Low pilot pay called 'dirty little secret'

[Smarta$$]

THe only thing that is going to affect pilot pay is supply and demand. If people quit learning to fly because the pay is ******************** then wages will increase to attract those out there with the quals.

AGAIN,

Two summers ago, Pinnacle was cancelling flights in huge numbers, paying millions of dollars in performance fines to NW because they could not get enough pilots to staff the company. It was a time when pilots were in demand and our contract was 3 years expired. Pilots were choosing to go to better paying airlines.

It was the PERFECT STORM for a supply and demand pay increase for Pinnacle pilots. The money paid in fines alone was enough to close the gap at the negotiating table for our new contract. In the end, the company paid the fines, lost the revenue for the CX block hours and refused to raise the pay enough to attract the needed pilots.

Supply in demand will not raise pilot wages. Lack of pilots will not push wages up.

 

[HA25]

AGAIN,

Two summers ago, Pinnacle was cancelling flights in huge numbers, paying millions of dollars in performance fines to NW because they could not get enough pilots to staff the company. It was a time when pilots were in demand and our contract was 3 years expired. Pilots were choosing to go to better paying airlines.

It was the PERFECT STORM for a supply and demand pay increase for Pinnacle pilots. The money paid in fines alone was enough to close the gap at the negotiating table for our new contract. In the end, the company paid the fines, lost the revenue for the CX block hours and refused to raise the pay enough to attract the needed pilots.

Supply in demand will not raise pilot wages. Lack of pilots will not push wages up.

There's a never ending supply of 23 year old girls with 250hours and rich CAL captain daddies to insure that this remain true.

 

[Smarta$$]

There's a never ending supply of 23 year old girls with 250hours and rich CAL captain daddies to insure that this remain true.

It was true for an entire summer. They paid penalties for 2 quarters to NW because they couldn't fill classes. Sounds like a lack of supply to me. They paid more in penalties and lost revenue then it would have cost to settle the contract.

 

[turbodriver]

They'll pay up. Let them go month after month after month of not being able to fill classes, then go see about that pay raise....

 

[instructordude]

I was enjoying the view above FL410 back when you were making propeller airplane noises as you hand flew your broken X-Wing Fighter toy, while wearing your yellow stained Power Rangers jammies, spare me your idiotic justifications for lowering everyone elses paycheck.[/QUOTE]

I smell a tough guy here.

You were probably lowering the bar also. Something tells me you PFT'd back in the early 90's with dads money. What wages were you working for back when you were above 410 and I was playing in my yellow stained Power Ranger Jammies??

PS: I never played with an X-wing fighter. I had the Millenium Falcon. What do you play with?? Your doll??:laugh:

 

[HA25]

I smell a tough guy here.

You were probably lowering the bar also. Something tells me you PFT'd back in the early 90's with dads money. What wages were you working for back when you were above 410 and I was playing in my yellow stained Power Ranger Jammies??

PS: I never played with an X-wing fighter. I had the Millenium Falcon. What do you play with?? Your doll??:laugh:

Well, first off... back in the early 90's there was no PFT... that was in the late 90's..

Secondly, when in the late 80's and early 90's people like he and myself were going to the "commuters" .. they were just that... small rinkidink airlines that had small turbo props.. hired 1500+ TT pilots who spent 5-6 years with them, maybe 2 of those as a CA and then went to the majors since back then 95% of the flying capacity was at the mainline..

fastforward 20 years and today kids like you are still flooding the schools and "regionals" .. except unless you're a complete idiot, surely you must know that most of the flying jobs and growth in capacity is all going to be at the "regionals"... now with the advent of the 100 seat RJ especially...

so while when we did it, it made some sense.. what's you excuse for going into this crap career now? Your idea of self worth a $25K/yr job for 4-5 years?

 

[Whine Lover]

" They'll pay up. Let them go month after month after month of not being able to fill classes..."

Oh the beauty of the naivete' of youth.

Were I to be so young again....


YKGLWT

 

[Whine Lover]

"...back in the early 90's there was no PFT. "

OKAY.

Let's kill this MYTH right here and NOW.

WHAT DO YOU PEOPLE THINK FIRST YEAR PAY IS?

You guessed it....The Original ( Do you HEAR me Kids? ) "Pay For Training".

Here's the Scam.....You work for 20-30 Grand LESS than you should, so that the airline might recoup it's cost to train you, and VOILA'! There you have it...PFT.

And THEN, THEN, you A-wipes fell for the ADDITIONAL PFT Scheme.

Man, I am so happy that I just jerk off indigents for a dollar a pop and have gotten my self respect back.

YKW

 

[Whine Lover]

Example:

( Source: APC. Legacy Airlines. Annual Guarantee. )

American Airlines / First Year Pay = $26,880 / Annual

( Oh BTW...That's about what it was 20 YEARS ago. Adjusted for inflation = $26,800.00 in 2008 had about the same buying power as $15,375.17 in 1989. Source: http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm)

American Airlines / Second Year Pay = $57,600

GEE. WHO paid for that training cycle?

Stop living the Delusion.

I'm just sayin'....Get out while you can.


Sad, BUT TRUE.


YKMKR

 

[Penguin46]

Get a second career or you're toast

If people have been accepting those jobs for 15 years, why would anybody offer more money? Obviously the price for the labor is set at an appropriate level to attract the level of talent the company desires.

If $21,000 per year is too little, DO NOT TAKE THE JOB. That is how the wages increase.

Here's one perspective:

Most are taking the 21k job to make 6 figures in a few years. Eternal optimism feeds the regional’s with talented low paid pilots.

I digress for a second- A commissioned officer in the military has "management" duties and flying duties. As such, most, former military officers who also fly can enter into a variety of careers. It is incumbent on all pilots to have developed a second skill set or career. Otherwise, they have no leverage to quit; which ultimately is all a corps of pilots can bring to bear against management.

For management to be successful in maintaining the lowest labor cost; they should build a labor unit that is fragmented, solely aviation focused so they become totally dependant upon them as individuals. Any sort group affiliation needs to be squashed with excessive force. As such they (labor) can be squeezed at the convenience of the company.
(Akin to Dependency Theory)

In summation; diversify your income streams and unify; it's simple but difficult to achieve.