Colgan Air Hiring FOs for Saab 340 and Q400
01-19-2010, 02:29 PM
#141
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: Student Pilot
Posts: 849
per diem - $1.40/hr, only for overnight trips (not eligible if you are doing out and back trips at the outstation bases.)
no rigs of any kind.
deadhead pay - 50%
cancellation pay - used to be paid original block for weather cx only which was a huge bummer because we have mx cancellations every other day at colgan (sometimes twice in one day) and it truly sucked to start out at 85 hours of block only to end up with minimum guarantee because our planes happen to break often or dispatch decided to swap you into a broken plane. that was the story of my life almost every month last year - start out over guarantee and end up with guarantee. worst part was them making you sit around for hours during said mx. or very easy, minor stuff they could've done on their part to make your life easier - like actually informing the crews of the cancellation and not to show up (or show up later). Most people wouldnt mind the sitting around so much as long as they got paid for it, but we didn't. What the marine guy said, I don't know how he managed to get paid for the the mx cx, you do get lucky ONCE in a while if you sweet talk to the scheduler enough (I've witnessed this happening) but in the end, it's almost impossible to escape the auditing lady's corrrections. Supposedly we get paid for the mx now, the last time I had mx and didn't get paid for it was as recent as new year's eve I think.
no medical reimbursement (I didnt know other companies even have something like this?) but we get 200/a year for uniform, starting at your anniversary date (meaning new hires wont get a penny for the 500-700 they're going to have to shell out.
also just a few other things off the top of my head... reserve pay is 2 hrs/day, training pay is 2 hrs/day (compare with other regionals that pay 4 hrs), no extension pay (and no option of refusing), juniorman pay is 3.75 which you can usually avoid by not picking up your phone on your day off HOWEVER a friend just told me he was extended/juniormanned on his friday two weeks in a row by dispatch refusing to send paperwork for their last flight until the crew called scheduling. oh yeah and frequent repos to and from the gates/hangar in IAD, which you get paid 10 minutes each way even though it takes like 40 minutes minimum, also not that it matters because everyone is under guarantee for the rest of their lives. if you're based in EWR, IAH or IAD you have to pay for your own hotel during recurrent training (with the new CRM training, it's 4 or 5 nights you need a hotel for - you figure how much that costs in a city like DC!). minimum days off is 10 and even senior lines are rarely more than 13-14.
I used to live with with guys that worked at a different regional. I was hired earlier than they and more senior at colgan than they were at theirs, but somehow when I looked at our lines, they always had more days off yet with more pay. Their QOL was vastly higher than mine. It was just how their contract was set up. of course I had know idea of the nuances of having a good contract until I actually started working for a regional - only that a regional was so called OK or crappy. It's easy to dismiss everyone saying it's crappy if you are not aware of the nitty gritty things that end up making all the difference. Obviously we are in the process of getting a contract as well, but god only knows when that will be done, and what will be included in it. I think things like days off is something the company can easily manipulate and it would not put a strain on the system or anything... but they just dont care to because as far as they're concerned, having an employee group with good morale doesnt benefit them in any way.
In any case, I figured this crappy pay and QOL would be made up by the fact that I was going to upgrade in a year and I don't think I was so off by assuming this since the vast majority of CAs at colgan HAVE upgraded in 1-1.5 years. When I got hired guys were upgrading with 1700-1800 TT and before they were due for their first FO PC. That plan worked out great and I will be a 4th year FO when/if I upgrade. Which really isn't THAT long for other regionals that pay their FOs decent pay (colgan isnt one of them). My point is, plans don't always work out - things happen that are beyond your control and you think you're gonna come in, upgrade quickly and get the hell out of this hellhole when you get your 1000. I've heard more than a few of my fellow FOs saying that (3 or 4 which have been fired by now under dubious circumstances by the company.) But what if you can't? this is reality and not everyone gets to make it to a major. Will you be happy being a lifer at colgan?
Last edited by kalyx522; 01-19-2010 at 03:23 PM.
01-19-2010, 02:53 PM
#142
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Posts: 124
I don't think you are actually asking these questions but I will answer for the benefit of those applying -
per diem - $1.40/hr, only for overnight trips (not eligible if you are doing out and back trips at the outstation bases.)
no rigs of any kind.
deadhead pay - 50%
cancellation pay - used to be paid original block for weather cx only which was a huge bummer because we have mx cancellations every other day at colgan (sometimes twice in one day) and it truly sucked to start out at 85 hours of block only to end up with minimum guarantee because our planes happen to break often or dispatch decided to swap you into a broken plane. that was the story of my life almost every month last year - start out over guarantee and end up with guarantee. worst part was them making you sit around for hours during said mx. or very easy, minor stuff they could've done on their part to make your life easier - like actually informing the crews of the cancellation and not to show up (or show up later). Most people wouldnt mind the sitting around so much as long as they got paid for it, but we didn't. What the marine guy said, I don't know how he managed to get paid for the the mx cx, you do get lucky ONCE in a while if you sweet talk to the scheduler enough (I've witnessed this happening) but in the end, it's almost impossible to escape the auditing lady's corrrections. Supposedly we get paid for the mx now, the last time I had mx and didn't get paid for it was as recent as new year's eve I think.
