Porter or Air Canada

[SierraOscarSierra]

I have upcoming interviews at both Porter and Air Canada. I am a little less than 30 with one child and hoping for more and I am looking for opinions from pilots at each company as to which company is best for a long term commitment. Also, if someone could share the pay scale for Porter Captains, I can not find that online anywhere.

[leadfoot]

If you are seriously asking that question, you probably should not be in control of an aircraft.

[blockheater]

Anyone remember the days of absolutely no variety of job oportunities and making your own decisions to find your path?

Seriously, there's NO sure thing or guaranteed stability in aviation. Enjoy the cycle while there are choices and save as much of your hard earned as you can.

Good luck

[DanWEC]

If you are seriously asking that question, you probably should not be in control of an aircraft.

Welcome to AvCanada and seeing a great example of the judgemental negativity that runs rampant here. Ignore that, Leadfoot's probably just jealous that you're doing better than him. Congrats on the interviews if you actually have them.


Anyways poster, Can't help you out, maybe someone else can- but I'm surprised through your career you don't have some industry contacts that can fill you in?

[Les Habitants]

Congrats on the interviews!!

In the long run, the life at AC is better-the pension (though things are dicey around this right now) and eventually the job stability. Initially, the pay will suck (37 K a year) and you'll be based out of YYZ or YVR.

Porter is great for starters, and it certainly can be a career place. Can't help you with the pay, but I believe it starts out fairly high. You have to buy your uniform (which is 3000 dollars).

Overall, if you're able to make the budget work for a few years, go AC. But that's just my opinion, you do what your gut tells you. Maybe post back and let us know how the interviews go, good luck!

[KAG]

If given the choice go AC.

[ILS26_Steep]

Well i think you should go to both. But I think if you got job offers from both companies. The Porter offer will come first before Air Canada. So if I were you, ask yourself what you want to do!

One makes money and the other doesn't. One has been around longer than the other. You will probably go to Porter and want to go to Air Canada anyway, so skip ahead and save yourself the heartache!

[altiplano]

You have to buy your uniform (which is 3000 dollars).

That is not true. Uniform, overcoat and luggage are all provided at no cost. You do have to provide your own shoes, socks and underwear though.

[Valhalla]

I have upcoming interviews at both Porter and Air Canada. I am a little less than 30 with one child and hoping for more and I am looking for opinions from pilots at each company as to which company is best for a long term commitment. Also, if someone could share the pay scale for Porter Captains, I can not find that online anywhere.

I think you have to consider two main things if you are successful in both interviews, and I'll answer your question from a Porter pilot perspective.

Firstly, lifestyle. Porter does regional flying, which by its nature is more family friendly and easier on the body. For me, with young kids at home, this means I can be home most evenings and almost never spend the day at home sleeping off jetlag. Porter is still a fairly small but growing company. That means that your seniority number will grow faster than at Air Canada. You'll get your desired days off faster and you'll be upgraded faster.

Second, corporate culture. Porter is by no means perfect. Nor is Air Canada. But with both companies, you have to go in with realistic expectations. Know that Porter is a young company with tons of potential. Air Canada is a very well established company but with deeply devided employee groups. I for one, love going into work because of the people I work with. I am also very optimisitic about the future at Porter.

You will get lots of heavily biased advice as to which company is better in the long run (ref. leadfoot). As for me, I've never been PFO'd by Air Canada or Westjet although I think they would both be good places to work as well, just not as good as Porter in my heavily biased opinion for my personal reasons. Talk to as many internal pilots as you can, do as much research as you can, and make up your own mind.

The base salary for a Porter captain starts at $74,500 (I think) for first year and goes up from there.

Good luck! And consider yourself lucky if you get to choose.

You have to buy your uniform (which is 3000 dollars).

No. There is no unform cost or bond of any kind at Porter.

[carnie]

Capt
Year / $(g's)
1. 77.7
2. 79.7
3. 81.7
4. 83.7
5. 85.8
6. 88.0
7. 90.2
8. 92.4

FO

Year / $(g's)
1. 41.6
2. 46.8
3. 54.5
4. 56.7
5. 58.9
6. 61.3
7. 63.8
8. 65.3

[Mig29]

You do have to provide your own shoes, socks and underwear though.

Definitively AC!! Just because Porter doesn't provide you those 3 items for free....especially underwear! Very critical item during long legs or multi-day pairings. After all, you only get to flip them inside out once before they are u/s.

[URC]

Sort of like the guy back in the late seventies who asked if they should go to Pan Am or Eastern ? (Back when you had to use punch cards to post on the forum).

