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Shuttle America: Pool or Ocean?

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jharrison516

Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Posts
21
What is up with Shuttle America? Will somebody please tell me! I was hired in May, swam in the pool intill September. I was told that I had a definitite class date in October. I left Flight Express and packed to head back to New York to store my things before training and see my family. Right after I left my old job I got notice that class was postponed. No explanation, no guess as to when the next class will be. I have no job, and no home an this point.
When I got hired by Shuttle America they were growing by leaps and bounds. I understood the 3-4 month swim because they were moving their base at the time. Now they are good and settled in their new home. Is there hope or should I grow gills?
 
Me too!

Me too! I'm also swimming, but I think basically we about to drown, I must admit I don't have a lot of faith left in Shuttle America.
 
I thought that this company was growing amazingly fast. It appeared to have some growing pains but was all together solid. What happened? I agree with the running part, I am just confused about when that started. I think that running is a very good idea, or... swimming really fast at least. We are about to drown here. Actually, I think I am drowning already. I will be working at Taco Bell pretty soon at this rate. Anyone got an inner tube and a margerita? At least we should drown in style.
 
Ya better get that inner-tube inflated... I don't think they are going to run another class (aka- the postponed class) before the end of the year unless there is a sudden exodus of existing staff.

Seems like they are going to stand pat with what they've got for the time being, perhaps running that class early next year. Just an opinion (and nothing more than that).

Perhaps you would be better off taking that class date at Captain Crunch's perfect airline, The Airline Formerly Known As Continental Express.

OH WAIT... There won't be any new-hires there for the imaginable future, as many of the people who have been on furlough for a year won't be going back for perhaps ANOTHER year (and certainly not 'til 3Q2003).

I won't even get into the "glass houses" speech, as it is pretty self-evident in this case.

Anyhoo... Good luck to the poolies, your time will come... But in the meantime, if something else pops up... you'd be foolish not to take it, methinks.
 
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sos

I'm in the pool too, and I've heard it looks bad.

I saw a company email last week - 10% paycuts, hiring freezes, bleeding money, etc.

Who the hell knows, best of luck to you guys.
 
We are struggling right now and have alot of issues that need to be worked out. I would go anywhere you can get hired and start a class. Hopefully when we do resume hiring, it will be a good place to work. Many of us are just hanging on right now.
 
Shuttle America

I really try to be positive and not bitch, but this has been handled poorly. I understand that the airlines are struggling lately and that things go from good to disasterous with little or no warning. That said, they told me I had a class date definitively set for 10/14. I left my job and took a two week vacation to see my family before training. That vacation is now more of an exile. If things are so bad there, it would be nice for them to drop us a line from here to there about the state of things. I have gotten no word at all from them. I am homeless and unemployed right now and it would be nice if I could get a better view of the big picture. I am not angry about their struggles. I pray for them to get through these stumbling blocks unscathed. I am however upset about the way we are left hanging with no word. If I ran an airplane like that, my passengers would be pissed. "This is your captain speaking... We will be delayed in our arrival... There will be no further word from the cockpit, we cannot tell you why or for how long you will be delayed... Please remain calm.". No wonder people don't want to fly these days.
 
Re: Shuttle America

Originally posted by jharrison516

" If I ran an airplane like that, my passengers would be pissed. "

Substitute to "If I ran an airline like that my employees would be pissed!"

Now you know what you're missing out on. This is how the company seems to handle issues, like peoples' LIVES!

Good luck on your job search, I'm sorry you got stiffed by my company.
 
I wonder what happened

I wonder what happened. When I interviewed with them, they were showing promising growth and moral was high. I know that they have fallen on hard times, but this appears to be a completely different management stratagy from the company that I interviewed with. Obviously, part of it is that they grew too fast and now do not have the financial foundation to support the size of the company. In any case, this sleazy, underhanded, and nowhere near honest approach to management is an unwelcome surprise. I hope that they can get through these hard times intact. I hope even more that they have some integrity left when they do.
 
New Class Date?

