PSA isn't all smiles... - First Officer PSA Airlines Employee Review

1.0
Apr 8, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I've been here for almost 2 years and as an FO the whole time. The company is still growing and we do have a flow to AA (albeit a small flow, but still a flow) Some decent overnights with the benefit of knowing that this place is most likely going to stay around because it's a wholly owned airline. The Schedule Adjustment Period is one thing that is the best in the regional airlines for making your Quality of Life better than ever. It allows you to actually plan events in the future and guarantee your attendance of those events.

Cons

Where should I start. About a year ago, the management started taking away the ability for our pilots to make extra money per the contract. In doing so, it made most of our pilots lose THOUSANDS of dollars. This issue is still ongoing and has resulted in an incredibly infectious, and negative morale towards our management. This same morale has been continued because of the lack of efficient schedules that started around the same time. We have pilots going to work for 4 days and receiving ~10 hours of pay for those 4 days. In other companies, the minimum amount of time you would get paid for for a 4 day trip would be 16 hours minimum. Ours can get as low as 10 hours of pay. The contract used to be one of the better ones or at least very competitive, but unfortunately it is now not even close to others as far as compensation goes. With that being said, the worst part about the company is the lack of engagement between the management and its employees. We as pilots, RARELY hear anything from management. Good or bad. In this industry there needs to be an understanding and a support from the pilots to management and vise versa. Unfortunately, at this company, there is none. There are roughly 1,200 pilots at this company and most of them are upset with the way they are treated. Management acts as the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain and never shows their face. On top of all of this, we are not properly staffed for our operation as is. We have been having line check airmen (captains) fly as first officers to staff flights. We have delayed the transfer of aircraft from envoy in order to try to catch up with our staffing issues. We have seized captain upgrades for the near future. Our flow numbers are currently at 5 but will most likely be shrinking and we will hold people back because they will be unable to staff the flying if they are to allow pilots to leave the company. We have had multiple First Officers leave to other airlines because of better opportunities at various different airlines. Our pay is among some of the lowest in the industry (even with the 10k dollar sign on bonus because of how much you will see from that bonus, which also requires a 2 year contract signed) All in all, when I came here, it was the place to be. People were getting paid appropriately, upgrades were abundant, and the increase of aircraft was fantastic. Now, we aren't getting paid properly, we never hear from management, planes aren't being transferred, upgrades are stagnant, and the specifics within the contract (and the first year pay) are some of the worst in the industry.

Explore other reviews about PSA Airlines

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Good training program with good instruction.

Cons

The current wait for IOE is a bit long, so I’m hoping chair flying and running through all of the procedures is enough to not end up too rusty.

avatar
PSA Airlines Response
2d
Thank you for your feedback and for being part of the PSA Airlines team. We’re glad to hear you had a positive training experience. We understand the wait for IOE can be challenging and appreciate your patience as you prepare to take the next step. Wishing you continued success in your career with PSA!
4.0
May 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

1. Incredible work-life balance. The team is incredibly collaborative and there to help out. There are plenty of opportunities to take ownership and step in where you would like to make decisions backed by data. Everyone understands life outside of work is real and is not just accommodating to it but encouraging prioritizing that. 2. The autonomy given to employees to do their job as they see fit is incredible. 3. Travel benefits. I went to London last weekend to watch a soccer game for the cost of taxes.

Cons

1. Corporate red tape. For being under the American Airlines umbrella, I would've assumed we would be more established. It feels like a startup in some ways with the red tape and scissors being held by American. This just slows things down. 2. Vacation days lag behind the market. Other companies have 4-5 weeks or unlimited PTO. For a company that runs on business travel and vacations, I would've thought that the emphasis on the need to vacation would be higher as you get 10 days to start + 2 jetaway days (floating holidays) + 4 days of personal time (meant for appts and sick days). 3. Salary expectations not met. However the room for growth within the company counters this.

avatar
PSA Airlines Response
2w
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad to hear you’re excited about the growth and opportunities at PSA. We recognize the challenges that come with evolving systems and processes, and we’re committed to continuous improvement to better support our team.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All