An Honest Question for AirTran Pilots

[texman]

I'm the wrong guy to answer since I'm on reserve but last month I flew around 30 hours and will get paid for 78.

So, reserve at SWA is productive. If you don't live in base it is good. Sitting reserve at SWA you get paid a guarantee of 90 tfps. But you will blow your guarantee every month, you will average about 68 block hours a month but get paid about 105 to 110 tfps. Get ready to be productive that is what keeps this company going. No lazy pilots here.

 

[S3sundowner]

How much is pay a factor in sli negotiations/arbitration? Is seat a factor or is it just pay? I've never been through this before, so feel free to enlighten me. Not sure what to expect for all of u guys? I realise too that aai are bringing atl, but swa are bringing many major cities. I think it must be exciting over at aai right now. No regrets about choosing jblu over the tranny, but still a great time to be there. Maybe we'll be next and we'll see how Ty feels about relative seniority then!

 

[Cruncher]

We all have our buds that fly their butts off, I know a guy who averages over 200 tfp per month. You do the math at $122 / trip. IRS limits his 401k match every year by over $50k. He works his tail off, but that's his decision.

Senior FOs do very well here, very well. Rigs, VJA / POT, lots of deadheads, ... all results in enormous checks on the 20th.

 

[Bill Nelson]

Karma,

Very intesting. You do realize that our most junior pilot made more than you last month?

Looks like you made $12090 last month. Our Junior guy got 133TFP at $92.40 per trip. He made more than you did and gets 9.3% match on our industry leading 401K, near free benefits and profit sharing. I'm sure he would tell you that reserve sucks, but I bet he would argue that our reserve sucks less than yours does.

How is it you think you deserve to be oun our list above him?

 

[texman]

We all have our buds that fly their butts off, I know a guy who averages over 200 tfp per month. You do the math at $122 / trip. IRS limits his 401k match every year by over $50k. He works his tail off, but that's his decision.

Senior FOs do very well here, very well. Rigs, VJA / POT, lots of deadheads, ... all results in enormous checks on the 20th.

I know it's crazy, but we do earn it. Thats what I like. Honest days pay for honest days work. Take home for the 5 plus year fo is about 8-13k depending how hard or smart you work. That figure is 10% in the 401k. If we make the projected 1.5 bil in 2011 then expect a good profit sharing year.

But what really matters for most is QOL. I think take home of 8k with 17-18 days off a month as a fo is good. Who needs money?!?

 

[S3sundowner]

Bill, I don't know about you but I'd take what was offered to me. I think that most trannies are probably reasonable and realise what is being put on the table in front of them. I would agree with an aai poster the other day who said the guys on here represent about 8-9% of the trannies and most, like him, would be happy with a staple. It's like being in vegas with another million or two on the table, yours to walk away with if you want it, or you can roll the dice and let some random 3 man panel giveth more or taketh away. I would be grabbing it with both hands and not venting on fi about picking up industry leading pay, workrules and career expectation. I'll bet there's about 2/3 of the aai list that are very worried by some of those that seem intent on burning down the proverbial house, and if I were them I'd be getting vocal over at aai about what's at stake here.

 

[texman]

How much is pay a factor in sli negotiations/arbitration? Is seat a factor or is it just pay? I've never been through this before, so feel free to enlighten me. Not sure what to expect for all of u guys? I realise too that aai are bringing atl, but swa are bringing many major cities. I think it must be exciting over at aai right now. No regrets about choosing jblu over the tranny, but still a great time to be there. Maybe we'll be next and we'll see how Ty feels about relative seniority then!

It's not just pay it is everything. 30 year old fo 5 years tenure on both sides. Can you imagine what the career expectations would be? Some may argue I was going to upgrade in 6 years some may say we get paid more. Some may say we have never furloughed. We cant get to worked up about. Hell arbitrator may see the 717 as a smaller aircraft? Who knows?

 

[texman]

Bill, I don't know about you but I'd take what was offered to me. I think that most trannies are probably reasonable and realise what is being put on the table in front of them. I would agree with an aai poster the other day who said the guys on here represent about 8-9% of the trannies and most, like him, would be happy with a staple. It's like being in vegas with another million or two on the table, yours to walk away with if you want it, or you can roll the dice and let some random 3 man panel giveth more or taketh away. I would be grabbing it with both hands and not venting on fi about picking up industry leading pay, workrules and career expectation. I'll bet there's about 2/3 of the aai list that are very worried by some of those that seem intent on burning down the proverbial house, and if I were them I'd be getting vocal over at aai about what's at stake here.

Good analogy vegas baby! That's the problem with a 3rd party. Unless you visit the Green Room in Vegas.LOL

 

[S3sundowner]

The 717 is a smaller aircraft, but what constitutes smaller? I don't know. I think the swa guys will be fighting for one pay scale either way, so the trannies should be happy about that. I can't get over the impending pay raises. I know they'll say it's about seat/furlough protection, etc., but I don't see anything but growth at swa over the next 3-4 years. The trannies will roll out of atl when the fence comes down with tens of thousand more in earnings/retirement benes, etc., and still have pretty good seniority with all the hiring. I don't get what this debate is even about?? I wonder if the trannie's mec can keep a straight face during the negotiations with swapa?! "

 

[Kharma Police]

Karma,

Very intesting. You do realize that our most junior pilot made more than you last month?

Looks like you made $12090 last month. Our Junior guy got 133TFP at $92.40 per trip. He made more than you did and gets 9.3% match on our industry leading 401K, near free benefits and profit sharing. I'm sure he would tell you that reserve sucks, but I bet he would argue that our reserve sucks less than yours does.

How is it you think you deserve to be oun our list above him?

I posted this awhile back asking why you guys have this nouveau riche tacky obsession with talking about how much money you make. I didn't know we were merging based on W2s? I've witnessed it on several occasions on overnights and to be honest, I was embarrassed for you guys.

I don't care what you think my fellow AirTran pilots and I deserve, it will be up to the arbitrator(s) to decide. Besides, as Clint Eastwood said in "Unforgiven" before he blew Gene Hackman's brains out, "deserve's got nothing to do with it".