TransMeridian?

[Arkady]

Does anybody have any experience with TMA? Any information (especially concerning trips/scheduling, history of furloughs, morale, lifestyle/qol, mgmt.-labor relations, etc... ) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JJGMADDOG]

Interviewed with them and was offered a position but turned it down.

They run a very lean operation. First year pay is 34k, almost $500 a month for health insurance for the family, NO vacation, $20,000 training contract for the MD-80, your base changes constantly, (could be month to month), 16 day work period. Long duty days, up to 18 hours I believe for non-sched, and over 8 hours of flying. They are typing FO"s on the 80 so they can be included as a relief pilot on long hauls. If you are single and no strings attached it might be for you.....otherwise I would consider other options.

They were hiring for the 757 and MD-80.

 

[JJGMADDOG]

Forgot to add that there is no such things as displacement there.

For example, I was told they are in the process of getting rid of the 727, more MD-80's are coming on line. A certain percentage of 727 captains will have the opportunity to bid other aircraft....they rest of the guys are **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** out of luck....furloughed, out of a job, no matter how long they have been there or their relative seniorty.

So basically an out of seniorty furlough even though they continue to hire guys off the street.

They have their own in-house union...go figure!!!

 

[Mugs]

But they make headlines in places like Rockford, IL because they bring back lost air service (to vacation destinations at least). So the airport director gets a bonus for landing them and folks can head south for the winter with a cheapo ticket. Of course, that ticket doesn't look quite so good if the airplane TMA dedicates to their route goes out of service. All the while, TMA treats their employees as described above. Pathetic. I am sure many of them have had their share of bad breaks, and now they get the TMA way. I had to laugh when the inaugural LAS-RFD return flight was delayed over 10 hours because one of the F/As never showed up for work. She must of wised up on her layover and found something better to do --- or at least something that paid alot better. The great race to the bottom continues.