We are our own worst enemy! Our pastor used to say, when you point your finger at someone else, there will be three fingers pointing back at you.
The real issue is economics, and since they don't teach economics in our schools anymore, here is my two cents: Our economy has moved from a quality standard to a price standard. Anyone remember in the late 90s when United was handing out all those large raises? They were proud to have the highest paid pilots in the world. It was a quality issue. Ask yourself, when you log on to Orbitz, do you shop for the cheapest price? I'll bet that you (myself included) demand the cheapest seat. What about when you go to Walmart, do you care how much cheap labor went into that TV you bought? Well, this is what business model the airlines have to work with. As long as the public demands the lowest price, the airline model must oblige. Well, we as pilots are seeing the other side of the equation. We are the ones that are seeing what lowering the standards does. Where's the bottom? When there aren't enough pilots to fill the seats, the airlines either have to raise the pilot pay, OR lower the standards. They have universally chosen to lower the bar to hiring pilots with minimal experience. This has caused pilot salaries to dip well below the poverty level. Why? because we have all demanded the cheapest seat. (myself included) Like I said, we are our own worst enemy. This is a multi-faceted issue that can't be explained in a few words, but at least I tried to shed light on the real issue.
The real issue is economics, and since they don't teach economics in our schools anymore, here is my two cents: Our economy has moved from a quality standard to a price standard. Anyone remember in the late 90s when United was handing out all those large raises? They were proud to have the highest paid pilots in the world. It was a quality issue. Ask yourself, when you log on to Orbitz, do you shop for the cheapest price? I'll bet that you (myself included) demand the cheapest seat. What about when you go to Walmart, do you care how much cheap labor went into that TV you bought? Well, this is what business model the airlines have to work with. As long as the public demands the lowest price, the airline model must oblige. Well, we as pilots are seeing the other side of the equation. We are the ones that are seeing what lowering the standards does. Where's the bottom? When there aren't enough pilots to fill the seats, the airlines either have to raise the pilot pay, OR lower the standards. They have universally chosen to lower the bar to hiring pilots with minimal experience. This has caused pilot salaries to dip well below the poverty level. Why? because we have all demanded the cheapest seat. (myself included) Like I said, we are our own worst enemy. This is a multi-faceted issue that can't be explained in a few words, but at least I tried to shed light on the real issue.