Alaska Air Hiring
05-16-2022, 04:02 PM
#6261
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2018
Posts: 682
Years ago, I remember when they first started eliminating summer vacations, it was right after BM had returned from metrics school at Harvard. Someone wrote into the water cooler lamenting that they used to have summer vacation and asked when would they be coming back. Greg Haige (sp?) from Pilot Resource Management answered, basically telling this pilot that if they wanted summer vacation that they needed to quit and change careers. The reply lasted about 15 minutes before TK had it pulled down from the website
This makes my blood boil.
05-16-2022, 05:58 PM
#6262
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2011
Position: Upright & Breathing
Posts: 319
they do it because like everything they do, it requires less crew to operate the airline. The schedule always increase in the summer and around the winter holidays. So if they allow only 1-2 pilots to take vacation during those times, they need less full time crew. Vacations are maximized to when the schedule is flexed down during the traditional slow season. It ain’t right but it’s what they do.
05-16-2022, 06:12 PM
#6263
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2009
Position: 737 Left
Posts: 1,827
If you guys had to choose b/w Spirit and Alaska Air which would you choose?
I live in Atlanta and Spirit is opening up a base there on August 1st. It's a lot less pay but I'd be living in base. The main reason I ask is that per the forum on here the contract w/ Alaska Air is not the best and a lot of pilots are leaving for Delta, United, etc...
I live in Atlanta and Spirit is opening up a base there on August 1st. It's a lot less pay but I'd be living in base. The main reason I ask is that per the forum on here the contract w/ Alaska Air is not the best and a lot of pilots are leaving for Delta, United, etc...
Go to Spirit. I sent you a pm.
05-16-2022, 06:13 PM
#6264
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2018
Posts: 682
they do it because like everything they do, it requires less crew to operate the airline. The schedule always increase in the summer and around the winter holidays. So if they allow only 1-2 pilots to take vacation during those times, they need less full time crew. Vacations are maximized to when the schedule is flexed down during the traditional slow season. It ain’t right but it’s what they do.
So the $64K dollar question is, while no other airline dare do this kind of shenanigans, how the hell did AS do this, and got away with it?
Ahhhh, the Secret Sauce... Never mind...
05-16-2022, 08:04 PM
#6265
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2006
Position: This side of the dirt.
Posts: 897
Until Delta put a base in SEA if you wanted to live in the PNW they were the only game in down in all the years where there were more pilots than jobs.
Contracts with a no strike clause and binding arbitration being the norm.
Infiltration of the Union leadership by management where once a Union leader sold the pilots on the TA and it passed, amazingly, they got a sweetheart job in management.
Kasher
A large contingent of PNW ex mil pilots with mil retirement that tend to not “buck the system”
My hot take anyway.
05-16-2022, 08:52 PM
#6266
Line Holder
Joined APC: Apr 2008
Posts: 69
I get it, but that’s also the definition of Stockholm syndrome.
05-17-2022, 01:30 AM
#6267
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2018
Posts: 682
The short list of reasons why:
Until Delta put a base in SEA if you wanted to live in the PNW they were the only game in down in all the years where there were more pilots than jobs.
Contracts with a no strike clause and binding arbitration being the norm.
Infiltration of the Union leadership by management where once a Union leader sold the pilots on the TA and it passed, amazingly, they got a sweetheart job in management.
Kasher
A large contingent of PNW ex mil pilots with mil retirement that tend to not “buck the system”
My hot take anyway.
Until Delta put a base in SEA if you wanted to live in the PNW they were the only game in down in all the years where there were more pilots than jobs.
Contracts with a no strike clause and binding arbitration being the norm.
Infiltration of the Union leadership by management where once a Union leader sold the pilots on the TA and it passed, amazingly, they got a sweetheart job in management.
Kasher
A large contingent of PNW ex mil pilots with mil retirement that tend to not “buck the system”
My hot take anyway.
05-17-2022, 04:36 AM
#6268
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2016
Position: GearBbychoice
Posts: 159
A little perspective for you then. I bid in the top 10 in SFO (as an FO) and am an East Coast commuter. On a "good" month I spend 8 nights in my own bed. I do hold lines with 13-15 days off but it is very common to only have 1 or 2 days off between trip pairings, not enough time to go home. I can upgrade (have been by passing it for quite a while) but that would mean sitting on reserve and getting home 2 or maybe 3 nights a month, no thanks. With nearly 10 years seniority I have my apps out at the big 4 and am starting to think about jumping to another "tier 2" airline just for quality of life.
As for pay, I am on 10 year pay, a good friend of mine is on 6 year pay at Spirit and consistently makes more while flying much less than me.
Good luck and keep banging on Delta's door until they open it for you!
As for pay, I am on 10 year pay, a good friend of mine is on 6 year pay at Spirit and consistently makes more while flying much less than me.
Good luck and keep banging on Delta's door until they open it for you!
I’ll second this. 10 year LAX FO Midwest commuter. Best friend at Spirit Midwest to Midwest commuter. I’m a min flier for QOL(days off), he’s a high time flier(short commute). His W2 was larger than mine and he ended with 12 days off more than me for 2021. Lmao. If you live anywhere east of the Mississippi, do not come to AS.
05-17-2022, 06:24 AM
#6269
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 40,205
I’ll second this. 10 year LAX FO Midwest commuter. Best friend at Spirit Midwest to Midwest commuter. I’m a min flier for QOL(days off), he’s a high time flier(short commute). His W2 was larger than mine and he ended with 12 days off more than me for 2021. Lmao. If you live anywhere east of the Mississippi, do not come to AS.
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