Captain Tony

ASA's SVP of operations (CT) has been quoted as saying that the first year will be the startup year with mostly short hop domestic service, but then hinted that after that the sky is the limit. He stated that they plan on acquiring "larger aircraft" and beginning operations all over the Pacific rim. He said that pilots who sign on the first year will be given priority to re-enlist, and that this is when the good things will happen. He also stated that compensation levels will rise significantly then.

No wonder this phase will be the one open to SkyWest pilots. ASA pilots get to make the bed for SkyWest pilots to lay on, as usual.

TonyWilliams

Here's a link to a thread started on Pprune about this venture:

Air Mekong in Vietnam - PPRuNe Forums

The Dominican

ASA was counting with the fact that you guys have very little knowledge about the salary levels and the business models of these international contracts. These are high yield markets because there is little competition and these companies are profitable as stand alone companies, they are not part of a network where the regional carriers don't make money really for the mainline carrier but rather the money is made by feeding the hub. The countries that form the Asian block are experiencing the largest increase of middle class (Families earning the equivalent of 5,000 USD/Month or more) in the history of humanity largely surpassing the middle class development in the U.S. of the 50's and 60's. The economical development of this region is the reason why ASA is investing in this venture and the fact that they won't be restricted by scope since they will be a stand alone, the yield and profit levels currently are supporting salary levels of 10 to 12k USD for CRJ captains with contract completion bonuses that varies from 20 to 30K USD at the end of the contract and these companies paying these salaries are profitable. ASA was counting on the fact that you would equate your current situation and the pathetic state of the job market in the US and apply that as the basis of your decision making process for considering this very substandard offer. But undercutting the S.E. Asia market by an outstanding 40% at the regional level brings an interesting point, What about the wide body market? ASA could very well find itself in a position of leasing A-330's 767's since there is no scope restriction and if you are willing to accept $80,000 when they are paying $120,000 to fly a CRJ, you see where I'm getting at? You are judging the conditions of the market in the US and applying that condition to a market that is profitable and supports a LOT higher salaries than it's being offered. I just hope that you understand that ASA needs you for this venture and they are willing to pay international market wages because they have no other options if you guys don't accept the pathetic terms they are offering because in the international market there are no pilots that would accept these terms when they can go to the next job in the same country, flying the same airplane and make 40% more.

rdneckpilot

Management knows that for every pilot at ASA holding the line for better pay there are 10 more willing to go. That old adage about aviation is true: No matter how little you are paid there is someone willing to do it cheaper. Unfortunately for the international contract pilots the regionals have now been sourced to provide labor overseas.

Oh and if you work for ASA please do not be offended. ASA could be replaced with any company's name and the statement would still be true.

exwaterski

I stumbled upon on this thread [edit:the thread about ASA/Mekong expat CRJ flying] while killing time on my government firewalled/filtered internet overseas and I am absolutely dumbfounded by this thread. It appears everything that I ran away from in the US is now going to follow me. Forget cliches about spreading "cancer" the naviete and ignorance on display here is staggering. As an expat pilot you guys simply have no idea how clueless you sound (I'll just tell the IRS I was in Mexico!) I would suggest spending some time on pprune although I wouldn't expect a very friendly reception. It's sickening to even think that some regional management pimp might actually pull this off. It could be the start of an entirely new cottage industry of exporting cheap American pilots abroad on short term contracts, they'll line up as long as they have the security blanket of their crappy McJob waiting for them back home. I really feel for expat CRJ pilots who may have to compete with this. At least the damage will be limited to that airframe (for now).

If any of you accept these terms to work overseas you are nothing more than common street wh*res going overseas to work in the sex trade, and every bit as bad as a scab. If you think this is like Go Jets and the only thing you have to worry about is the disdain of your fellow expats then you really haven't got an f'ing clue. You'll soon find out why we are paid the way we are, the HARD way. And you'll wish you were back at your $35 an hour fast food job with a GOM that tells you where to pee, barely looking up from your USA Today while being vectored to an ILS and the hardest decision you had to make that day is deciding where to eat at the food court. This is not a slam against US pilots, we produce some of the best in the world, but a lot of you just don't have the frame of reference to understand living much less working outside of the bubble of the USA.

Now go ahead and flame me, but you'll be back here in a year after you've had a bout with malaria, food poisoning a few times, and are being audited by the IRS.. and you'll be singing a different song. My last rotation I came home with food poisoning so bad I had to take Cipro to get rid of it. Now don't get me wrong, it's not all doom and gloom and being an expat has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. But I didn't come here for adventure I came here for MONEY. A mercenary doesn't go to work because it's cool or fun they do it for MONEY. If you want adventure go buy a kayak, don't use your hard earned credentials to travel abroad and be another underpaid third world laborer. (psst pilots are not underpaid in the third world in case you didn't get that, and when you tell other pilots the conditions at a typical US airline they simply shake their heads in disbelief, perks like hot meals for the crews are simply taken for granted here). But thee saddest part is if they bring you over in a group you won't even have anyone to tell you how bad you're getting raped, sort of a "you don't know what you don't know" kind of thing. But I'm sure the pictures of you in Vietnam will look awesome on your Facebook page.

afterburn81

Good point. I can't tell you how many "war stories" about how we should be paid more because of how crazy it is to have to go into Mexico where ATC is a little behind the times. I hear people complaining about how they totally feel under appreciated and want some form of recognition because they had to fly to the Bahamas where radar coverage doesn't exist and your on your own with the thunderstorms. Or making sure you comply with all the weird procedures when flying over Cuba to get to Cancun or Belize.

Sounds like this is going to be like that every day. Get ready for the complaining.

dosbo

It really is pathetic when US citizens are allowing themselves to be used as the cheap replacement labor in a foriegn market undercutting a professionally compensated group of pilots. All in the name of living the dream.

JustAnotherPLT

How does it feel when you beat that dead horse? Are you breathing fire now?




Move on people, there is nothing to see here!

exwaterski

If anything even remotely like this happens I will hang it up for good after my current contract is up. Americans pilots will instantly become the most hated pilots in the world. I can see it now, US regionals "loaning" out their pilots to third world operators for easy cash in what will quite literally be a pimp/wh*re relationship. Sure they could make twice the money on their own somewhere else but the "pimp" will provide the protection in the form of a job waiting for them afterwards. A lot of guys who normally wouldn't be willing to leave it all behind and go overseas can be a pretend expat for a year at half the pay.

dosbo

I love beating on dead horses. If it will make only one person reconsider thier actions and value, it is worth it.

You are wrong, there is something to see here. We are all watching the further devaluing of the pilot profession.

If we as pilots don't place a minimum value on our training and skills then no one else will, particularly management.