Comair or stay with Eagle a fifth year?

[Goodstick]

I'm looking for some advice from some of my fellow regional pilots....mainly comair guys. I'd like to know whats up with comair these days besides the normal squables between mainline/regional etc. I'd like to know what the projections for growth are and what hiring will be like for the next few years. I'm not that concerned about starting out at first year pay again because by the second year I would match what Eagle pays. I'd also like to know about other things like expected bases/ moral/ and TIME TO UPGRADE!!! will soon hit my fifth year and still a bottom feeder FO : (
Thanks fellas

 

[wil]

Sorry I'm ASA but I have to respond. We have a lot of Eagle pilots over here and my advise would be to go for Comair (or ASA if you could). I typed Jan 11 2003 on the CRJ and just celebrated 3 years on Jun 1 (I know- whoopiedy doo!). I have friends at eagle that are 3 years in and still 4 years away for Saab upgrade! They have submitted their resumes' with me! I wish you the best. I think Comair will be growing and the upgrade time I think would be 2 1/2 to 3 years. All the best, Wil

 

[wil]

I forgot, as a side note our Delta benefits (Comair, ASA) are probably the best in the industry!!

 

[PacoPollo]

Sorry I'm ASA but I have to respond. We have a lot of Eagle pilots over here and my advise would be to go for Comair (or ASA if you could). I typed Jan 11 2003 on the CRJ and just celebrated 3 years on Jun 1 (I know- whoopiedy doo!). I have friends at eagle that are 3 years in and still 4 years away for Saab upgrade! They have submitted their resumes' with me! I wish you the best. I think Comair will be growing and the upgrade time I think would be 2 1/2 to 3 years. All the best, Wil

Depressing.....very depressing

Its only 3yrs at AE for crj FO.
8-10YRS CA upgrade ..just to be on reserve ......

 

[LearLove]

About 5 at eagle would put you about the same place I'm at with Allegheny. Being in kind of the same situation I'm now where your comming from brother. I know it hurts to see guys way junior to us at other companies upgrade ahead of you. Some of my former pvt pilot students went to chit taco and have already upgraded while I sit downgraded, O well guess thats the bizz.

Anyway I went thru your situation last summer but decided to stay. Even had an interview sked. with Comair but told them I'd like to wait it out. John Smith was very cool about it by the way. Thanks John.

My though process was this, maybe it will help you.

First I left the to companies (ALG and Comair) out of it and tried to get down to the basics.

1. I'm currently employed
2. I have a line and good sked as a senior FO and it pays the bills
3. I don't have anyone to support so being out of a job won't kill me.
4. I don't have debt or a house payment, just a car payment that could easily be covered by unemployment.
5. Understanding parents that would let me move home and feed me while I got another job. Thus only have to pay the car payment, I'd actually make money off unemployment. Plus my hometown FBO where I flew as a kid would let me instruct so I could stay current and show continus employment while looking.

What kind of did it for me was #2. All I ever wanted was to fly with a set sked and thats what I have so I decided not to Fvck with it for now. Also I'm pretty young so I could weather getting screwed to the point where I need to jump ship and still (with a little luck) get on with another company by the time I'm 30 and have plenty of time to build back up.

All in all if things work out over here (and thats a big if) it will be pretty sweet and if they don't well then like I said at least for now I have the privlage of being young enough to start again or maybe I'll just go to dental school. Better yet law school, then on to be a senator or congressman so I could make laws like your allowed to sue people for being an a$$hole greedy bastard. Then I'd go back into law and sue the crap out of Beebe for all the $hit he has put some very hard working dedicated pilots thru. I'd also have a clause in there that if you win the case your allowed to kick said person square in the nuts. O sorry thats alittle of the subject.

So myh brotha from anotha mothea, if any of this applies to you maybe it will help. Then again Comair looks to be a good shot although I wouldn't want to be at the bottom of anyones list now, you just never know in this bizz. I say just make a decision and go with it and don't look back either way, you don't have much control over the industry anyway

Tomorrows headlines: Cape Air signs 30 year contract with US Military, in news just released Cape Air will purchace from Boeing 30 cargo and 30 pax configured 767's to support the US military airlift needs. All pilots to be paid industry average for 767....bla bla bla

Hey you never know

Good Luck

 

[English]

(CaptRob's reply under English's screenname)


Dude, I feel your pain.

As a 6 year Saab Captain at Eagle, I have had numerous, read that more than a few, first officers tell me about drooling over their chances at a Comair interview. The last first officer I flew with is leaving Eagle next week for a mid June training date at Comair.

All I can say is... Go for it. All the reasons for staying at Eagle are gone. You can take all the stuff Ed Criner wrote before and after Sept 11 and throw it out. Eagle is no longer the most financially stable regional operator. There (never was) is no flow thru. There is no future. Eagle is about to become the graveyard of TWA first officers and Captains that didn't have the seniority to stay at AA. If Eagle gets to operate 500+ RJ's, many will be outsourced to TSA and Chautauqua where there is even less stability. The simple fact that AA and APA negotiated a change to letter 3/supplement W without involving Eagle ALPA should tell you all you need to know. (Not to flame the AA guys, but that did suck...)

I have been a year from the jet for over 3 years now. It sucks to be me. Don't let it happen to you. Being married to my wife is great, but the job is... let's say I have alot of things to say about our management when the sterile light goes out...

 

[Goodstick]

You are all classy individuals. Thanks for the kind words. Leaving Eagle would be the hardest decision I've ever had to make...Guess I haven't lived much: ) But I need to decide what is better for my future based on the facts. I have dealt with too much disappointment at Eagle and have to revaluate my options. Comair has in the last 4 years become a much more lucrative carreer. I respect the stand you guys made. I have a nice poloroid of your ramp during the strike. Eagle is beyond help with a regressive, endless contract. So any other info from anyone in the know (not just Comair guys) would be appreciated in helping me make the decision. Mainly I'm looking at growth projections, aircraft deliveries, what they telling you guys about training etc.

 

[generaltso]

I have a question for eagle guys. There is an instructor at my FBO who had just got hired before 9/11 (in to the Saab). Needless to say he got furloughed. He didn't finish IOE.

I was talking with him about what a mistake it was to go to Eagle. He said when he got there (Sept 2001), Saab upgrades were running 2 years, and if it wasn't for 9/11 he would have been a Saab Captain right now.

I told him he was crazy. I thought even before 9/11 that Saab upgrade was running 4 years or so.... is that true? He said Eagle is a great place. But like I said, he never made it to the line to really see what a "great place" it is.

I don't work for Eagle, but I do know a lot of captains who are fed up with the company.

I think what it boils down to is some people are too naive about the regionals. When you go to the interview the Eagle HR says "oh this is a great place to be, upgrades are at 2 years and we are getting lots of jets. And you will flow through to AA in a few years". The sad thing is, I think a lot of people believed them... like this instructor.

 

[WorldSeries]

i think either way you would be in a good place. comair pay is not too bad after 1st yr. 35.75 an hr. and 38 plus on the 70 seater..what is eagles 2nd yr. FO pay on the jet ??

 

[Toecutter]

Leaving Eagle should not be a hard decision. I was at Eagle only a year before I realized I needed to bail, and that was when times were still good. If you go to Comair/ASA, even if you have to wait 3-5 years to upgrade, at least you'll be making about the same as a Saab captain. Get out while you still can. The only thing you'll miss is your HI3,HI6, etc.