Do Legacy Airlines often hire from NetJets? Or do they prefer to hire from a regional 121 company instead?
Posted by wrariley@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 51 comments
I have a job offer with SkyWest, and with NetJets. Ultimate goal is Delta/American. Which do you think would be best to get there?
OkSprinkles544@reddit
if your utimate goal is part 121 company , take skywest job offer
Appropriate-Front809@reddit
That’s a five year contract with a $80,000 penalty for breaking.
Safe-Square-3577@reddit
I’ll speak from personal experience. I had a CJO at one point from Republic and SkyWest. I chose to go NetJets over the regionals because I like corporate, I like the set schedule, the pay is good, the retirement is good, very generous amount of vacation and PTO, home base with over 200 airports you can choose to be based out of, company paid health insurance, and I knew if hiring slowed a lot I would be happy to be at NetJets for the rest of my career. If you work the 8/6 schedule at NetJets your pay with Flight duty pay should be slightly less than a narrow body at a legacy. I know a 10 year captain who made 360k this year on the 8/6 schedule and he had 4 weeks of vacation and each 1 week of vacation you use at NetJets actually ends up being 20 days off on the 8/6 cause you throw the week of vacation on your 8 days on and you have the week before and week after off. A 10 year narrow body Captain at Delta should make around 380k. As a 1st year FO at NetJets I will make 180k on the 8/6. By doing the simple hourly rate times 1000, First year FO at Delta is around 120k with a significant bump to around 185k year 2. Upgrade times at NetJets right now are 2.5-3 years, I have no clue what they are at a legacy. I was in the same spot as you and I am glad I chose NetJets. I don’t plan on leaving NetJets and I’d rather be stuck here for the rest of my career than have to sit at a regional for 10 years if hiring at legacy’s got really slow
ZealousidealSpend397@reddit
Everyone fails to mention this. SkyWest will absolutely meter your application to the majors to no end. This is not a joke or just some la la land deal. Fly for the regional who doesn’t work for the major you want to go will always be choice one. Then corporate PIC, then regional who flys for your legacy of choice. Very few SKW pilots don’t have to stop on the way to UAL and the other majors.
futurepilot32@reddit
This is super important to note. Obviously you may not have a choice, but I would take any other regional over Skywest. Skywest will be your slowest route to any major airline out of all of the regionals. They work very hard to make sure you don’t go anywhere. Even during the crazy hiring times of ‘21-23, Skywest pilots had to “wash” Skywest off their resume by hopping over to spirit/frontier/jetblue before they’d even be considered by one of the majors.
ZealousidealSpend397@reddit
Yup resume washed SKW guy right here. At a legacy now. Stressful times trying to move on. It’s not enjoyable when you’re not considered for employment based on factors outside your actual contents of application.
futurepilot32@reddit
Nice, glad you made it out!! I’m starting at a legacy next month and ecstatic to be moving on too. It’s incredibly unfair and we’ve lost months (or even years) of career seniority because of these ridiculous gimmicks. It really made me despise this company while I watched my FO friends at other regionals go straight to the legacies, and I wasn’t even considered because my employer was trying to sabotage my career progression. I’m really glad to finally have that be in my past.
ZealousidealSpend397@reddit
Really is too bad! Exciting times for you! I’ve been at my company for a few years now, enjoy it!! Much less stressful work, training, and living situation to come
lavionverte@reddit
Expect SkyWest metering to both Delta and American. So you will need to hop to a LCC or ACMI before you will be looked at.
A year ago I would say NetJets hands down. But now the new hires are looking at 4+ years to upgrade. I don't know what's the upgrade times at SkyWest but it's probably less. So unless you already have 500 TPIC take that into consideration.
Money and QOL will be way better at NJ, it's not even close.
Negative_Swan_9459@reddit
NetJets is a better job now, but depending on the hiring market it can make things more difficult to jump down the road. I wouldn’t use stories from 2021-23 for this decision.
Raccoon_Ratatouille@reddit
121 jobs are about operating complex aircraft, to challenging airports, while adhering to formal SOP’s and making it through training and recurrents. I would focus more on going to the place you wouldn’t mind staying at for 7-10 years if the economy tanks versus worrying about 121 vs 135 time. Even if a legacy is your goal you are going to get metered, so I doubt 121 vs 135 time is a significant debate.
DontAtMoi@reddit
If you think Skywest’s flying meets that criteria more than a Netjets job would, then I think you need to do a little more research into Netjets.