no medical reimbursement (I didnt know other companies even have something like this?) but we get 200/a year for uniform, starting at your anniversary date (meaning new hires wont get a penny for the 500-700 they're going to have to shell out.
also just a few other things off the top of my head... reserve pay is 2 hrs/day, training pay is 2 hrs/day (compare with other regionals that pay 4 hrs), no extension pay (and no option of refusing), juniorman pay is 3.75 which you can usually avoid by not picking up your phone on your day off HOWEVER a friend just told me he was extended/juniormanned on his friday two weeks in a row by dispatch refusing to send paperwork for their last flight until the crew called scheduling. oh yeah and frequent repos to and from the gates/hangar in IAD, which you get paid 10 minutes each way even though it takes like 40 minutes minimum, also not that it matters because everyone is under guarantee for the rest of their lives. if you're based in EWR, IAH or IAD you have to pay for your own hotel during recurrent training (Mon-Fri with the new CRM training, so it's 5 nights - need hotel Sun night thru Thurs night - you figure how much that costs in a city like DC!). minimum days off is 10 and even senior lines are rarely more than 13-14.
I used to live with with guys that worked at a different regional. I was hired earlier than they and more senior at colgan than they were at theirs, but somehow when I looked at our lines, they always had more days off yet with more pay. Their QOL was vastly higher than mine. It was just how their contract was set up. of course I had know idea of the nuances of having a good contract until I actually started working for a regional - only that a regional was so called OK or crappy. It's easy to dismiss everyone saying it's crappy if you are not aware of the nitty gritty things that end up making all the difference. Obviously we are in the process of getting a contract as well, but god only knows when that will be done, and what will be included in it. I think things like days off is something the company can easily manipulate and it would not put a strain on the system or anything... but they just dont care to because as far as they're concerned, having an employee group with good morale doesnt benefit them in any way.
per diem - $1.40/hr, only for overnight trips (not eligible if you are doing out and back trips at the outstation bases.)
no rigs of any kind.
deadhead pay - 50%
cancellation pay - used to be paid original block for weather cx only which was a huge bummer because we have mx cancellations every other day at colgan (sometimes twice in one day) and it truly sucked to start out at 85 hours of block only to end up with minimum guarantee because our planes happen to break often or dispatch decided to swap you into a broken plane. that was the story of my life almost every month last year - start out over guarantee and end up with guarantee. worst part was them making you sit around for hours during said mx. or very easy, minor stuff they could've done on their part to make your life easier - like actually informing the crews of the cancellation and not to show up (or show up later). Most people wouldnt mind the sitting around so much as long as they got paid for it, but we didn't. What the marine guy said, I don't know how he managed to get paid for the the mx cx, you do get lucky ONCE in a while if you sweet talk to the scheduler enough (I've witnessed this happening) but in the end, it's almost impossible to escape the auditing lady's corrrections. Supposedly we get paid for the mx now, the last time I had mx and didn't get paid for it was as recent as new year's eve I think.
no medical reimbursement (I didnt know other companies even have something like this?) but we get 200/a year for uniform, starting at your anniversary date (meaning new hires wont get a penny for the 500-700 they're going to have to shell out.
also just a few other things off the top of my head... reserve pay is 2 hrs/day, training pay is 2 hrs/day (compare with other regionals that pay 4 hrs), no extension pay (and no option of refusing), juniorman pay is 3.75 which you can usually avoid by not picking up your phone on your day off HOWEVER a friend just told me he was extended/juniormanned on his friday two weeks in a row by dispatch refusing to send paperwork for their last flight until the crew called scheduling. oh yeah and frequent repos to and from the gates/hangar in IAD, which you get paid 10 minutes each way even though it takes like 40 minutes minimum, also not that it matters because everyone is under guarantee for the rest of their lives. if you're based in EWR, IAH or IAD you have to pay for your own hotel during recurrent training (Mon-Fri with the new CRM training, so it's 5 nights - need hotel Sun night thru Thurs night - you figure how much that costs in a city like DC!). minimum days off is 10 and even senior lines are rarely more than 13-14.
I used to live with with guys that worked at a different regional. I was hired earlier than they and more senior at colgan than they were at theirs, but somehow when I looked at our lines, they always had more days off yet with more pay. Their QOL was vastly higher than mine. It was just how their contract was set up. of course I had know idea of the nuances of having a good contract until I actually started working for a regional - only that a regional was so called OK or crappy. It's easy to dismiss everyone saying it's crappy if you are not aware of the nitty gritty things that end up making all the difference. Obviously we are in the process of getting a contract as well, but god only knows when that will be done, and what will be included in it. I think things like days off is something the company can easily manipulate and it would not put a strain on the system or anything... but they just dont care to because as far as they're concerned, having an employee group with good morale doesnt benefit them in any way.
