Squallrider

The reality is skywest is having no issues recruiting with what we have compared to others, still hiring 90 a month, why would management pay more if there's a history of good recruiting even in the current market?

Voski

I'm an Army pilot that will be leaving active service in a little more than a year for the airlines. Case-in-point, I was and still am attracted to SkyWest because of their reputation and the fact that they seem like they're one of the few regionals that have a future in the industry.

However, reputation, base options, and owning your own airplanes can only get you so far in this hiring environment when you've got companies like Endeavor, Envoy, PSA, and Piedmont all making compelling options. I can make roughly twice as much income my first two years at one of the wholly-owned carriers to ease the pay cut of leaving the military and ease the burden of first officer pay scales. Plus, a company like PSA has SAP as a line holder meaning preferential scheduling; my friends at SkyWest keep telling me how they're maxed out. Even though the airlines with flow-through agreements are more or less a gimmick in my book, it's still an insurance policy that tips the already unbalanced scales even further away from SkyWest. Right now, it's a no-brainer move for my family.

I'm hoping SkyWest can offer more incentives to attract more pilots, but a differential pay of ~$40,000+ over two years by going elsewhere is a deal breaker.

Duesenflieger

Well said, Voski. QOL is going to crap here with all this new flying. Looking to make the jump to Spirit or whoever else will bite. We just all need to leave before we can't leave due to extenuating unforeseen events.

hawk21

I can personally tell you from my perspective (tons of friends still in flight school, finishing up hours instructing, etc) that SkyWest is starting to lose its draw. Everyone is flooding to Envoy for the bonuses and flow. Yes we're filling classes now but at this rate that's gonna start trickling down.

JKSees

Funny how just a few pages back I essentially made this same point about a pending retention problem if they don't make some changes. AND GOT HAMMERED FOR IT. My class of new FO's was looking at their minimum wage pay check while sitting reserve in ORD, away from home, in a bucket +24 over (i.e your never gonna get called), with Crew Support unwilling to let them sit reserve in LAX/SFO/SEA with -reserves. So lets see, minimum wage, not flying (i.e. not making any progress towards getting out of here), and sitting away from home with NO reason to be doing so. The word will get out eventually.

uncleowen

My old students who are now instructing say the exact same thing. And they are SLC area peeps who are now looking at Envoy or somewhere else. Man cannot live on reputation alone.

invalidPairing

If you're really considering Envoy, have a chat with someone that has been there a few years. Envoy pilots have arguably the worst relationship with management compared to any pilot group right now. Look at the volatility of their bases and how they're treated by management. Do you really think AA will honor these flows when it destroys their regional feed? Just take a look at history.

Secondly - the number of retirements over the next 2-3 years is staggering. Virtually everyone that wants a job at a major without any major issues on their application will have one. Why would you "hope to flow" in 6 years when there are endless opportunities on the horizon?

Duesenflieger

Are you saying that everyone who wants to move on, can in two to three years? Because that is completely untrue. Legacy jobs will always be competitive, and one little tiny hiccup in the economy will reverse the demand for pilots at mainline. The retirements are big, but they span a timeframe composed of twenty years.... Not all of us will be winners.

invalidPairing

Your likelihood of moving on by natural market forces in the next few years is excellent. The likelihood of a pilot hired today flowing to AA before they can get on elsewhere is delusional. Just look at AA history. You're crazy if you think they'll remove their regional feed to keep their word this time around.

word302

Don't forget Air Whiskey.