First of all, you're taking UAL 2nd year Airbus Captain guarantee (65 hours) and comparing it to 90+ hours of Skybus Captain pay and saying, "gee look guys, it's not that bad."
I never said it was as good as UAL, just that it's not as bad as some claim... The difference is UAL is making 100's of millions while Skybus is currently loosing money. It's hard to ask for a raise when you've just open up the shop and are loosing money.. what's your excuse? And more importantly why did your membership vote in such DEEP cuts that made it so that a start up has to pay so pathetically to get a foot in?
Second of all, we' don't have 2 year Captains at United, and if we did, those rates would be higher. No union MEC in their right mind is going waste valuable negotiating capital trying to up 1st and 2nd year Captain rates when there's not a very low probability of anyone on the property even seeing those rates.
CA or FO, for me what matters is what's on my W2.. and as a 2nd year "pilot" there I'll make more than my friend who's a 4th year pilot at UAL.
In due time as profits come in, Skybus will pay more market wages, but for now, I live and feed my family in the present.
Third of all, you're comparing your rates to a once-bankrupt airline operating under an extremely concessionary post-bankruptcy contract. You may as well compare your rates to JetBlue's! Oh wait.....
deny it all you want (we can discuss inflation in another thread), but the fact is, Skybus pays better than Jetblue did as a start up with far better work rules. We get a minimum of 12 days off a month, how much did B6, heck! How much do you???
.. only now has Jetblue come up. But with their work rules, I'm pretty sure a B6 captain makes about what a UAL captain makes on the Bus, again, you voted in those cuts, don't blame me (or Skybus) which didn't even exist then. You've set the tone for the wages I have to accept entering into a startup, since you're the top of the food chain, king of the hill , big wig, or what ever you think of yourself.
No Airbus Captain at UAL is pulling guarantee. Try an average of 80 hours a month- and I'm being conservative. That $139,000 of pre-tax dollars, per month, including the 15% B and C fund (adjusted for pre-tax dollars for a UAL pilot in the 25% tax bracket). And if you're a guy like me, good health insurance that costs me ZERO dollars per month for my family.
If Skybus is profitable, I'll get 5500 shares at a $5 strike price that can be worth millions, but at a minimum of sever hundred thousand.. And unlike your Pentions, nobody can take it away, and I don't the the Federal Government to guarantee it.
Work 110 credit hours per month at UAL as a 2nd year Airbus Captain (which is possible if you're a total whore), and including the B&C fund you would make $191,664 in pre-tax dollars vs. "close to $100K" at Skybus. Wow! For $100,000/year less, I get to be home every night!!! Or, you could bust your ass for 10 years, invest wisely, and use that $100K a year to invest in your retirement, and have around a million dollars at the end of that 10 years sitting in your IRA, 401K, etc. With that kind of bank, you can perhaps retire early and spend FAR more time at home with your familly in early retirement then some Skybus Captain dude still busting his a** trying to make it on $68.42/hr.
You don't need to work 110 hours to credit 110 at Skybus.. you simply work a couple of west coast turns and fly an average of 6 hours a day on a 15 day work week.. and sit in the back on 4-5 deadheads earning 2+ hours for every west coast return.. The IMPORTANT thing is unlike you with your 400+ hours away from home, I'm gone 150 to get paid my 110 hours.
Oh yeah, I forgot about those Skybus stock options. You guys are already pulling out of your two most promising cities but I'm sure they'll be very valuable someday.
Ryanair, which flies to as you call it "valuable" cities also has a market cap bigger than UAL and Southwest combined.. That's where the income lies, yes.. stock options and profit share. Sorry you can't see it.
uke:
