Atlantic Southeast Airlines Reviews

Pros

Good management that's seems to care about the employees. Very competitive pay against other regional's

Cons

Very long hours. You will work until utter exhaustion, with include 5 and six day trips sometimes with only a day off. There will also be days where you fly six flights.

Advice to Senior Management

Understand fatigue

Pros

I enjoyed my experience at ASA C-check facility in Macon,GA. The management at that facility knew what they were doing and they treated the employees with respect. The environment was also a great starting place in the company for me as a new mechanic. I learned more there than where I am currently stationed at Atlanta Headquarters. I felt like the Macon out station was more managerially structured for positive advancement. Unfortunately the ATL management thought otherwise and now ASA is suffering because there are not enough mechanics with book knowledge, commonsense knowledge, and hands-on experience with the aircraft fleet.

Cons

As a mechanic at ASA I "currently" would not recommend ASA as a starting point for a new mechanic. We currently have lost more than 50 mechanics in less than 3 months. There are several reasons why but the main reason is managements tyrannical attitude of "we have to do more with less", "just get it done",or "if you don't like how we do things here there's the door". This type of management is not good for a beginning mechanic. It is a hire and fire type of environment with no one willing to train and teach you all the necessary tools to do your job. When one is hired in ATL you will be on the floor for a short period of time (a few months if that) and then you will literally be thrown to the wolves. Almost every mechanic that I know even the ones that have been here for many years are trying to find work outside of this company. The ATL Headquarters has no management structure at all. I and other mechanics have been asked by upper management at several meetings "how to operate this company" because [they] don't know what to do. I'm not getting paid their salary nor is it my responsibility to run the company. I am only responsible for maintaining aircraft not a business. I may sound disgruntled...well I am because I went from an organized structure of ASA to a unorganized structure of ASA that has nothing together at all. It is really sad that ASA has a moronic system of management for its headquarters.

Advice to Senior Management

Brad and management (from the lead mechanics to the COO) I want to tell you all this as along as management treat the mechanics like slaves or dogs you will lose so many people you will "never ever" be able to replace them. All I'm asking is that you all stop disrespecting people and pay us more or lower the top out period from 15 years to 7or 8 years. We know you all have money more than $700 million. Stop trying to use ExpressJet as an excuse for not having money dirty moves like that make the mechanics HATE you. We did not need a union for the mechanics but, because you all would not give pay increases or lower the top out years you lost and will continue to lose. If you don't give in soon your contract with Delta will be broken due to low goals. A company full of majority new mechanics is a big mistake something is bound to go wrong. Ask yourselves When will it happen? Why do you think so many are leaving? If you can by a $100 + million dollar company in cash you have money. And another thing the Trax program and parts department are totally in a mess. This inhibits progress when an aircraft needs to leave or be fixed. Being that ATL is ASA headquarters there is no excuse why we should not have every part that goes on the aircraft. If you [buy] the aircraft you should be willing to [have] all the parts needed for it to be fixed at all times PERIOD! No excuses. I could say more but I don't think I have enough room. But, please listen and take this as constructive criticism. You all can do better.

Pros

The Crews and Chief flight attendant are great

Cons

Short staffed , don't TDY ppl when you have reserve that haven t flown, contracts are horrible, doesn't matter how hard you work to them your just a body . lots of maintance delays or cancelled flights.

Advice to Senior Management

Shows the crews that you care and that there not just busting there butts to keep your performence numbers good.

Pros

Flight benefits when we were owned by Delta. Length of Reserve.

Cons

ATL base. Initial pay. Need more part-time positions available. Uniforms.

Advice to Senior Management

None

Pros

It's a job! Flexible schedule where the work is not too grueling. Opportunity to meet different people every hour of the day. PPO health, dental, and vision insurance is an option available to employees..

Cons

Unpredictable duty-out times. Penalized for calling out sick when you've accrued the time required. Three or more instances of being out sick during a year leads to grounds for termination. Sick-time accrural cap, where you either use it or lose it. No pay for the yearly sick-time accrued, but not used. As wilth all airlines, you are not getting paid your hourly rate unless you are in the air flying. Receive less than the minimum wage for the non-flying hours while on duty - $1.65 per hour.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop the practice of penalizing workers for calling out sick if they have earned the sick time to cover their absence. Rely on the advice of senior line-holding flight attendants when making a decision for their working environment.

Pros

Great company with tons of growth potential. I wish I was back with them!

Cons

Contracts with other airlines are just that - CONTRACTS and they do change.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep heads high... you're doing very well with what you have.

Pros

ASA has renegotiated their flight attendant contract since I was with them and I must say that I wish I'd been employed with the company under the new system.

Pay is better, medical insurance and flight benefits are very good. I would venture to say that ASA is probably now one of the top five regionals in the country.

Cons

SInce I'm no longer employed with the company, I can't speak for anything other than my experience from 2006-2008. Back then the scheduling was terrible and reserve lasted for over a year. Also, FAs were slapped with occurrences when tardy (the same penalty for a missed flight) which sucked majorly.

Advice to Senior Management

Understand that FAs are the Ambasssedors(sp?) of the company and tread them with respect so that it will trickle down to the passengers.

Pros

Good pay and benefits
Union
All Jet
Excellent travel benefits
Great location - Atlanta

Cons

Aggravating sick leave policy
It is a Regional Airline not a Legacy (better pay and work rules)
A small layer of management deadwood

Advice to Senior Management

Since new management arrived two years ago, the Airline has vastly improved. Hey Upper Management...Keep up the good work!!!! You seem to understand how to lead!!! I'm not used to that from Management...LOL

Pros

Company is small enough that you get to meet high level management, but has the feeling for working for a large corporation and benefits.

Cons

As a co-op, some time amount of work was lacking and management seemed to be concerned with other things than making sure i had a productive project to work on.

Advice to Senior Management

Assign a meaning project to co-ops and keep them busy. They are more useful to the company when they are working on important things.

Pros

Payscale is decent when compared to other regionals. It's a flying job, other than that, I really got nothing else.

Cons

The most recent contract left way too much room for interpretation - which will usually never be interpreted in the employee's favor - as it relates to the reserve system.

Advice to Senior Management

Perhaps attempt a little more agressive approach to running the company. Manage ASA with the same sense of ownership as Skywest. Bring in some turborprops.