That being said, the airlines will 100% prefer a Skywest over a Netjets pilot. I don’t agree with it at all, but it is what it is. Somebody who flew the last 1500 hours flying Gulfstream around the world vs somebody who flew around a region of the US in an ERJ vs CRJ? I believe the corporate guy is a much higher quality pilot. Will there be little bit of growing pains going to 121? Probably, but the end product will be a much more capable pilot.
ZealousidealSpend397@reddit
Unfortunately I disagree. Having worked 121 and 135 the operation of flying the plane isn’t a big deal. The operation is. The 121 operation is leaps and bounds harder to go 135 -> 121. Most RJ guys I fly with better than the 135 guys. However, both are meeting the mark, both are safe, both do a great job……. I’d hire either, with preference on what the person is like more so. Unfortunately SkyWest metering is a deal breaker and having had to deal with the SkyWest stink I’ll never recommend them to anyone.
wrariley@reddit (OP)
You seem to be in the minority with the opinion of 121 vs 135 time. I would not mind staying at NetJets or SkyWest for the next 10 years I am still pretty young (29). Both companies seem to treat their employees pretty well.
What makes you say that 121 vs 135 time is not a significant debate?
Raccoon_Ratatouille@reddit
Because I had plenty of 135 types in my indoc class from netjets and flexjet. Maybe 135 hours are discounted in the eyes of hiring teams, but legacies don’t want to poach their own regional feed so metering also discounts those hours and experience in a way too. Reputable 135 outfit experience like netjets or flexjet will probably count more than a shady charter company in the middle of nowhere which is also why I think the 135 concerns are overblown, but this is pure speculation on my part.
Add to me the big tie breaker is if the economy lurches to a stop, where do you want to be “stuck” at? To me that’s netjets, but it’s not my call. Good luck with your decision though!
mazzboarding123@reddit
135 jobs are also about operating complex aircraft, to challenging airports, while adhering to formal SOP’s and making it through training and recurrents.
Raccoon_Ratatouille@reddit
Right, which is why I’m saying 135 hours are a viable route to the legacies and the regionals vs 135 concerns are overblown
Independent_Nose_949@reddit
I flew to two dozen countries and all 50 states flying 135. 122 is more complex airport flying? To the same 10 airports?
Flarre80414@reddit
NJ to Legacy here, I had prior 121 though. Depends on the airline, but I don’t know that it really matters in the end. Most of the legacies want to see the same things and it’s not all about flight experience. Failures, letters of rec, college, volunteering all play a role too. 121 time is definitely preferred but they hire from all backgrounds.
crimbo19@reddit
I was hired from Wheels Up In the 2023 hiring wave. Time from application review to test invite was a few weeks. Time from taking the online test to interview invite was 18 hours. 5000hrs, 6 years as a captain with a 2000turbine PIC. In my indoc class of 50-ish there was 1 other part 135 guy. The odds are low so stack the resume.
BalladOfALonelyTeen@reddit
Does the OO CJO prohibit accepting an offer with NJ? If not, id consider going to NJ first and then jumping ship when ever OO finally gets around to giving you a class date. But idk what NJ class date timeline looks like.
Other people who know more than me may think this is a dumb idea, and their opinions are welcome.
wrariley@reddit (OP)
I already have a class date for OO. I am still waiting on one for NJ, I expect to have one soon though.
BalladOfALonelyTeen@reddit
How far out is OO scheduling rn?
wrariley@reddit (OP)
Here was my timeline: Cadet for about 4 years, submitted my application in January of 2025, got an interview in October of 2025, recieved my CJO 2 weeks later, got my class date 2 days ago, class date is for Januaray of 2026.
MehCFI@reddit
121 time is key for majors if you’re comparing no other job pros/cons. That said make sure NJ never has any idea majors are a goal or that CJO is gonna disappear faster than you could imagine.
wrariley@reddit (OP)
There are many other pro/cons that I am considering. Like pay, and pilot base for example.
How much Type PIC time do think I would need to have before a legacy considered me a good option?
anonymous4071@reddit
That will depend entirely on the market when you apply. No one has that crystal ball.
BalladOfALonelyTeen@reddit
I have the ball, you need at least 6
onewordbandit@reddit
Turbine PIC is much more important than 121 time. I got hired on from Flex but times were much easier overall.
MehCFI@reddit
Good to hear considering both. As for what the magic number is, no one will know. All we can say is 121>135, and PIC>SIC. NJ upgrades to fastest PIC is probably around 3-4 years rn. I don’t know what OO is.
