Anyone know what a senior major CA earned in 1977?

[RJAA]

I wonder how they kept it up at JAL..

I heard from someone on JAL contract side that a JAL main line 747 Captain now makes $450K and gets a limo ride from/to home every time he goes to work.

That sounds high but you shouldn't try to equate the salary with dollars and how much it would be in U.S. as living standard and the cost of living in Japan (especially in Tokyo) is astronomical.

The limo ride is true. NRT isn't exactly a commutable airport by primary (reliable) means of transportation (train) and the driving is rather complex (also VERY expensive) and the traffic is unpredictable. I wouldn't say JAL does it because they want to treat the pilots well, but when you are in charge of big resposibility like that, the airline just can't afford to be late, you just have to leave the hassle of driving around jammed Tokyo to the professionals.

 

[Spooky 2]

I wonder how they kept it up at JAL..

I heard from someone on JAL contract side that a JAL main line 747 Captain now makes $450K and gets a limo ride from/to home every time he goes to work.

Pure BS.

 

[RJAA]

Pure BS.

Really? I have seen it on a documentary. To be accurate, it's almost like a taxi really. Not what you would imagine as a limo.

 

[PCL_128]

Anyone know what a 12 Wide Body CA earned in 1977? I believe it was about $125K per year. Anyone have any documentation like the pay rates from a major contract in 1977?

The reason I am asking is when I teach P2P (CAL ALPA) I state it is my belief that in 1977 a Major senior Captain made around $125,000 and if you run that into an inflation calculator (depending on which one you use) it works out to a little over $430,000 in 2007 dollars.

If you look at the mega contracts (pre concessionary) at UAL and DAL they didn't even make up the difference and those contracts are now approaching ten years old.

We as a profession have a long way to go!

Give ALPA E & FA in Herndon a call. They should have the data, or at least be able to tell you which staffer can get it for you. All of the old contracts are in the archives in Herndon.

 

[ReverseSensing]

We've been working under the RLA since 1936. Ever heard the phrase: "A Cadillac a month?" The RLA might have been a necessary tool for milling that down to "the payment on my Hyundai," but it was by no means sufficient.

I don't disagree. And I know I'm preaching to the faithful, but unless Labor has the ability to withhold its labor, we'll nearly always be out-lawyered.

My only point was that things, post de-regulation, would look a lot different if it weren't for the RLA, IMHO.

 

[capt. megadeth]

You'll likely find that almost everyone is moving backwards...except hedge fund managers.

Also CEOs and other airline executives.

 

[capt. megadeth]

I wonder how they kept it up at JAL..

I heard from someone on JAL contract side that a JAL main line 747 Captain now makes $450K and gets a limo ride from/to home every time he goes to work.

Whoop de doo!!!

Who the f*** would want that? That's stupid. I'd rather drive myself.

 

[skywdriver]

I wonder how they kept it up at JAL..

I heard from someone on JAL contract side that a JAL main line 747 Captain now makes $450K and gets a limo ride from/to home every time he goes to work.

I think a lot of rumors are floating around about how much the foreign guys get paid, but I don't think most of it is true. I found a site that has a lot of foreign pay scales, and even though there is no way to verify the accuracy, the scales listed for the American carriers seem pretty legit. Either way, I would say there is no chance that JAL guys get paid 450k a year. They aren't listed, but the ANA guys don't make nearly that much. Seems that the European carriers pay the best in the world right now, not taking into consideration ex pat taxing. Lufthansa senior captains are making about 300,000 a year, but that is with a very weak dollar conversion. Given what the dollar used to be worth against the Euro, they were making about the same as the American pilots. Here is the site link if anyone is interested:
http://www.pilotjobsnetwork.com/
Again, seems legit but who knows. Either way, like someone said earlier, very few professions seem to be paying "what they used to."

 

[Dumb Pilot]

That sounds high but you shouldn't try to equate the salary with dollars and how much it would be in U.S. as living standard and the cost of living in Japan (especially in Tokyo) is astronomical.

It is more like $350/year or so, the pay structure in Japan is based on years of service in the company and not the equipment you fly. a 20 year seniority 767 and 747 captains make the same salary

The limo ride is true. NRT isn't exactly a commutable airport by primary (reliable) means of transportation (train) and the driving is rather complex (also VERY expensive) and the traffic is unpredictable. I wouldn't say JAL does it because they want to treat the pilots well, but when you are in charge of big resposibility like that, the airline just can't afford to be late, you just have to leave the hassle of driving around jammed Tokyo to the professionals.

A lot of folks use the public transprtation system in Japan and NRT is served by two major railway lines, public bus lines and private airport limosine bus service. The public transportation service in Tokyo is about as easy and reliable as you will find anywhere in the world and the highway sytem is also very efficient and hassle free.
Also the notion of the cost of living in Tokyo is overblown in everyway, exept in housing. It does cost a lot of money to rent or buy a house or apartment in Tokyo, this is true (specially close to the center of town) but up in Narita and the outher suburbs you can still find two bedroom apartments for about $1500/month.
Now about the cost of everything else, It is not even as close to being as expensive as you think.

I think is time that we as pilots stop making excuses as to why we make less than our counterparts in other parts of the world and start realizing that it is FREAKING EXPENSIVE to live in the United States. You are over taxed in every way and the medical costs in the US is what I discribe as Astronomical.

To answer the original question, pilots make less than a third of what they used to in 1977 if you compare the cost of living now. pissed off yet?:angryfire I sure as hell am

 

[Dumb Pilot]

I would say there is no chance that JAL guys get paid 450k a year. They aren't listed, but the ANA guys don't make nearly that much. Seems that the European carriers pay the best in the world right now, not taking into consideration ex pat taxing. Lufthansa senior captains are making about 300,000 a year, but that is with a very weak dollar conversion.

The pay structure in Japan is based on years of service and not on equipment, a 20 year captain on the 767 makes the same as the 20 year 747 captain
(per diem rates are different)
Also JAL and ANA pay for Japanese pilots is pretty similar. I don't think is as high as 450K a year but it is upwards of 300Kplus for sure in both companies. they get payed (and get treated) very well.

Transportation is provided for you when your flight starts or ends out of your base or is scheduled at odd hours (even for training events late at night) At normal hours most of the employees use the public transportation system or drive to work. It is not uncommon to see a senior VP seating beside you on the train going to work in the morning.