Rumor SkyWest Inc. receives new jet financing?

[enuffalready]

That was then, this is now. You'll know who's been shortsighted when you hit your 65th birthday. I hope you'll not be bitter.

oh, good point. that was then and this is now, so you must mean another friend who went to Delta 2 years ago... 319/320. Lucky guy has a wife/family in ATL. problem is he is at bottom of list in DTW. in the next 3-5 years he MIGHT be able to hold a line on the 88 in ATL... MAYBE... and that line will be weekends and holidays at best... or reserve... in the meantime he is commuting to and fro DTW while his wife/Kids/friends enjoy college football saturday with him not there

He is a good guy with a great family and a good friend.... not knocking him one bit... just saying everything has a price...

 

[GogglesPisano]

oh, good point. that was then and this is now, so you must mean another friend who went to Delta 2 years ago... 319/320. Lucky guy has a wife/family in ATL. problem is he is at bottom of list in DTW. in the next 3-5 years he MIGHT be able to hold a line on the 88 in ATL... MAYBE... and that line will be weekends and holidays at best... or reserve... in the meantime he is commuting to and fro DTW while his wife/Kids/friends enjoy college football saturday with him not there

He is a good guy with a great family and a good friend.... not knocking him one bit... just saying everything has a price...

There are plenty of excuses to stay put. But, seriously, is your career only five-years long?

 

[jynxyjericho]

There are plenty of excuses to stay put. But, seriously, is your career only five-years long?

He's just saying what a lot of us see day to day. A lot of guys bitching about their QOL at Mainline while their peers stayed at a regional and are making +100K with 12% matching (General Six was very worried about that last time so I made sure I pointed out the 401k) with twenty days off.

Moving forward, this day forward that is, there is a potential (no absolute certainty) for everyone to move on to a mainline carrier and have a good QOL and much better pay. I don't think these guys are making excuses, they are describing real world examples that everyone flying has seen if they choose to look. Since QOL becomes very important once the job's shine has wore off, it can be a cautionary tale. Of course you are welcome to slap it down, but I for one know exactly what enuffalready is talking about and it doesn't take a "rocket surgeon" to draw lessons from others life experiences.

 

[enuffalready]

There are plenty of excuses to stay put. But, seriously, is your career only five-years long?

i just gave you example of a former ASA guy that left 2000ish and hasn't had more than a random weekend or holiday off in over a decade. he was hired at 29... that means he has spent his entire 30's as either commuting, reserve or both..... that's a lot of little league games, anniversaries, birthdays, thanksgivings, july 4th BBQ's, new years eve's, etc.... Do you find it that perplexing that there are others out there that don't share your vision of a happy future? Some of you mainline guys seemed appalled that some people have no desire to spend years commuting to work on weekends and holidays, then after years get some seniority and a decent schedule you start all over at the bottom of CPT list.

Nobody else has to live my life. I like my family/house/dog/friends/college football parties/golf on saturday, etc...and have no desire to commute to JFK/DTW for 2-3-5-10 years.

 

[Russ]

In the 10 years it would take to reach parity with regard to pay and schedule if I went to a major, my kids will be out of the house or very close to it for the youngest. It's not about money or the size of the plane. My priorities are elsewhere.

 

[Freebrd]

I can see them asking for more 76 seaters, not larger planes. I can see a ratio system where they are allowed an extra 76 seater for every 2 or 3 50 seaters parked. Lee

lmao already changing his tune, too funny, what a putz :laugh:

 

[General Lee]

In the 10 years it would take to reach parity with regard to pay and schedule if I went to a major, my kids will be out of the house or very close to it for the youngest. It's not about money or the size of the plane. My priorities are elsewhere.

