QX cutting flights due to pilot shortage
Jul 1, 2017, 12:45 pm
#31
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I don't think it's penny pinching so much as that QX basically has not undergone serious growth in many years. Yes, starting RJ pilots are very underpaid, but that is industry-wide. As regionals go, Horizon doesn't pay badly. If Horizon hadn't been retraining a bunch of q400 pilots to fly new E175 routes, this wouldn't be nearly as bad. The issue seems to be hiring and training not keeping up with retirements during a period of sustained growth. For years, Qx has been basically the same size (52 q400s) and they even shrunk somewhat after retiring the CRJ-700 flying 7-8 years ago. Remember there were about 20 CRJs in the fleet at one point after most q400s were already delivered, so juggling two fleet types is not a novel thing at QX.
I also don't think its penny pinching...I see they are paying 200% overtime right now....that's not pinching pennies....what Alaska needs to do is start poaching from competitors to help free some of this up.
Jul 1, 2017, 2:02 pm
#32
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On the other hand, while not great for long term staffing, it can be a recruiting tool to get pilots into the door at QX in the first place versus another regional. Really, the pay structure incentivizes pilots to either move up to captain positions or to AS. First officer pay progression is essentially flat.
Hah! My last AA flight was sitting next to a pilot reviewing training material on his tablet. He'd just moved to AA from QX.
Jul 1, 2017, 4:26 pm
#33
Join Date: May 2003
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I never suggested it was "penny pinching." The reality is the new pilots for mainline jets generally will come from the regional airlines. So Horizon is unlikely to retain its staff into perpetuity anyway. But the issue is one we could see months ago.....as Alaska ramped up, they knew the pipeline did not have the pilots, and now its reached critical mass. While its good they stepped back, maybe the whole idea of focusing so much on the new acquisition burned the existing routes for now.
I also don't think its penny pinching...I see they are paying 200% overtime right now....that's not pinching pennies....what Alaska needs to do is start poaching from competitors to help free some of this up.
I also don't think its penny pinching...I see they are paying 200% overtime right now....that's not pinching pennies....what Alaska needs to do is start poaching from competitors to help free some of this up.
Jul 1, 2017, 6:48 pm
#34
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It gets worse than guaranteed interviews. In the link above, it states AS guarantees at least 1/3 of their annual new hires will be from QX.
On the other hand, while not great for long term staffing, it can be a recruiting tool to get pilots into the door at QX in the first place versus another regional. Really, the pay structure incentivizes pilots to either move up to captain positions or to AS. First officer pay progression is essentially flat.
Hah! My last AA flight was sitting next to a pilot reviewing training material on his tablet. He'd just moved to AA from QX.
On the other hand, while not great for long term staffing, it can be a recruiting tool to get pilots into the door at QX in the first place versus another regional. Really, the pay structure incentivizes pilots to either move up to captain positions or to AS. First officer pay progression is essentially flat.
Hah! My last AA flight was sitting next to a pilot reviewing training material on his tablet. He'd just moved to AA from QX.
Jul 1, 2017, 8:42 pm
#35
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Jul 1, 2017, 8:44 pm
#36
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Perhaps. AA on the other hand has a much larger network with more international flying & pilot bases in more locations.
Jul 1, 2017, 9:59 pm
#37
Join Date: Oct 2006
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The problem is the 1500 hour rule. In the past a regional could hire a commercial pilot to fly the right seat (with Multi Engine/IFR) who had 250 hrs of experience. Now the rule is 1500.
Much harder to find as fresh pilot trainees have to fly a 3rd tier (likely cargo or flight instructor) to get those 1500 hrs.
As for QX retiring the Q400s, think again, ain't going to happen. The Q400s cost per ASM is much lower than the E175, and you'll see Q400s flying everything under 400ish miles from now until the cows come home.
The 175s are to fly the long-thin routes, where they can't fill a 737, but the route is more than a couple of hours in a Q400. The 175s allows them to fly to the Oklahomas and Milwaukees of the world, without having to commit a 737.
Much harder to find as fresh pilot trainees have to fly a 3rd tier (likely cargo or flight instructor) to get those 1500 hrs.
As for QX retiring the Q400s, think again, ain't going to happen. The Q400s cost per ASM is much lower than the E175, and you'll see Q400s flying everything under 400ish miles from now until the cows come home.
The 175s are to fly the long-thin routes, where they can't fill a 737, but the route is more than a couple of hours in a Q400. The 175s allows them to fly to the Oklahomas and Milwaukees of the world, without having to commit a 737.
Jul 1, 2017, 10:06 pm
#38
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Maybe just a part, but for some reason I feel like I saw something that indicates QX intends to downside the Q400 fleet down to 37 or something.
Not a full retirement, but I think they see the E175 is a better plane to fly the California routes and the other long/thin routes where it would take 30-60 minutes longer each way to accomplish in a Q400.
QX also has 2 Qs on order with Bombardier -- no clue if they intend to replace the older ones with these two or if the order will be cancelled.
Not a full retirement, but I think they see the E175 is a better plane to fly the California routes and the other long/thin routes where it would take 30-60 minutes longer each way to accomplish in a Q400.
QX also has 2 Qs on order with Bombardier -- no clue if they intend to replace the older ones with these two or if the order will be cancelled.
Jul 1, 2017, 11:13 pm
#39
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As I recall QX has a number of Q400 leases that end this year or next and they will be returning them at the end of the lease period. As stated before the plan was to have the Q's do the 400 mile or less routes while the E175 replaced them on 400+ mile routes and also opened up some new longer routes to the midwest and Mexico.
Jul 2, 2017, 7:53 am
#40
Join Date: Apr 2014
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As for QX retiring the Q400s, think again, ain't going to happen. The Q400s cost per ASM is much lower than the E175, and you'll see Q400s flying everything under 400ish miles from now until the cows come home.
The 175s are to fly the long-thin routes, where they can't fill a 737, but the route is more than a couple of hours in a Q400. The 175s allows them to fly to the Oklahomas and Milwaukees of the world, without having to commit a 737.
The 175s are to fly the long-thin routes, where they can't fill a 737, but the route is more than a couple of hours in a Q400. The 175s allows them to fly to the Oklahomas and Milwaukees of the world, without having to commit a 737.
As I recall QX has a number of Q400 leases that end this year or next and they will be returning them at the end of the lease period. As stated before the plan was to have the Q's do the 400 mile or less routes while the E175 replaced them on 400+ mile routes and also opened up some new longer routes to the midwest and Mexico.
Jul 2, 2017, 9:02 am
#41
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You are pretty much correct. I flew a QX E175 last month SEA-SFO which had been all 737 prior. I also think QX is doing the upcoming LAX-MEX flights.
Jul 2, 2017, 1:15 pm
#42
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Jul 2, 2017, 10:22 pm
#43
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I found this thread interesting, one of my gf's uncles was a pilot for QX. Perhaps he was let go simply because of the Alaska State budget problems, of course I don't know all the details. But then I was let go (engineering field for me), and naturally scoured all various postings in town and the valley and saw they were hiring a pilot based out of Anchorage for QX. This was months ago, but still relevant.
Jul 3, 2017, 8:38 am
#45
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As much as they scaled QX back in ANC, you start to wonder if it's worth the effort to maintain a QX base for a few token FAI flights.