[twinpratts]

Congrats on both interviews!
Do the best you can at both, and decide AFTER you get the call.

[Hawkerflyer]

If you are seriously asking that question, you probably should not be in control of an aircraft.

Wrong for a pilot to ask a question? If you think so, you probably should not be in control of an aircraft.

[Donald]

If you interview for both companies in the same month, you could get an offer from Porter easily 4-5 months before a second interview/PFO from Air Canada.

Something to consider.

[leadfoot]

It was just an attempt at humour. Didn't know that my wife and her friends would be lurking the forum.

[jetway]

Do both interviews, but for Pete's sake go Air Canada IF you get it. Air Canada has been turning down good candidates these days. In comparison, Porter is taking almost anyone these days, simply because they are losing so many to Air Canada, Transat, Jazz, and a select few to WJ and a few to non airline overseas jobs. If given the choice, would you chose a stepping stone, or the entire "mainland"?
My choice (if I were younger and had to go to an airline) would be AC - hands down.
Best of luck with your choice.

[jetway]

If you interview for both companies in the same month, you could get an offer from Porter easily 4-5 months before a second interview/PFO from Air Canada.

Something to consider.

Just read that - I think those days are gone as 5 of my friend's kids got the call about 10-21 days after they interviewed and ground school within the next month. AC is not wasting anytime. IF they want you.

[flyincanuck]

Ils26_steep has summed it up, nicely.

POE has fair wages, no bond (uniform or training), and so far the best group of people I've worked with. Also limitless expansion potential, and probably a quick upgrade (2-3 years). Pay scales above are accurate. Passengers are consistently pleased with the service - and you hear it all the time when they're de-planing. Young, enthusiastic company. I called it working for a "good-news" company...something new every few weeks (new planes, destinations, etc). Terrible per diems (sorry - no two ways about it). $3/hr ($3.50 in the US i think), but only for the duration of the layover (chock-on to chock off). I made better per diems at 703/704 companies. RRSP contributions could be stepped up IMO. Expect YOW base soon. Maybe YUL. If you're willing to move...that might help your sen. number.

AC is hiring 20/month until (at least) April; ~ 120/year are retiring for the next 10 years. 2013/2014 are the two biggest attrition years (~160 ea year). AC has been reducing their fleet since CCAA - but will be expanding when the 787 arrives in 2013. Expansion + attrition should make it quite interesting. Excellent benefits. And you chose your lifestyle (good sched vs chasing metal). Good retirement plan - I'm personally not expecting the pension to last the next 60 years for me; but I'm sure there'll be a very generous alternative. It's a big wheel to turn at AC, with lots of old blood. Subsequently there's no shortage of bureaucracy and bickering, but on the whole most crews that I've comes across have been good (front and back).

AC process took all of 3 weeks; Porter took 4 months. Everyone's situation is different.

*IF* you're offered a job at either company, get your surf board out...you're at the crest of the wave. Both are great companies...and you could be in a much worse position.

[Hawkerflyer]

It was just an attempt at humour. Didn't know that my wife and her friends would be lurking the forum.

Now that is funny.

[SierraOscarSierra]

Thanks for the help guys/gals! That helped a lot. Still a tough decision. Maybe I won't have to choose in the end. I just hope I get one of them.

[Doc]

Keep in mind, it's not just about the money or the equipment. Well, maybe today it is, but later it's about the time with the family and to yourself. 90K in Toronto is less than 65K in Winnipeg. Consider the base/commute. Porter has no commute to Pearson. Pretty pleasant. When you get both firm offers on the table, the fun starts. Go into each interview with the mindset that it's the ONLY interview. Do the best you can on both.
Cheers

[MeAndMrPenguin]

Simple.

Go after AC. For the simple reason, should you not like it, it would be easier to go to Porter afterwards. If you go to Porter, and regret your decision, you may never get another crack at AC.

I always tell people to go for the highest tier, as you can likely go back to lower tiers.

(For those about to jump on me about the tier comment, it is true. Tier 1, tier 2, tier 3...NOTHING AGAINST PORTER!)

I had a friend that turned down WJ interview because he had just signed a bond. He waited 4 more years to get another interview. Had he accepted earlier, he would easily paid his training bond off and now been a Captain.

[Doc]

I had a friend that turned down WJ interview because he had just signed a bond. He waited 4 more years to get another interview. Had he accepted earlier, he would easily paid his training bond off and now been a Captain.

Your friend is a moron! But, he knows that.

[again]

Definitely AC.
(Not a slight against Porter. Compare the number of people that have left AC to go to Porter vs. the number of people that have left Porter to go to AC.)