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2009 W2's

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6/7 Year B6 Captain in base 749 hrs. block - 203.7k. 4 months PTX Reserve (lineholder 8 months) and sold back a ton of PTO......
 
Per Diem

Guys and Gals ... per diem is fundamentally a reimbursement. It is also never enough, well short of what you actually spend ... hence the IRS deduction permitted.

It I spent 15$ a meal for 3 meals a day on a 3 day trip with any normal company, I would submit my TPS report for $135 dollars. That would never be considered compensation.

Let us not forget, however, it is something you must use negotiating capital to achieve and to improve on. Hence the bordering on "compensation."

Block of 979:51 . I blocked more last year. 5th year SWA FO.
 
It I spent 15$ a meal for 3 meals a day on a 3 day trip with any normal company, I would submit my TPS report for $135 dollars. That would never be considered compensation.

Some RJ guys stretch $15 for the whole 3 day trip easily (gotta love the dollar menu). When I lived in base I would bid 4day trips because the per diem was a big chunk of additional compensation compared to day trips.
 
$199,318. 10-yr SWA Cpt just flying my line

Down about $18K from 2008 due to the flight reductions and my unwillingness to work more days. No complaints....I'll gladly take this pay cut over having to furlough anyone.
 
$122,274 Tax FREE. Working in the sandbox flying an Embraer Legacy. Blocked about 150 hours, if that. 3 months on / 1 month off... worked a total of about 40 days or so throughout the whole year.

$122,274 at 0% tax = about $175k or so before tax.
 
Per Diem. IS Income. Period.

Today, I am at home.

I spent $17.00 at the Grocery store for a nice dinner and some incidentals. $5.00 on some beer, drove my car @ $2.55/gal. for 28 miles @26 MPG ... (Lets just call it $2.55 total expense ), paid $1.60 in Tolls, and had a doughnut and coffee for Breakfast for $2.79.

So, about $30.00 total ( Okay, $28.94 exactly ) ... Just for daily living.

Question: "When is my check coming to offset that?"

Oh, NEVER... You say?

Hmmm.

Yesterday, I was at work.

I got up and had the overpriced Breakfast Buffet at the Hotel. $14.00.
Went to work and bought the crappy $8.00 airport sandwich.
Got to destination and had the bad Chicken Fingers in the LGA Marriot for $12.00 (Actually they are really good if you have Gil do them for you "Buffalo Style". ), along with 4 overpriced $4.00 beers.

$50.00 Bucks.

Oh, and my Per Diem was $42.00 for the day. They send me a check for this?

So, I did everything I would have done at Home for 8 dollars instead of 30?

Seems like a Net Savings/Gain of $22.00 to me (?).

Nah, "Per Diem is not Income". Can't count it....

Oh, and when I watched my Flight Attendant GF pay her Car Payment every Month with Per Diem Checks....That was NOT Income?

Oh, and when I banked/invested $6000.00/yr with Per Diem Checks ...THAT was not Income?

And when you do the Math...$6-7000.00 in Per Diem is the equivalent of about $9000/yr of taxable Gross Earnings.



Per Diem IS Income....And, Damn good Income at that.

It is a foolish man who would think otherwise....


Love,

YKW
 
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3-4year FO 757/767 CAL.. 72K... And 76K With per diem

CAL Sucks

Jeeze dude...maybe you should bid to the 737 on the January bid. Same scale and got you beat by at least 10%. And no, I didn't fly 85-90 hours each month. Averaged 75 hours per month for the year. At our seniority, you can pretty much meet or beat the blended rate on every pairing.

Not braggin' by any means...just sayin'

I know our contract sucks.
 

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