Interview with American Eagle

[zmiller4]

Originally Posted by NYer914

American Eagle is the worst regional airline to be at in the business...don't go there....unless you like to sit in the right seat of a saab for 12 years....

As someone who left American Eagle, I still recognize that it's not a bad regional at all. It's not for everyone, and the way they assign bases in ground school is pretty cruddy, but it's got decent work rules, better-than-average pay, and the upgrade time is going to shrink a lot in the next couple of years.

But hey, I came over to Great Lakes because it's a much better regional than that bottom-feeding Eagle.

[JEP]

Originally Posted by zmiller4

As someone who left American Eagle, I still recognize that it's not a bad regional at all. It's not for everyone, and the way they assign bases in ground school is pretty cruddy, but it's got decent work rules, better-than-average pay, and the upgrade time is going to shrink a lot in the next couple of years.

But hey, I came over to Great Lakes because it's a much better regional than that bottom-feeding Eagle.

How do they assign bases? Senority? So one may not be as senior as someone else? Too bad, so sad......

As far as I can recall, every airline is senority based....

[NYer914]

Originally Posted by ready2fly

As someone who is right-seat on the CRJ-700 ... in my first year with American Eagle .... you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

So what's your upgrade time in the CRJ-700?

[jtrain609]

Upgrade isn't always everything, and at least he'll never look at being furloughed; what are you guys going to do with those 69 jets?

Originally Posted by NYer914

So what's your upgrade time in the CRJ-700?

[JEP]

Originally Posted by jtrain609

Upgrade isn't always everything, and at least he'll never look at being furloughed; what are you guys going to do with those 69 jets?

touche .....

[zmiller4]

Originally Posted by JEP

How do they assign bases? Senority? So one may not be as senior as someone else? Too bad, so sad......

As far as I can recall, every airline is senority based....

Yup, every airline is seniority based, as far as I know. What Eagle does, though, is not tell you what aircraft are going to be available for each class--so it's a complete guessing game as to which part of the western hemisphere you'll be in. They are, as far as I know, the only airline that does that. And it's really, really hurting them--literally dozens of people a month are leaving because the interview is just a gamble and they're stuck for more than a year in one of two bases that they don't want to be. You have no clue whatsoever where you'll be.

That works fine for a company with a regional structure or only one aircraft type, where at least you have an idea what part of the country you'll be in. But when you're spread out like Eagle is, they're limiting their applicants who are single, mobile, or willing to take a really big gamble on the first day of ground school.

That being said, if you're a young, uncommitted person, Eagle is not a bad place to work at all! If I had been single--or even had a clue what was coming--it would have been a completely different situation for me.

WestIndian425, I meant to ask you, are you from or have any relation to the West Indies? If so, Eagle in SJU might be an awesome setup...

[ready2fly]

Originally Posted by NYer914

So what's your upgrade time in the CRJ-700?

Not "12 years" as you in your infinite wisdome quoted. As I said - as someone on the inside speaking to someone on the outside - you have no clue what you are talking about.

Touching on what Zmiller said about how Eagle goes about assigning bases, I have no problem with that. I know from friends who are with other regionals that they didn't know their bases until the last couple of weeks of training (see: Colgan & Air Wisconsin).

Now THAT would suck!

At least with Eagle, my wife and I had over two months to start looking for, and find a house here.

True, you don't know what aircraft and bases are available until the first DAY of training , and true that the "old guys" like me got the pick of the litter, but that's how the machine works.

When/if I do choose to leave Eagle, I'll leave here with a butt-ton of turbine time, Part 121 experience to some of the largest airports in the United States.....with arguably the best training in the industry.

I have no complaints other than the first year pay....but I knew that coming in.

That's my take.

Stan

[NYer914]

Ok, that's great...so I'm curious to what your upgrade time is in the CRJ-700..

Also, what is your first and second year pay? I was thinking of applying to Eagle...

[ready2fly]

Originally Posted by NYer914

Ok, that's great...so I'm curious to what your upgrade time is in the CRJ-700..

Also, what is your first and second year pay? I was thinking of applying to Eagle...

Upgrade time is not aircraft specific. Therefore, until American starts it's recalls (in January), upgrade time, across the board is going to be impossible to predict....except for one fact....

....it's going to improve.

First year pay is $23.51/hr. Second year pay is somewhere in the $31.00/hr. + range.

[NYer914]

Is that the pay scale for the CRJ-700? What is your current upgrade time on your airplane?

[ready2fly]

Originally Posted by NYer914

(1)Is that the pay scale for the CRJ-700? (2)What is your current upgrade time on your airplane?

(1) Yes.

(2)

Originally Posted by ready2fly

Upgrade time is not aircraft specific. Therefore, until American starts it's recalls (in January), upgrade time, across the board is going to be impossible to predict....except for one fact....

Upgrade time is the same for all aircraft, system wide, company wide, base-wide....period.

[stuckingfk]

Originally Posted by NYer914

Is that the pay scale for the CRJ-700? What is your current upgrade time on your airplane?

Can you read? Upgrade is seniority based, ie. people might switch airframes in order to upgrade.

On a serious note. I have a couple buddies in SJU and they're having the time of their life. It seems like one big party down there and I'd love to be a part of it.

[NYer914]

So if the upgrade is not aircraft specific...what is the general upgrade time for the entire company? There has to be some sort of time...by the way I can't read at all I have someone read the messages for me so bare with me, thanks

[ready2fly]

Originally Posted by NYer914

So if the upgrade is not aircraft specific...what is the general upgrade time for the entire company? There has to be some sort of time...by the way I can't read at all I have someone read the messages for me so bare with me, thanks

I'll make this easy (not an insult to you. Simply meaning there is no real answer to your question):

As of the very moment that I am typing this response - there is no upgrade time at American Eagle. There can be no upgrade time reported until the American Airline "flowbacks" are recalled to American.

