US Airways Calls
10-01-2012, 06:35 AM
#262
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2008
Posts: 216
Not yours or other pilots'. And that's how it should be!
Go to 'Delta' forum and see how many military pilots think it is their 'right' to be selected for a pilot position before non-military ones.
Why one group of 'wanna bees' believe they are better (be that military background or more total/PIC flight time) and more deserving of interviews and jobs at any given airlines is beyond me. Your writing makes it clear you belong to that group.
10-01-2012, 07:22 AM
#263
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: CL-65 captain
Posts: 2,244
But, that is Company's call who they decide to invite.
Not yours or other pilots'. And that's how it should be!
Go to 'Delta' forum and see how many military pilots think it is their 'right' to be selected for a pilot position before non-military ones.
Why one group of 'wanna bees' believe they are better (be that military background or more total/PIC flight time) and more deserving of interviews and jobs at any given airlines is beyond me. Your writing makes it clear you belong to that group.
Not yours or other pilots'. And that's how it should be!
Go to 'Delta' forum and see how many military pilots think it is their 'right' to be selected for a pilot position before non-military ones.
Why one group of 'wanna bees' believe they are better (be that military background or more total/PIC flight time) and more deserving of interviews and jobs at any given airlines is beyond me. Your writing makes it clear you belong to that group.
Last edited by mooney; 10-01-2012 at 07:33 AM.
10-01-2012, 08:02 AM
#264
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: 767A (Ret)
Posts: 6,248
"...a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest."
Here's Phil at work:
YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.
10-01-2012, 09:02 AM
#265
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Posts: 42
Reserve QOL is dependent upon a few factors. Do you live in base? Do you live in base? And, do you live in base? All kidding aside, the reserve system is a huge step up from most regionals. It is very transparent; you log into CATCREW and can see exactly where you stand in the list to be called. The pilot with the lowest time is next up, which keeps everyone flying about the same amount: summer months more than off-season, 50 hours compared to 30 on average. There are no favors, there is no punishment, and once assigned a trip, it's your trip. You go home at the end of it, to start another reserve period when you have reserve days next. Very black and white, cut and dry, straight forward.
Short call is pretty much "a reasonable amount of time to get to the airport," with 2-2.5 hours pretty normal. 76 hours pay, compared to 72 on long call, which is 9 hours.
If you live in base, expect to be home about 22 days a month. And most trips you fly are day trips, with the occasional 2, 3, or the rare 4-day.
401(k) is 10% company contribution, regardless of what you contribute. One week of vacation until you have a bazillion years of service. First year pay is $3,000 a month salary, unless you get the E190, then it's something like $40/hr. The 190 pays a couple hundred bucks more per month the first year, especially if you fly above guarantee, or DH a lot (paid 1/2 above guarantee).
The working agreement is from bankruptcy. The pay is low. The QOL is what you make of it. The training is stellar. The people are generally great. The difference between the regionals is indescribable. If you can live in base (DCA and PHL are junior, CLT is not far off because of retirements).
If you get the E190 (new-hires are going to A320 and E190), you are sea-locked for a year, but that has been waived for some when the need arises.
Long story short, compared to the other majors, the pay is the worst. A merger with American is likely, though, and pay will go up as soon as that agreement is signed. Compared to a regional, if you can afford the first year (you've been saving, right?), it's a no-brainer. Much more secure than any regional, and much more enjoyable, professional, rewarding, and easier!
Short call is pretty much "a reasonable amount of time to get to the airport," with 2-2.5 hours pretty normal. 76 hours pay, compared to 72 on long call, which is 9 hours.
If you live in base, expect to be home about 22 days a month. And most trips you fly are day trips, with the occasional 2, 3, or the rare 4-day.
401(k) is 10% company contribution, regardless of what you contribute. One week of vacation until you have a bazillion years of service. First year pay is $3,000 a month salary, unless you get the E190, then it's something like $40/hr. The 190 pays a couple hundred bucks more per month the first year, especially if you fly above guarantee, or DH a lot (paid 1/2 above guarantee).
The working agreement is from bankruptcy. The pay is low. The QOL is what you make of it. The training is stellar. The people are generally great. The difference between the regionals is indescribable. If you can live in base (DCA and PHL are junior, CLT is not far off because of retirements).
If you get the E190 (new-hires are going to A320 and E190), you are sea-locked for a year, but that has been waived for some when the need arises.
Long story short, compared to the other majors, the pay is the worst. A merger with American is likely, though, and pay will go up as soon as that agreement is signed. Compared to a regional, if you can afford the first year (you've been saving, right?), it's a no-brainer. Much more secure than any regional, and much more enjoyable, professional, rewarding, and easier!
