Usa3000

[BengalsFan]

I guess they just called back all their furloughs... congrats to all!

So is this a good place to work?

Any idea if you all are going to be hiring now that the furloughs are back?

Congrats and good luck.

 

[cesmaf]

In order to answer, please define "good".

 

[capt. megadeth]

It depends what you want out of the job. If you want an A320 type and time to be more competitive for another job....it's good. If you live in base and want to fly turns and be home every nite.....it's good. If you don't care to make great money, good benefits and a career....it's good. If you want good pay and bennies and a career don't go to USA 3000 unless things have changed since I have been there. It served it's purpose for me that's for sure.

 

[BengalsFan]

I guess I'm still ignorant about the business... but looking at their payscales, they start higher than UPS, Cal, or any legacy for that matter ($50ish an hour)... and after 10 years your making something like $133 an hour. I've always been told that an easy way to figure out what you'd make in a year is to multiply hourly wage by $1000... so that makes USA3000 $133k per year after 10 years and you get to be home almost every night.

Am I totaly messin' this up, or is my thought process close?

And I guess I consider "good" to not be gone away from home for 20 nights a month like my Northwest and Delta buddies say they are now after their new TAs, and to be able to make $100k within 6-7 years.

 

[capt. megadeth]

I see what you are saying. My point was that at USA 3000, you will only get medical, dental and a 401k with a 2% match at the end of the year. That's it. No other extra benefits that other airlines may offer (ie. profit sharing at SWA, B Plan at UPS, etc.). A buddy of mine works there and told me they are really screwing people with their family medical coverage right now due to contract verbage. Basically, he is paying around $700 a month for family coverage. Shady things like that go on there. If you can handle that combined with nothing extra, then it's not bad. Personally, I was home every night and it was good but I wanted an airline career not an airline job. Know what I mean?

 

[cesmaf]

I concur with Capt. M.

 

[720persecond]

I concur with Capt. M.

Slow down, she is not a Captain yet LOL

 

[capt. megadeth]

Slow down, she is not a Captain yet LOL

But I was when I became capt. megadeth.

 

[MCDU]

USA3000 for its size of around a dozen planes is probably not a bad gig if you take a good look at their contract and pay. You have to compare USA3000 with North Amreican Omni, Gemini, PACE, Miami AIR, Sun Country. They pay for your hotel during training, plus they pay you and per diem and rental car, no training contract and I believe you get typed. Lots of furloughed guys over there. Not many gals left. Most of the female FO's are getting picked up by FedEX, UPS, JetBLUE. They have a few on furlough, who should be recalled by the Fall.

Cheers,

Marty

 

[MCDU]

They have indeed recalled their pilots, I stand corrected.

Marty

 

[PHXFLYR]

Have you considered applying to Net Jets? It seems to be a little bit better in terms of pay and life style ( week on week off schedule etc) Much better than what any non sked airline has to offer. Unless you can get hired at Fed Ex,UPS or SWA that might be the better choice rather than USA 3000.


PHXFLYR

 

[Russ]

Bengalfan
The forumla I use is hourly rate times 1150. That's from my highly unscientific crew lounge poll of the average credit hours the assembled group was paid annually. Add in a few more grand for per diem.

 

[propjob27]

I'm a bit bored, and just thought I'd throw out two comments:

One,

The forumla I use is hourly rate times 1150.

That must be whoring yourself out quite a bit, especially considering that figure does not include per diem.

I certianly never made that multiplier based on the hourly rates at the 5 airlines I have flown at.

I agree with the previous person that 1000 x times the hourly rate gives a more accurate annual figure, which includes per diem. This assuming you never fly on your scheduled days off (who'd want to), you never sell back your vacation, etc.

Two,

and after 10 years your making something like $133 an hour.

That's pretty ballsey to assume that a place like USA3000 will not sccumb to any kind of pay/contract concessions, let alone even exist 10 years from now. Have you been an airline pilot before? Not trying to be rude, just wondering...

 

[Russ]

"That must be whoring yourself out quite a bit"

Nice. No, to answer your question. I bid high enough to get lines that credit 90 plus a month. A lot of premumium time in which its duty rigged at 2:1, add in holiday pay of somewhere between 30 to 40 hours. We get the greater of block or actual. That overage makes car payment as I spend lots of time in ORD. As often as I can I pick up legs between where I live and where I'm based so the commute pays for its self.

 

[BengalsFan]

Thanks for the answers all.

To answer a couple questions:

PHXFLYR: I would love to fly at NetJets, but with 1700 hours (with military conversion is around 2000) I don't meet their mins of 2500TT... plus once I do meet 2500TT am I really going to be competitive? So don't get me wrong, as soon as I can I am going to apply, but I need to get a lot of apps out there, in hopes of getting a job.