The longest any of our F/O's have been in the right seat is currently 6 years. There was an upgrade class scheduled for December, but that class was cancelled in October until further notice. That same month (Oct.), American announced it would begin recalling furloughed pilots in January.

Clear as mud?

[NYer914]

Originally Posted by ready2fly

I'll make this easy (not an insult to you. Simply meaning there is no real answer to your question):

As of the very moment that I am typing this response - there is no upgrade time at American Eagle. There can be no upgrade time reported until the American Airline "flowbacks" are recalled to American.

The longest any of our F/O's have been in the right seat is currently 6 years. There was an upgrade class scheduled for December, but that class was cancelled in October until further notice. That same month (Oct.), American announced it would begin recalling furloughed pilots in January.

Clear as mud?

Well that's great that AA will be recalling the furloughed pilots, maybe by sometime next year Eagle will be able to start moving forward then backwards (flowback), I was talking with an FO on the ATR in JAX and she said that she had been in the right seat for seven years...I hope everything works out for you guys eventually, but right now I would not reccomend anyone take a job there.

[crashmbern]

the best time to get hired at any airline is to be hired before the hire or expand significantly not after. upgrade time is not just about how many years or months, its about numbers pure and simple. yes express jet and skywest have great upgrade times but how many pilots got hired in the past 2 years?? if you get hired there today you have to wait for all those people to upgrade first.

[zmiller4]

Originally Posted by ready2fly

Touching on what Zmiller said about how Eagle goes about assigning bases, I have no problem with that. I know from friends who are with other regionals that they didn't know their bases until the last couple of weeks of training (see: Colgan & Air Wisconsin).

Now THAT would suck!

At least with Eagle, my wife and I had over two months to start looking for, and find a house here.

True, you don't know what aircraft and bases are available until the first DAY of training , and true that the "old guys" like me got the pick of the litter, but that's how the machine works.

Stan,
I know some airlines don't let you know your base until well into training (my current employer included), but you at least have an idea of what geographic area you're going to be in with other airlines that tell you what aircraft you're going to school for. And with other airlines, you at least have a chance to transfer bases--with Eagle, three out of the 4 A/C only have two bases each. That means restricted mobility, and without giving any advance notification of aircraft that can lead to the mass no-shows they've been seeing.

I admit that I made a bad decision going to Eagle. I should have been much more aware of the SJU possibility, which I downplayed in my mind because Saabs had been offered in every recent class. I gambled, thinking that it was really unlikely that I wouldn't get the Saab (which I wanted), and it came back and bit me hard.

I think that their current staffing problem (I don't know how bad it is in DFW, but it was atrocious on the ATR) are a result of three issues: upgrade time, abuse of reserve pilots, and the aircraft assignment issue I'm constantly bitching about. The last two are interconnected; they've lost a ton of people off the ATR who see it as the only way to get out of SJU, which causes them to be understaffed, which in turn causes more people to bail. I've talked to a lot of guys there who think they really need to change back to how they used to assign A/C--I believe they'd call you for a class for a specific aircraft, and you could only turn down one or two.

I'm really glad Eagle is working out well for you. I still have a lot of respect for the company; I just wish they'd sent me somewhere other than the Juan.

[subpilot]

Well, I made it. Everyone was extremely friendly and everything was EXACTLY as the gouge said it would be. 5 out of 6 got offered the job and our class date is December 11th, not even two weeks away. Thanks for all the help that everyone on this forum provided during my ride and I look forward to the next adventure.

BTW, they loved that I served 10 years in the submarine service. I think that anyone with a military background automatically starts off the day with bonus points.

[crashmbern]

cool man congrats, and welcome to eagle

[ready2fly]

Welcome aboard!

Come to work. Do your job. Go home. Take off the uniform. Enjoy your family/free time = best job there is.

Don't hang out in the crew lounge. You'll understand that statement soon enough.

Drop me a PM if you have any questions, or if I can help you in any way.

Stan

[Kristie]

Congratulations!!! great to hear people are getting jobs during the holiday season like this! strange that ya'll have to go thru training during tho....are they giving you time off for the holidays or is it straight blo and go?

[zmiller4]

Originally Posted by subpilot

Well, I made it. Everyone was extremely friendly and everything was EXACTLY as the gouge said it would be. 5 out of 6 got offered the job and our class date is December 11th, not even two weeks away.

Dude, if you get the same setup that Eagle has used in the past, you will absolutely LOVE starting training then.

I finished ground school on Dec 20th, got positive spaced home on the 21st, was off until the 2nd of January, fully paid, 16 hrs per diem for the full time off. It was sweet.

[desertdog71]

Congrats Man.

Any insight on the infamous physical exam?

[meritflyer]

Originally Posted by desertdog71

Any insight on the infamous physical exam?

Yes. Cough..

[WestIndian425]

Originally Posted by zmiller4

WestIndian425, I meant to ask you, are you from or have any relation to the West Indies? If so, Eagle in SJU might be an awesome setup...

I'm so sorry I didn't see this post sooner. To answer your question, I do have roots in the West Indies. I have family in St. Lucia, and so many close friends and family in other islands including Trinidad, Grenada, and Martinique. "West Indian 425" is actually the callsign for BWIA flight 425 JFK-POS. This was my favorite airline of all time. Alas, at the end of the year, it'll be no more.

But enough of that. "The Rock" on Eagle Flight wouldn't be bad, though I would love to follow Stan's footsteps and do the CR7. (Did you know you can start that plane by just pushing one button? Automatic ignition sequence and everything...just push one button and watch the screen.) There is something in the works though. We'll see in a few days.

Congrats, Subpilot!! Good job!