10-01-2012, 09:24 AM
#266
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2011
Posts: 201
Reserve QOL is dependent upon a few factors. Do you live in base? Do you live in base? And, do you live in base? All kidding aside, the reserve system is a huge step up from most regionals. It is very transparent; you log into CATCREW and can see exactly where you stand in the list to be called. The pilot with the lowest time is next up, which keeps everyone flying about the same amount: summer months more than off-season, 50 hours compared to 30 on average. There are no favors, there is no punishment, and once assigned a trip, it's your trip. You go home at the end of it, to start another reserve period when you have reserve days next. Very black and white, cut and dry, straight forward.
Short call is pretty much "a reasonable amount of time to get to the airport," with 2-2.5 hours pretty normal. 76 hours pay, compared to 72 on long call, which is 9 hours.
If you live in base, expect to be home about 22 days a month. And most trips you fly are day trips, with the occasional 2, 3, or the rare 4-day.
401(k) is 10% company contribution, regardless of what you contribute. One week of vacation until you have a bazillion years of service. First year pay is $3,000 a month salary, unless you get the E190, then it's something like $40/hr. The 190 pays a couple hundred bucks more per month the first year, especially if you fly above guarantee, or DH a lot (paid 1/2 above guarantee).
The working agreement is from bankruptcy. The pay is low. The QOL is what you make of it. The training is stellar. The people are generally great. The difference between the regionals is indescribable. If you can live in base (DCA and PHL are junior, CLT is not far off because of retirements).
If you get the E190 (new-hires are going to A320 and E190), you are sea-locked for a year, but that has been waived for some when the need arises.
Long story short, compared to the other majors, the pay is the worst. A merger with American is likely, though, and pay will go up as soon as that agreement is signed. Compared to a regional, if you can afford the first year (you've been saving, right?), it's a no-brainer. Much more secure than any regional, and much more enjoyable, professional, rewarding, and easier!
Short call is pretty much "a reasonable amount of time to get to the airport," with 2-2.5 hours pretty normal. 76 hours pay, compared to 72 on long call, which is 9 hours.
If you live in base, expect to be home about 22 days a month. And most trips you fly are day trips, with the occasional 2, 3, or the rare 4-day.
401(k) is 10% company contribution, regardless of what you contribute. One week of vacation until you have a bazillion years of service. First year pay is $3,000 a month salary, unless you get the E190, then it's something like $40/hr. The 190 pays a couple hundred bucks more per month the first year, especially if you fly above guarantee, or DH a lot (paid 1/2 above guarantee).
The working agreement is from bankruptcy. The pay is low. The QOL is what you make of it. The training is stellar. The people are generally great. The difference between the regionals is indescribable. If you can live in base (DCA and PHL are junior, CLT is not far off because of retirements).
If you get the E190 (new-hires are going to A320 and E190), you are sea-locked for a year, but that has been waived for some when the need arises.
Long story short, compared to the other majors, the pay is the worst. A merger with American is likely, though, and pay will go up as soon as that agreement is signed. Compared to a regional, if you can afford the first year (you've been saving, right?), it's a no-brainer. Much more secure than any regional, and much more enjoyable, professional, rewarding, and easier!
10-01-2012, 09:27 AM
#267
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Position: A319/20/21 FO
Posts: 292
PSA summarized most of Howard's questions pretty well. To add just a little ...
Short-call callout requires you to be within "90 minutes normal driving time to the airport parking lot" ... it is generally accepted that, given the need to shower/dress, drive to the airport, and get to the crew room, anything under 2+40 from phone call to check-in won't get you in any hot water. Scheduling generally treats any call for a departure within four hours as a "quick call". When I was on short call, they called me once with such an assignment. "Can you make a deadhead in 90 minutes?" "No, I'm sorry, I'm 1:15 drive from the parking lot." "Okay, no problem, we'll call the next guy. Have a nice day."
Current first-year E190 pay is $42.05 per hour. Short-call guarantee is 76 hours, long-call is 72. On the E190, expect short call until a couple of classes are underneath you, then long call is achievable. DCA A320 is about the same (short call goes more senior because the locals like it), a bit longer to hold long call on the A320 in CLT or PHL.
Reserves RARELY break guarantee. However, DH is paid 50% pay-no-credit ABOVE guarantee, so if given a choice when scheduling calls, take the trip with DH time in it because it is about the only way to make "extra" cash.
As mentioned, there is a 12-month equipment freeze for new hires before you can bid to new equipment. (No such freeze exists just to change domiciles ... if you get DCA A320 and want CLT or PHL, just bid it ... you'll be awarded it on the first bid where your seniority can hold an open position there.) The E190 pays less, but the advancement is quicker ... 2011 hires are holding primary lines there, and early '12 hires have secondary lines.
Long-haul international goes pretty senior, mostly because it is the highest-paying equipment and older guys are trying to maximize income under the bankruptcy-era contract. The most junior 757/767 pilot in the company (East, anyway) is a 1999 hire, and the 330 is more senior than that. Put another way, E190 Captain is more junior than F/O on the 757/767 or 330. However, given upcoming retirements and possible pay scale changes, that is always subject to change.