10 years? Come on now. These last 10 years have been horrible for stagnation, primarily due to things that usually never happen at the same time. A 9-11 event, 5 legacy BK (UAL, US, DL, NWA, and then AA), and then a huge retirement age change that nobody has ever had to deal with before. Those three things really changed this industry. Look at UPS. They have furloughed, and the bottom 300 guys there were hired right into the 744 or MD11, but all in ANC. Talk about a tough QOL if you have to commute to ANC on reserve. But, that cargo airline pays very well, and people will continue to do it.

As far as your situation Russ, everyone has their own deal. If your situation is good for you, then great. But, the last 10 years won't necessarily equal the next 10 years. Those Age 65 retirements will finally go, and that will mean normal progression again, meaning QOL will improve faster. MOST of the legacies are profitable again and have a handle on today's costs. (could change with another 9-11 event, though) This last decade wasn't very fun unless you were hired early in a hiring wave, and that hiring wave is going to come back around again. If you want to get on it, apply. If not, then that is your choice. RJ Captain pay may take around 3-4 years at a Major, and then it should increase from there.



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Jon Rivoli]

I live in Portland, I'm based in Portland. I'm not interested in commuting to ANC or JFK or MSP or any where. I have a friend my age at WN, he's been there five years and he tells me he will never have weekends off ever again. I'm not interested in more money. You can't touch my QOL.

Any move you make is a crap shoot. I had a jump seater once who had been a new hire at SKYW with our chief pilot back in the eighties. He left for TWA and made it to 767 captain. When I met him, he was commuting to reserve as an American MD80 FO about to be furlowed again after spending four year on the street.

My present gig may come to an end someday, for now I plan to make the most of it and let someone else roll the dice.

 

[General Lee]

I live in Portland, I'm based in Portland. I'm not interested in commuting to ANC or JFK or MSP or any where. I have a friend my age at WN, he's been there five years and he tells me he will never have weekends off ever again. I'm not interested in more money. You can't touch my QOL.

Any move you make is a crap shoot. I had a jump seater once who had been a new hire at SKYW with our chief pilot back in the eighties. He left for TWA and made it to 767 captain. When I met him, he was commuting to reserve as an American MD80 FO about to be furlowed again after spending four year on the street.

My present gig may come to an end someday, for now I plan to make the most of it and let someone else roll the dice.

That's good Jon. If you live in Portland, have family there, and NEVER want to commute, then by all means stay there. I believe you have three total airlines you could choose from if you wanted to have a Portland base, SkyWest, Horizon, and Alaska has a small one. If you never want to leave and have to fly in base, those are your choices. Now, if one airline decides someday to leave, and you are flying for them, then you might have a problem.

Another poster on here was talking about his friend who was a 10 year DL MD88s FO in ATL and never got weekends off. He may be like you, just wants to live in base. That is his choice. He might have a heck of a lot better schedule if he did commute, to say DTW on the 320. Maybe he would have twice the QOL and a bit of a raise (320 pays more). That is his choice. Flying for a legacy usually means choices, unless you are at the bottom. If you don't want to make the jump, somebody else will. Just remember, your current job and airline may look different in 5 years, and if you are willing to roll the dice, then that is your decision. Good luck. Btw, that story of yours about the TWA 767 pilot that eventually ended up as an AA MD80 FO and furloughed is a rough one. But for every bad story like that, I bet there are 5 good ones about people who left and are now very happy flying all over the World.



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Skywest Pylot]

In the 10 years it would take to reach parity with regard to pay and schedule if I went to a major, my kids will be out of the house or very close to it for the youngest. It's not about money or the size of the plane. My priorities are elsewhere.

Having spent several years at SkyWest, I'll say the QOL is much better at the majors. Better workrules, much better retirement (401k) and you get treated like a professional. SkyWest is a company on the decline. Everyone else has figured out their strategy and the innovator that put the company on the map (Ron Rebber) is gone. You may very well wake up one day and discover that you are on a rapidly shrinking seniority list due to abandonment of the 50 seat RJ (SkyWest has a 100s of them). How long have you been with them? 10 years to reach parity doesn't sound right.