AirTran Net Income of $134.7 Million for 2009

[maxblast72]

thus the large profit management made.

I think the professional pilots of Airtran have helped make these profits a reality too. I would be willing to bet the mediator is starting to realize the company is intentionally slowing the negotiation process to delay the inevitable cost increase coming. Hopefully, we can obtain a release when ALPA thinks the time is right. Let's also hope the Airtran pilot group is ready to use their leverage during this cooling off period. We still have many fence riders that need convincing.

 

[JerryLundegaard]

uhhhh....not good- thus the large profit management made.

Wow! Do you fly for AirTran? Bet you're real popular with the other pilots if you go around sayin' that stuff!

 

[Penguin46]

The double wide life

Except using the published aircraft delivery schedule through 2016, the average growth is probably going to be closer to 6% cause a timeline of 12 years to double in size. The bottom 400 FOs at Airtran (currently) need to plan on still being in the right seat at the end of 2016 (after our remaining 55 737s deliveries) and vote on the next TA based on those projections. That means some guys hired in 2006 at Airtran will still be in the right seat (10th year FOs).

Still, not a bad job in the left seat; but the right seaters could make a better living elsewhere. The right seaters, presently, have little to lose-even in this economy.

I'm surprised the regional workforce hasn't imploded yet...perhaps younger pilot with less career earning expectations. Perhaps I don't know what the he11 I'm talking about...

 

[ron burgundy]

Still, not a bad job in the left seat; but the right seaters could make a better living elsewhere. The right seaters, presently, have little to lose-even in this economy.

I'm surprised the regional workforce hasn't imploded yet...perhaps younger pilot with less career earning expectations. Perhaps I don't know what the he11 I'm talking about...

Left seat....Yeah. All that really means is one less person to answer to. For some of you ,one less c@ck to suck. This whole thing is for a$$holes. Unfortunately, I didn't follow my MOM's advice...have a backup plan. 23 years invested in this crap and I have become everything that I despise.
An Airline Pilot.

 

[maxblast72]

Still, not a bad job in the left seat; but the right seaters could make a better living elsewhere. The right seaters, presently, have little to lose-even in this economy.

Looking at some numbers posted on-line, Airtran captains appear to be around the 95th percentile for income in America and first officers around the 70th percentile. While it is true some intelligent, motivated, hard working first officers (and possibly some captains) could probably make more outside Airtran, it is not guaranteed with 15 million American workers (some of which are very qualified) looking for work and small businesses having trouble getting start up capital from banks in this environment.

That being said, I believe that the Airtran's current position (and record net profit last year) will support some significant contractual gains especially for our first officers.

 

[pipejockey]

Looking at some numbers posted on-line, Airtran captains appear to be around the 95th percentile for income in America and first officers around the 70th percentile. While it is true some intelligent, motivated, hard working first officers (and possibly some captains) could probably make more outside Airtran, it is not guaranteed with 15 million American workers (some of which are very qualified) looking for work and small businesses having trouble getting start up capital from banks in this environment.

That being said, I believe that the Airtran's current position (and record net profit last year) will support some significant contractual gains especially for our first officers.

When you start talking about where someone's income ranks in terms of percentile, you are comparing us to every adult in the country. That includes the the high school dropouts, drug addicts, alcoholics that can't hold jobs. It includes those collecting unemployment, those working part time by choice, it includes people that could in no way shape or form do our jobs. How about we compare our earnings to all full time employed college graduates with at least a 4 year degree that can pass extensive background checks and then see how our income measure up. We'd be average (50th percentile) at best. We deserve far far better than many of the folks I have described above that couldn't make anything of themselves. Why do you justify these horrid wages paid to people who the management and the general public expects so much from?

 

[maxblast72]

Why do you justify these horrid wages paid to people who the management and the general public expects so much from?

I have my personal strike fund saved up and am ready to fight for our fair portion of Airtran's success.

Attrition at Airtran is just about nil so I find it amazing how some people talk about how easy it is to get a replacement job making better money in this economy. You have to be smart, hard working, and a good networker to get a decent paying job in this economy. The competition is tough out there with alot of well qualified people out of work.

 

[pilotyip]

in the end

We deserve far far better than many of the folks I have described above that couldn't make anything of themselves. Why do you justify these horrid wages paid to people who the management and the general public expects so much from?

In the end the marginal consumer of airline tickets will determine pilot pay and airline profitability. Raise the ticket price a $1.00 and the marginal flyer will change airlines. BTW Comparing college grad wages did you include my nephew with a degree in French History who works at Boarders for $18K/yr. or my niece with a degree in Art, who makes beds in a Nursing home for $21K/yr, or another nephew with a degree in Photography who makes $8K/yr as a part time book binder, lives at home, or another niece with a degree in Art who works in an Art Gallery and made $5K/y on commissions last year. Or would you compare that to my non-college grad sister in laws brother who runs a muffler shop and makes over $200K/yr. Pilots are in the upper income no matter how you look at it, and if you like to fly is a fantastic way to make a living.

 

[Colonel Savage]

Two out of three are liberal arts degrees, everyone knows they don't pay. The 200K muffler shop makes sense; a lot of self-made millionaires run their own scrap yards, used heavy truck parts supply yards, mobile home sales lots, etc.

Doctors, Lawyers, and a lot of pilots spend a lot of money trying to "look successful" with the big houses and expensive cars and toys. Doctors and Lawyers have to, in order to attract clientele and appear successful to their peers. Pilots don't have to, they get paid according to their CBA, so the choice is ours.

The guys who run the scrap yards, sell spare parts or mobile homes don't have to spend their money on affluence, so they save it.

So should we.

 

[pipejockey]

In the end the marginal consumer of airline tickets will determine pilot pay and airline profitability.

You're wrong! Managements continual and never-ending dumping of capacity in the marketplace, requiring prices to be charged that don't cover the costs of operating current capacity. Does the market really need 30 flights a day from LGA to ORD? I think not. But it's the only way to keep fares low. What a travesty it would be to actually charge a fare that covers costs.



And you know you still, nor has anyone else answered the question I have posed many times over. Why does the consumer of airline tickets dictate our pay but it doesn't dictate upper managements and the executives pay? I have stated before that a CEO in the 1970's was paid 40 times that of his average labor. Yet today, they are paid 400 times that of average labor. So what justifies that today? It seems reasonable that the difference in pay ought to remain the same with the passage of time, yet our pay has not come anywhere close to keeping up with inflation for over 30 years, while their has exceeded inflation many times over. The foxes are operating the chicken house. There is truly no end to managements greed in corporate America. It's immoral.