robthree

No, no it doesn't.

Sixteen hours in a tin can just blows chow. Nothing about it is better. The paycheck used to be. But that's not even a sure thing anymore. On the triple fatigue isn't something you worry about from time to time when things get sketchy. Fatigue is your new life companion. It will be with you all the dam time. After a while you don't even notice it anymore, not because you have gotten immune to it, but because you have gotten numb to it. You're tired in the plane, you're tired on the layovers, you're tired when you get home. And when you do get home, your friends and family get tired of you being tired really quick. They're all sympathetic at first. They think its like jetlag from a weekend in Vegas back to the east coast. Three time zones? I wouldn't get up to pee in three time zones. You're doing at least 72 time zones, more on some trips. But they don't understand how you can still be tired a week after you got home from work. And you are still bone tired for weeks. Its actually very much like being an habitual drunk. You're hungover all the time. And a few days break isn't enough to detox your system. You need months of a normal human schedule before you really flush all the tired out of you.

There are positives at SAI, but the contract at Southern does not come close to compensating the crews for the far more difficult conditions they work under than domestic pax operators ever have to face.

Southern was a safe harbor in stormy seas for many of us. But the rest of the industry isn't stormy right now - so why go to the one place that is?

Whaledriver

I have run into many Southern 777 crews on the CVG bus and they all look like zombies, both on the way to rest and to the plane.

Almost There

And the next new reality show is "Zombie Pilots". Of course it would have to be on at different times every week!

sandrich

^^^everything robthree said is spot on. Matter of fact, he even warned me about these same issues when I came to Southern. I came from "flying RJs out of dumps like LGA and ORD." I had 18 days off a month with weekends and holidays, drove to work... But the pay just wasn't covering the bills. Came to Southern for the money (and the type, but mostly the money) and that's not even enough to compensate for all of the stuff we put up with. Not to mention the "money" isn't there anymore, now that half our lines dont even come close to breaking guarantee. You'd make the same, if not more money as a direct-entry captain at some other regional than at gauarantee here, plus you'd be home more. Unfortunately recruiters don't want to see guys "chasing the upgrade," so If you come here you WILL back yourself into a corner like I did. The only way out now is to wait on DAL/UAL etc to call, which could take longer than an Atlas merger (3+ years)...

Morale went down the tubes here end of last year. Once the Atlas news came out it was definitely a morale booster, albeit I was "cautiously optimistic." But now that Atlas is pulling all the strings and has showed their true colors, everything's down in the dumps again... The only way to make things better for guys that are here is for us to steer guys that want to come here away from this place.

gringo

Funny thing about trying to warn people; it's rare when anyone listens. People just have to figure it out on their own.

If I were in your shoes, I'd be applying to Blue, Spirit, Frontier... any and all of those places would be leaps and bounds better than the corner you've found yourself painted into. Besides the first year pay, anyways. But I've made more money on my second year pay here at Spirit than I did on my 4th year pay at Suddern.

I wouldn't sweat the recruiters. They know you're not chasing an upgrade, you're chasing not having a destroyed life. Suddern is a meat grinder. Get out any way you can; UAL will call you, but there's no sense in killing yourself in a tin can for 16 hour stretches waiting for the call.

Good luck. Rob and I will save a seat at Club XSA for you.

ImperialxRat

You gave up 18 days off a month with weekends/holidays to go to a 20on/10off? I am currently flying Part 135 Charter and have 8-10 days off a month depending what my company wants to give me. The other 20-22 days a month I am on the road. At least with the Southern 20-10 I could hope for a few reserve days in LAX (I am living in SoCal) and try and sleep in my bed more. If I were home 13-14 days a month instead of 8 it would be huge.

16 hours in a tin can sounds brutal, and I don't know how I would adjust... however it is not uncommon for us to do long days in Part 135. Just the other day I had an owner trip that was a 16 hour duty day, the next day is a 12 hour duty day, etc.

I am worried about the pay cut, especially since I cannot rely on breaking guarentee at Southern, however I am also hopeful that your new contract and merger will make the pay better.

Right now I am maxed out on pay at my company... I'm a Beechjet captain and it is not going to improve. My 8-10 days off a month will never improve.

I am not complaining, just trying to give some ideas as to why I think Southern is appealing. I have my apps in everywhere. I turned down Omni because the pay is horrible and they have no chance to break guarantee. I do appreciate all your comments and insight, however I feel for my particular situation it is an improvement. I am sure the destinations will get old, however everywhere I go now is old news. I am hopeful that Southern will make flying fun and interesting again... at least for a while.

Diesel8

Dream on pal. The days of separate KLAX & KCVG lines are gone. They are all mixed now.

You would be lucky to get maybe two days in a row in KLAX now, before your commercialed out.

The KLAX lines were fairly senior as well, not that it matters anymore.

Not a lot of movement at SAI right now. I would say there is not going to be much hiring in the immediate future.

The biggest rumor of more 777's evaporated rather quickly. Nothing coming down the pike from Atlas just more groundless rumors that never pan out. Until SOC is in place I would not count on any changes.

More 737's? What are those?

At this point, positive short or long term prospects for Southern are dubious at best.

ImperialxRat

Thanks for the info, I had not heard that. I thought the lines were separate.

robthree

There are worse places than Southern. Not many, but they are out there.

A 16 hour duty at Southern would be a pretty cake day. You may get that on BAH-HKG. In reality, expect to be awake for 24+ hours every "day". The 24 hour layovers just are the exact wrong length to recover from your last flight AND be rested for your next. So you have to stay up when you get in for 6-8 hours, before you let yourself fall asleep, because when you wake up, you won't have another good opportunity to rest before its time to fly across another ocean.

I don't have first hand knowledge of how the 5th triple affected the schedule, but I haven't heard anyone raving about improvements. Southern never seems to get any better despite all the changes. Its a magical place.

Checked in

People stopped bailing???