PROPJOB27: Nope never been an airline guy... all military. So that is why I ask a lot of questions on this board, and greatly appreciate insight from people like you. I guess I don't go in assuming that a company is gonna screw me... but after the last few years, maybe I should?!?!

Thanks all

 

[capt. megadeth]

BengalsFan: Do you have an interview there? Or did you already get hired?

 

[BengalsFan]

Neither... Some of my reserve buddies have told me that they were calling back their furloughs, and possibly hiring soon, and think that it maybe a good opportunity for a lowertime guy like myself. So I thought I'd ask around.

 

[BoilerUP]

Are you active duty or ANG/AFRES?

 

[capt. megadeth]

I think so. You would get typed in the bus and in the meantime you could apply at other places. That's what I did. Good luck.

 

[propjob27]

PROPJOB27: Nope never been an airline guy... all military. So that is why I ask a lot of questions on this board, and greatly appreciate insight from people like you. I guess I don't go in assuming that a company is gonna screw me... but after the last few years, maybe I should?!?!

Yeah, I used to think that way too. I remember back when I was finally able to quit the commuters and get to my first "major airline", a sh i t t y LCC.

My buds at my former commuter were like, "Are you sure you want to leave here as an RJ captain making decent money for that airline??" I was like, "Hell yeah man! Look, I know first year isn't that good, but after 1 year and 1 day I'll be making $69.28 an an hour, and after 2 years and one day I'll be making 76 something and after three years I'll be making 86.06. After three years from my first day of class I'll be making more money than I would be here (at the commuter) after 18 years!!"

Little did I know, before I even reached the end of my 1st year of employment, the company asked for concessions and, of course, the union crafted a concession package, and the pilots voted and approved it. So the 69.28 an hour I was supposed to make turned into 55 an hour before I even got to my 1 year mark. Then, about 6 months later I was furloughed.

So yeah, now I pretty much assume that unless you're at FedEX, Southwest, or UPS, that the payrates listed a subject to change. (for the worse)

 

[TheCheat]

So what *is* the sheduling like? I live in CLE and want to stay here for a while. The idea of being home every night certainly appeals to me. Would that pull any weight in an interview? I haven't heard much good about the place, but the company I work for now seems to be headed right down the 5hitter. Especially the CLE base.

 

[Ty Webb]

Thanks for the answers all.

I guess I don't go in assuming that a company is gonna screw me...

Sniff .. . . . . . Ah! That New Pilot Smell!



.

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

USA3000 is still doing the six month seasonal job then they let you go? anyone know?

 

[cesmaf]

They always offer 6mo and usually by that time you`ll be offered permanent status. Busy season runs Nov to May1. Rumor is 5 more a/c (15total) by the end of `07.

 

[level370]

USA 3000 is a decent job if you live in one of thier junior bases like DTW or CLE. If you commute plan on never being home. They have PBS and with day trips the junior guys end up with single days on and off. It's above the commuters, but people are trying to get on somewhere else. They only have 12 planes (leased) and I got the feeling that they could close up shop pretty quickly if needed. Private company owned by one family who also owns Apple Vacations and AM resorts in Cancun and Dominican Republic. Apple mostly buys block seats on other airlines. Most pilots are furloughed from USAir, UAL and others, but started hiring from commuters and Flyi refugees. Maybe 2-3 year upgrade.

 

[Whine Lover]

"Netjets...Much better than what any non sked airline has to offer. "

Netjets is the very epitome of "Non-Sched" by definition.


"I guess I don't go in assuming that a company is gonna screw me... but after the last few years, maybe I should?!?!"

Absolutely. That is their JOB.


YKW

 

[cesmaf]

Dtw is the jr base now that it has 2 a/c.

 

[Shifty]

Update

I know all of this is 6 months old. Just wondering if anyone had a update on usa3000. Interviewing on april 23rd and just curious if some guys had some feedback. I was told 4-6 newhires in may. Anyone with numbers as far as base assignment? Has there been any QOL upgades over there? thanks

 

[8vATE]

I know all of this is 6 months old. Just wondering if anyone had a update on usa3000. Interviewing on april 23rd and just curious if some guys had some feedback. I was told 4-6 newhires in may. Anyone with numbers as far as base assignment? Has there been any QOL upgades over there? thanks

Attrition is taking a toll.
Lot's of furloughees returning to their mother legacies.

Sounds like they are going to maintain that 10-12 aircraft business plan.

All depends on your perspective.... QOL is probably the same to slightly better than most regionals with the opportunity to make more money and get an A320 type/pic time.

 

[manfred33]

Shifty, good luck with the interview! Please post after you have it. Would be interested in finding out more about these guys too. I'm at a regional now, but would love to live in base which would be possible with these guys, and to possibly be home every night is not too bad either. Just not sure if USA 3000 is the same circus as my current company with different clowns. Not gonna make that kind of a move. Would love Airbus time though...