01-19-2010, 03:07 PM
#143
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: Student Pilot
Posts: 849
yeah, that's what I thought... the vice ops guy just told us that that's how other airlines do it. (BS, and irrelevant at the same time)
so then I contact my union.. they basically said it wasn't a priority in the negotiations.
so yeah there goes that.
the more absurd thing is just how many guys I overheard in the crewroom who are actually OK with this rule because "that's how Air Tran does it" or "TSA does it."
so then I contact my union.. they basically said it wasn't a priority in the negotiations.
so yeah there goes that.
the more absurd thing is just how many guys I overheard in the crewroom who are actually OK with this rule because "that's how Air Tran does it" or "TSA does it."
01-19-2010, 03:25 PM
#145
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: CE-650
Posts: 397
Thank you kalyx522, took 15 pages to get some real info, but we got some. Can anyone else add factual info, info applicants need to consider, not just "don't go there."
01-19-2010, 03:30 PM
#146
Tuk er jerbs!
Joined APC: Mar 2007
Position: B747 Left
Posts: 1,342
...just sayin'.
01-19-2010, 03:31 PM
#147
Day puke
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: Out.
Posts: 3,865
There is no income tax in Texas. And sales tax in Houston is 1.25% lower than Seattle. (I think that was probably included in the cost of living)
01-19-2010, 03:32 PM
#148
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Position: Student Pilot
Posts: 849
well, they dont provide it for the STL based guys then? like how we dont provide for the IAD based guys (only the outstation based people). my point is that that whole reasoning of "we do it like this because TSA does it like this) is flawed and irrelevant. if you're going to start doing things a certain way because ASA does it like that, can we also get ASA's pay and ASA's work rules and ASA's Atlanta base so the hotel wouldnt costs as much as DC?
01-19-2010, 03:34 PM
#149
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: CE-650
Posts: 397
I know...but if you tell someone not to hit the big red button, just whatever they do, don't hit the big red button; and they don't know why...eventually someone will hit it. If you tell them WHY or you will die if you hit the big red button, people won't hit it.
01-19-2010, 04:14 PM
#150
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Posts: 60
Just an update for those applying....
I finished airlineapps today, about 1.5 hours later I had an email from Chuck Colgan to give him a call. I called him, got the machine so I left a message, and I'm still waiting to hear back. Had a friend who had Chuck call him in the morning, so I wonder if this email I got, is the email you get after business hours, then he calls when he's in the office tomorrow morning? Not sure if the rest of you got the same thing, but figured I'd share whats going on with me.
Figured if I get a call from Chuck, at least go to the interview, secure a class date if possible, and check it out for myself. See if eagle or anything else pops up before the class date, or at least try to figure out some more information on the company to see if I'd want to go there.
1250TT 575ME CFI, CFII, MEI, RJ course, 1 semester away from bachelors. no prior 121 or 135.
1.) Anybody who actually works at Colgan mind sharing what their paycheck comes out to after taxes for min guarantee? average per month from per diem?
2.) What is a typical day on reserve like? how many days in a row? hours on duty? long call? short call?
3.) How does bidding for your schedule happen? Can you drop trips? or individual legs?
4.) Commuting on Reserve? is it possible, impossible impractical?
Applied to Eagle, but haven't heard anything. Even though the upgrade time is longer there, life seems like it would be a little better there while you are an FO. Seems like a more stable company too with better work rules. And with the way this industry goes, I'm just thinking who knows where this industry is going to be in 5-10 years. If I end up a lifer at a regional, Eagle seems a little better. any thoughts?
I finished airlineapps today, about 1.5 hours later I had an email from Chuck Colgan to give him a call. I called him, got the machine so I left a message, and I'm still waiting to hear back. Had a friend who had Chuck call him in the morning, so I wonder if this email I got, is the email you get after business hours, then he calls when he's in the office tomorrow morning? Not sure if the rest of you got the same thing, but figured I'd share whats going on with me.
Figured if I get a call from Chuck, at least go to the interview, secure a class date if possible, and check it out for myself. See if eagle or anything else pops up before the class date, or at least try to figure out some more information on the company to see if I'd want to go there.
1250TT 575ME CFI, CFII, MEI, RJ course, 1 semester away from bachelors. no prior 121 or 135.
1.) Anybody who actually works at Colgan mind sharing what their paycheck comes out to after taxes for min guarantee? average per month from per diem?
2.) What is a typical day on reserve like? how many days in a row? hours on duty? long call? short call?
3.) How does bidding for your schedule happen? Can you drop trips? or individual legs?
4.) Commuting on Reserve? is it possible, impossible impractical?
Applied to Eagle, but haven't heard anything. Even though the upgrade time is longer there, life seems like it would be a little better there while you are an FO. Seems like a more stable company too with better work rules. And with the way this industry goes, I'm just thinking who knows where this industry is going to be in 5-10 years. If I end up a lifer at a regional, Eagle seems a little better. any thoughts?
