Airline Pilots, Wht is your job worth????

[Jmajoris]

Negative attitude

this topic isnt very reassuring....im already 67K deep in training bout to go on my cfi ride............what should i do

Stop coming here. In case you have not figured it out yet, most of these folks just love to complain. Somethings always wrong, woe is me, pft, yada, yada, yada, crybabies. If they spent as much time working as they are complaining maybe they'd have a better outlook on life....

Be proud that you're a pilot. Turn off the PC and go fly.

 

[RJET]

KAF,

I remember when I was your age, I used to ask the same questions, I was as optimistics as you and thought to myself that things cannot be that bad. The first year, you are all smile because you are happy that you have made it. Once in a while, you will fly with grumpy old guys that b**ch and cry about how the company treats them wrong. Then little by little after a couple of months, scheduling had done a couple numbers on me, and no one to back you up, the CP, not the company, the UNION well you grievance, but you still worked during those days you had planned to be with family, friends, or girlfriend, and on top of this you are making low 30's after a few years. One day you are going to want pay a mortgage instead rent, have a nice car instead of a bike, have kids, pay the 67K debt, etc. Follow your dreams, just know what you are getting yourself into. If I was starting this career, I would most likely go into a different industry.

Jmaroris, I used to think pilots complained a lot until I got here.
We have to protect this industry and how low are we willing to go.

 

[A Squared]

The Russian,

Fascinating that you're such a harda$$, "demand what we're worth" kinda girl. Fascinating indeed for a Gulfstream First Officer. Yeah, I know from your previous posts that you think Gulfstream"s FO "program" isn't PFT, ot PFJ or whatever. I'm not even going to try to penetrate your veil of denial and delusion, so spare me your absurd rationalizations. Whatever you chose to call it, (and you can call it anything your little heart desidres) paying a company almost $30,000 for a "Job" is just sleazy and disgusting. A big part of the reason we're in this situation is because of operators like Gulfstream and the types who write them checks for the privilege of occupying a seat in htier airplanes. When you're tallking about acepting less (and we are, that's the original topic of this thread) it doesn't get any worse than the "employee" paying money to the company instead ofh te other way around. Yes I know, Gulfstream "pay" the rightseaters $8 per hour. Right, that means in the end you've only paid $27,285, instead of $29,285.

Please, Gulfstream is the bottom of the barrel, so don't come charging onto the thread, acting like you're standing up for what's right. You have already been tested and you've failed that test.

 

[Goose Egg]

But I can Guarantee that there is not ONE pilot actually at the Majors that says he will do it for 80K.

Yeah, except for the furloughed ones.

Seriously though, I see what you were saying, and I definitely wouldn't stand for making $80K if I was a senior captain at a major flying heavy equipment and long hauls.

But I've got to tell you (maybe all the complaining is finally getting to me) that I really don't have much interest in the airline gig anymore. You guys come on here and constantly harp about how much it sucks, and I'm starting to believe you. But that's ok. I'll figure something else out.

However, I've also got to say that I've seen another attitude here on the website as well as my place of work that concerns me to say the least; If you aren't always pissed about something, then you are a "kool-aid drinker" or a "company man." In other words, if you are not disgruntled, then you are some sort of company shill. And I simply refuse to accept that mindset. Just because I like my job and am satisfied with my pay level does not mean that I'm not showing "solidarity."

-Goose

 

[ADF_Fixed]

For what is worth

Would you folk(s) like to try on some different shoe. I meant the other side of life. How about state minimum wages. hihihih, C'mom get real. hope this doesn't offended anyone. hihihihi $50k-$100k. Wanna get rich fast, how about start up a company, sit behind a desk and dream about the next landing.. huh hit home yet.
better appreciate folks. cuz you never know it could be like Eastern. remember

 

[Ty Webb]

Oh, I like this one better. After 6 legs of shooting approaches down to mins in snow or rain. Scheduling calls and says " You and your crew will repo/ferry that plane to XXX and DH back"

You say " why us? are we the most junior crew out there?"

Crew sched : "You were assigned the trip, now call the CP for arguing with me"

You gotta be kidding me. People really put up with this where you work? I wouldn;t put up with that crap for two seconds.

A Squared- very well put. I couldn't have said it better myself, though lord knows, I've tried . . . . and tried!

 

[hawg2hawk]

If you make your living flying and you hate your job, it sucks to be you and you should have left some options open in school.

 

[Whirlwind]

this topic isnt very reassuring....im already 67K deep in training bout to go on my cfi ride............what should i do

Not to jump into the middle of this, but if this is the first research you've done on a job that you've invested $67K into, then you've done this to yourself.

Yes, the pay is terrible, yes the working conditions can be terrible. The airlines are nothing special anymore if you're just starting out.

Getting paid less than $30K per year for the first 3 to 4 years of being an airline pilot, while working 6 days a week, holidays, etc. just isn't worth it IMHO.

 

[Caveman]

"But I can Guarantee that there is not ONE pilot actually at the Majors that says he will do it for 80K."

Wrong. I invite you to check out the major payscales at airlinepay.com. ALL of the majors have pay that is below $80K. FO's at USAir only get $85 and they've been there at least 16 years! Starting pay at UPS is $27. You don't break $80 at AWA until your 5th year. At AirTran and JB you don't break $80 until you upgrade. AT UAL, DAL an AA you don't make $80K until 3rd year pay. These are the majors and legacy carriers. Evergreen, Polar, Kalitta, and Southern all have pay rates for 747 Captains below $100 bucks an hour. I'm not talking about freak 1st year 747 Capt either. These are pay scales for 3, 4, 5 and even 6th year 747 Capt.

Let me guess, you've never worked in another career besides aviation, right? $80K annually is a pretty darn good wage. Don't think so? Bail out of aviation and try and do something else to make $80K. It can be done but you are gonna work your a$$ off to get it. There are exceptions I'm sure, but most folks making that kind of money are putting in 60+ hour work weeks. The majority of newly minted attorneys aren't making anything near $80K unless they live in NY or SFO. Try $35K for a rookie member of the bar and their student loans aren't any less than yours.

I'm all for improvement, but don't delude yourself into thinking we are special and 'deserve' more than we get. We are paid what we negotiate and what the market will bear. If you can get more out of your company, then good for you but I think your expectations are unrealistic in the current market.

 

[Swede]

All the ranting aside, here's what it boils down to...

Those of us who've done the "Majors" for any length of time KNOW what it can be like, just how dam good it can be. Full months in 12 days due to efficient scheduling. Profit sharing. Entire months with the same CP/cabin crew, you'd get to know people and have a bit of fun. Mutual respect between labor groups. Adequately manned bid-status pools. Upgrades measured in years, not decades. Passenegers nicely dressed instead of fat hairy old dudes in muscle shirts and flip-flops. Crew meals so we aren't faint from low blood sugar. I could go on and on.

Above all, a salary commensurate with your seat.

Now, we can't even take a whizz without a congressional act. Cabin crews change every leg. They'd probably change them DURING the leg if the laws of physics permitted it. Everyone exhausted ALL the time from bad scheduling. Salaries plummeting; furloughs, acquisitions, the death of carriers. And no end in sight.

Is it any wonder pilots are PO'ed?