Anyone who says they "know" what the future will look like if/when an AA merger takes place is lying to you. That said, there is a lot of evidence of the value that all 4 US bases bring to the combined carrier and I would suspect they'll all be around for a while. What size they'll be, what equipment will be in them, and how attainable they will be after seniority is fully integrated (both US/AA and resolving our current East/West issues) is WAY too variable to speculate upon.
Short-call callout requires you to be within "90 minutes normal driving time to the airport parking lot" ... it is generally accepted that, given the need to shower/dress, drive to the airport, and get to the crew room, anything under 2+40 from phone call to check-in won't get you in any hot water. Scheduling generally treats any call for a departure within four hours as a "quick call". When I was on short call, they called me once with such an assignment. "Can you make a deadhead in 90 minutes?" "No, I'm sorry, I'm 1:15 drive from the parking lot." "Okay, no problem, we'll call the next guy. Have a nice day."
Current first-year E190 pay is $42.05 per hour. Short-call guarantee is 76 hours, long-call is 72. On the E190, expect short call until a couple of classes are underneath you, then long call is achievable. DCA A320 is about the same (short call goes more senior because the locals like it), a bit longer to hold long call on the A320 in CLT or PHL.
Reserves RARELY break guarantee. However, DH is paid 50% pay-no-credit ABOVE guarantee, so if given a choice when scheduling calls, take the trip with DH time in it because it is about the only way to make "extra" cash.
As mentioned, there is a 12-month equipment freeze for new hires before you can bid to new equipment. (No such freeze exists just to change domiciles ... if you get DCA A320 and want CLT or PHL, just bid it ... you'll be awarded it on the first bid where your seniority can hold an open position there.) The E190 pays less, but the advancement is quicker ... 2011 hires are holding primary lines there, and early '12 hires have secondary lines.
Long-haul international goes pretty senior, mostly because it is the highest-paying equipment and older guys are trying to maximize income under the bankruptcy-era contract. The most junior 757/767 pilot in the company (East, anyway) is a 1999 hire, and the 330 is more senior than that. Put another way, E190 Captain is more junior than F/O on the 757/767 or 330. However, given upcoming retirements and possible pay scale changes, that is always subject to change.
Anyone who says they "know" what the future will look like if/when an AA merger takes place is lying to you. That said, there is a lot of evidence of the value that all 4 US bases bring to the combined carrier and I would suspect they'll all be around for a while. What size they'll be, what equipment will be in them, and how attainable they will be after seniority is fully integrated (both US/AA and resolving our current East/West issues) is WAY too variable to speculate upon.
10-01-2012, 09:35 AM
#268
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Position: A319/20/21 FO
Posts: 292
On short-call reserve, unless you live within 90 minutes, you will need a crashpad. Short-call reserves are not used heavily, and when I was a new-hire, I spent several six-day stretches in base without getting used. You'll bankrupt yourself trying to do hotels on short-call. Crashpads are plentiful in our domiciles, and many in PHL and DCA do not require cars - accessible by bus or train. CLT crashpads are far more likely to require transportation.
On long-call reserve, depending on where you live and where you are based (driving distance, number and timing of flights, etc.), many people can sit reserve at home rather than in base. Minimum callout is nine hours, and while minimum calls do occur, generally long calls get their trips the afternoon prior to check-in, when future scheduling processes the day's open time.
As a blockholder, getting a schedule to your liking is a much better possibility. I'm a junior blockholder on the E190, and I am spending one night a month each month in base for SEP, OCT, and NOV. However, if you get a secondary line full of day trips, you might not be so lucky. It can be pretty variable. However, except on the E190, new hires can reasonably expect to be on reserve for a while.
10-01-2012, 10:26 AM
#269
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Posts: 42
Guys thanks again for all the good info and apologies for getting off message about getting "the call" but hopegully this is good info for most.
Couple questions... I take block holder = line holder? And what's the difference between primary and secondary lines? You guys use pref bidding right? How is that as an overall bidding system?
I realize pay and contract conditions are well below par at today's Airways, but I for one would jump at the chance of joining the ranks now, nice and early, and hope for what seems the inevitable.
Couple questions... I take block holder = line holder? And what's the difference between primary and secondary lines? You guys use pref bidding right? How is that as an overall bidding system?
I realize pay and contract conditions are well below par at today's Airways, but I for one would jump at the chance of joining the ranks now, nice and early, and hope for what seems the inevitable.
10-01-2012, 12:43 PM
#270
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jan 2012
Posts: 35
No on the pref bid. You choose lines for the month not trips. I hear you can swap out trips as a line holder. I'm on reserve so I have no working knowledge how that works. If you are coming from a regional you will not be disappointed with the secondary and primary lines. I have seen people awarded secondary lines with better schedules for the month than I ever saw at my 9 years in the minors. I have 0 regrets coming here. It is honestly the best job I've ever had.
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