Ok, so I have finally settled in to my new routine and gotten my old job back on the line. Not to allow that sort of thing to go on, Shuttle America called me today and informed me of a new class date beginning 11/04. Nice notice right? So here is my dilemma:
Why? Did they piss so many pilots off with the pay cuts and scheduling that many of them left? Will they yank the rug out from under me after I quit this job less than two weeks after starting and burn a bridge. Will I fall for this again and be left unemployed again? Two weeks is a long time for them to change their minds. This is my life here! What should I do? Should I quit my job, burn a bridge, and take a chance on Shuttle America? Should I turn them down, keep fueling airplanes, and hope for a better oppurtunity? If I continue not to fly, than I lose my marketability. If I burn this bridge and they leave me hanging again, than what? AAAHHHHH! Help!
 
Harrison... Sit down, take a breather, enjoy a cold iced tea, and relax.

Short version of the story is no, people haven't left (well one FO left for a job at one of the larger regionals and a cap is leaving for a job at a very major company indeed). The pay cuts do not apply to the pilots because the union vote (still ongoing) has very little chance in passing. Yes, the notice is very short for this new class, but it's allegedly going to be a dozen new-hires and six upgrades, if the story is as I have been led to believe.

I don't know what's REALLY going on, but a month ago we all received an e-mail saying we were "perfectly crewed" for the remainder of the year. Now, suddenly, we're not. Why? Good question. I have theories but I'm not prepared to air any of them on here... Let's just say that I will count this as a GOOD thing.

Can't tell you what to do... And I know you're frustrated with what's happened to you so far, but if this upcoming class date is really this much of a problem, and you are this angry and cynical towards a company you haven't even started working for yet, maybe you would be better off fueling airplanes or waiting for that next big break (as there are so many of those these days!). I'm guessing that you could find another job with the kind of flight time you have...

I don't know what else I can say about this. Every job offer is a gamble and it's up to you to decide whether or not you want to leave what you've got for something else.
 
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I ditto what Mr. Freley says. In fact, get used to this type of treatment and get a thicker skin if you are going to work for a regional. You can be sold off, furloughed and displaced in the blink of an eye at the airlines. Here's a story for you, as an example (Freley's already heard this one....)


I upgraded to captain on the Saab last year right before 9/11. After two days on the line I was furloughed. The company said they'd try to recall us as soon as possible. I had a few other job offers come up, so I called the company to find out the status of the recall before making a decision to accept. The company kept going back and forth between promising a recall and then saying the company would be furloughing again. They finally said there was no chance of a recall, financially they were just too bad off. I took another job. Two weeks later, the company recalled me.

This kind of stuff doesn't happen at the just the smaller regionals. Look at Eagle. Those poor pilots don't know if they will be working for Eagle, Carribean Star, American or furloughed in the next two months. That's the way management works. Everything is on a "you don't need to know" basis. So if you want to be an airline pilot, lighten up on Shuttle America and take the job. There are no promises no matter which airline you go to work for.

There are rumors abound of Shuttle America gettting Eagle's old Saabs and getting more flying in the Northeast. Have you heard Eagle is pulling out of JFK? Are you a gamblin' man? I'm sure Mr. Freley has heard this rumor and many others as well. If you are looking for a sure thing, don't go to work for a regional airline.
 
More importantly...

It might occur to you in the future that management at various airlines have been known to "monitor" the goings-on on these aviation message boards... The Chief Pilot of Shuttle America being a pointed example, in this case... Who apparently owns a computer and was quite interested in your posts.

Using your REAL NAME as your login name is probably not a hot idea if you are at all interested in maintaining your anonymity.

Just a thought, Messr. Harrison. Time for a new login name....
 
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That Was Important I.P.

Maybe Harrison thought his glimmer of wit might make his name look good on this board... No! that was stupidity. On a previous note, I have worked for a few regionals and the "bull" that we take is consistent with many companies. The pilot gets the short end one way or another with pay guarantees, equipment, expensive bases or just about any other gripe you have with your current job or future at Taco Bell. Just know that this industry swings and we have to work together within the company to make it as painless as possible for the long haul which is what we have now.
 

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