or another and think they made the right decision too.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.
F9 Fan