Neither will be bad offers, OO will be grindy-er now but faster to a legacy, and then with seniority a better QOL and pay down the road. NJ will get more pay and a better schedule sooner in your career, but more days worked over entire career and less pay. 401k match, pay, QOL, no communting, hotel/airline/cc points are not bad though.
Basically do you want pretty dang good now that never changes, or meh that slowly progresses to amazing with seniority?
NJhomebrew@reddit
I am a Legacy captain hired in the last wave. I have flown with plenty of former corporate pilots, but most have had a stop before , netjets then spirit then Legacy. One was at spirit for less than 6 months.
Difficult-While-7673@reddit
If you go to SkyWest you’re going to get metered. I’d go to NJ. I fly with former 91/135 FOs all the time. It doesn’t matter. Especially with NJ, they operate much like a 121 anyway.
DeltaTule@reddit
Yes, but wait until you find out that there are other regional options that don’t have metering 🤯
Difficult-While-7673@reddit
Reading comprehension is difficult.
Weasel474@reddit
How hard are they actually getting metered these days? I've got buddies from there all getting interviews and class dates with times similar to Envoy/Republic/Horizon guys, haven't really heard of people getting screwed by it yet. Not saying it's not happening, just wanting more up-to-date info than I have.
LootenantTwiddlederp@reddit
At AA, there’s anecdotal evidence that SkyWest guys are metered to only start the first class of the month and only a few at a time.
Difficult-While-7673@reddit
I’m not sure. Maybe somebody at SkyWest can chime in.
wayofaway@reddit
I did NJ to legacy. It happens, probably becoming more realistic now as more people do it and are successful. So, the airlines see the pilots adapt to 121.
Veritech-1@reddit
I’m going to go against the grain a little: do the next best thing for your career at the time.
Skywest is the lowest paying regional with no union while NetJets is every bit a career destination. If you were to pick one to be stuck at for twelve years, which one would you choose?
NonVideBunt@reddit
Historically, there has always been less pure corporate guys in hiring pools at the Legacy’s/Majors than pure regional. Like someone previously has said 121>135. The data backs that up now and even if you look at previous hiring waves in the past.
If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t worry about who provides the best short term pay, QOL, etc. I’d want the fastest pathway to the right seat of my last airline I’ll ever work for. I’ve flown with WAY more previous pilots that worked at OO than corporate.
MyPilotInterview@reddit
I regularly prepare NJ pilots for legacy interviews. NJ and FJ pilots are kind of the exception I see for non-121 going straight to legacies.
morbosad@reddit
As a captain at a legacy, I’ve flown with a number of FOs who came straight from netjets to my legacy.
Open_Priority1498@reddit
Corporate is about 15% of legacy airline hiring.
Working_Football1586@reddit
People leave netjets all the time to the majors, NetJets is just as regimented as a 121 and uses AQP but still requires you to fly to oddball little airports from time to time.
DepressedFoool@reddit
121 over a 135 anyday.
Apollo165@reddit
It's not the norm but it happened a lot during the red hot hiring years of 2021-2023. Obviously anything went during those times. Nowadays, major 121 companies definitely prefer other 121 experience over 135/91.
A very important factor to consider is TPIC. Historically, upgrade times at NetJets have been several years slower than those at any regional. I don't know what prior experience you already have, but it is very difficult if not impossible right now to get hired by a legacy without 500+ TPIC. You may significantly delay getting to your forever company by going to NetJets instead of SkyWest, even with the contract and the metering.
In your shoes, I would bite the bullet of the regional life and grind it out for 5 years, over the schedule and home basing of NetJets and the very real possibility of not getting to a legacy for 10+ years.
wrariley@reddit (OP)
Very good information. Thank you.
anonymous4071@reddit
Of my 25 new hire compadres, those that were flying professionally (non military) the majority were airline. Maybe 2-3 guys were from a corporate flying background.
wrariley@reddit (OP)
Wow, do think that is because the legacy preferred 121, or that guys who go cooperate just tend to stay there because of life style?
anonymous4071@reddit
Everyone flying at that level can fly. It’s all about performing in the environment you’re in. Guys who solely have corporate experience are going to struggle adjusting to the airline world (and yes, vice versa).
rFlyingTower@reddit
This is a copy of the original post body for posterity:
I have a job offer with SkyWest, and with NetJets. Ultimate goal is Delta/American. Which do you think would be best to get there?
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