New US Startup Orders 65 Airbuses

[Soverytired]

No one seems to have mentioned the fact that (please correct me if wrong) Ryanair is THE most profitable airline on the planet. They are making a lot of money and they continue to grow. Not a bad business model to follow, if you ask me.

Spiff

True, if you are major shareholder or a CEO with a nice compensation package with a golden parachute.

Pilots . . . not so much. Best data I could find was that Ryanair pilots make about 30k per year as FO's, Captains TOP OUT around 90k.

I'd much rather see another Southwest . . .great work rules, great salary, and consistent profitability. Unfortunately, the LCC of the future dosen't give a crap about employees (or passengers if they can get away with it), just CEO pay and stock price.

 

[belchfire]

Airbusses, huh...did they ever get that thing with the nose wheel figured out? How about that 380...more over budget and more delayed...starting to sound like a military contract for that thing!

Booohahahahahaha...if they wanted to succeed they would be ordering 73-7's!

 

[SpacemanSpiff]

...

True, if you are major shareholder or a CEO with a nice compensation package with a golden parachute.

Pilots . . . not so much. Best data I could find was that Ryanair pilots make about 30k per year as FO's, Captains TOP OUT around 90k.

I'd much rather see another Southwest . . .great work rules, great salary, and consistent profitability. Unfortunately, the LCC of the future dosen't give a crap about employees (or passengers if they can get away with it), just CEO pay and stock price.

Southwest Pilots were not always so highly compensated. In the early days their pay was lower than the legacy carriers. They still to this day do not have a retirement plan, other than a 401k. It wasn't until the mid-90's, when legacy airline pilots began realizing that Southwest was taking over the world, that they (legacy airline pilots) to some extent stopped looking down their noses at Southwest Pilots.

If you expect to have top dollar pay at a startup airline then you are either very naive or very "thought-challenged."

I can't speak for pay and benefits at Ryanair. The laws of the marketplace WILL eventually have an effect there. Workers WILL realize that the company can afford to pay more in terms of salary, benfits, and/or profit sharing and WILL eventually demand their "share."

At Skybus you have to get the airline off the ground and established - don't you? As an employee for a startup you take a risk, not unlike an investment risk. You sell your services at a discount early on in the hopes that there is a return down the road.

Let's hope that Skybus management models the pay and working conditions of Southwest - for management and employees. A key member of their management is retired Southwest.

 

[Shrek]

Oh ok it is alright to undercut the industry just for a little while then. Ya know - JUST to get the airline started...............hilarious.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Southwest Pilots were not always so highly compensated. In the early days their pay was lower than the legacy carriers. They still to this day do not have a retirement plan, other than a 401k. It wasn't until the mid-90's, when legacy airline pilots began realizing that Southwest was taking over the world, that they (legacy airline pilots) to some extent stopped looking down their noses at Southwest Pilots.

No retirement plan but a 401k with a dollar for dollar match up to 7.6%. What have those retirement plans at the Legacys done for those pilots lately?? My guess is that the SWA pilots retiring in the near future walk away with millions more than 30 year legacy drivers. Pension plans are a dinosaur. If the MEC's at the Legacys are smart, they'll negotiate a kick ass 401k program in thier next contract(s). Not sure how smart they are though.

Mr. I.

 

[Soverytired]

If you expect to have top dollar pay at a startup airline then you are either very naive or very "thought-challenged."

Both actually! WHO TOLD YOU?!?!?!?!? :nuts:

I realize staying lean has it's place in starting up in a compeitive market with razor thin profit margins. But this strategy hasn't worked as well as hoped for JetBlue, which was also started by a former Southwest V.P.

As to hoping RyanAir pilots would start rallying and get "their share" after profitabily was demonstrated . . . well, let's talk Mesa, shall we? Insanely profitable for how many quarters now? 12? 15? We're talking some quarters over $60 million AFTER TAXES. Now, do you see that company talking about:

• "Sharing the Wealth" with some salary and work improvements, bonuses and profit sharing plans, and increasing the 401K contributions (not the miserly .5% they kicked up either)? Putting that into writing and avoiding a protracted contract fight with labor and a possible strike with the flight attendants next year, and with the pilots a few years later?

or

• Follow, bend, or break current labor contracts to eke out slightly higher profits? How about raising the cost of health care, and then reducing the amount of LIFETIME benifits to new hires to a pathetic $25,000? Using contract negotiations to seek further cost concession with labor groups? Hey, the last thing this company needs is employee's sticking around too long and costing Mesa $$$.

That "sharing the weath" only works if you have good managers (aka, Skywest, Southwest, Continental, American). Not so good at other schools of management (Ryanair). I think Skybus smells like the latter.

IMHO.

 

[TDK90]

True, if you are major shareholder or a CEO with a nice compensation package with a golden parachute.

Pilots . . . not so much. Best data I could find was that Ryanair pilots make about 30k per year as FO's, Captains TOP OUT around 90k.

I'd much rather see another Southwest . . .great work rules, great salary, and consistent profitability. Unfortunately, the LCC of the future dosen't give a crap about employees (or passengers if they can get away with it), just CEO pay and stock price.

Not so...straight from their website...

"1. Outstanding Earnings Potential

Ryanair Pilots are recognised as the best paid short haul pilots in Europe. Senior pilots in Ryanair have excellent remuneration packages as follows:


Captains

Up to £100,000 - UK Based = 190,710.62 USD

Up to €130,000 - EU Based = 165,893.61 USD

First Officers (1,500 hrs)

Up to £70,000 - 133,514.92 USD

Up to €80,000 - 102,094.47 USD


At Ryanair there are no seniority lists and there are no complicated salary scales, you can expect to reach these amounts in 3 – 5 years, with more if you take on a line training role.

 

[Soverytired]

Not so...straight from their website...

".

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/about.php?sec=careers&ref=10002

Yikes! Not too shabby, and you're right . . this ain't bad, ain't bad AT ALL. Profit sharing, 5 day on/4 days off, no planned overnights, direct entry captains, and you can be based in BREMEN!

(ok, Bremen isn't so great).

I stand corrected, Ryanair isn't all bad. But I don't see Skybus following the same ticket. But now that I've been wrong once . . . . :0

Hell, I'd apply, but you need a type, and I don't even know what a JAR/EU license is.

 

[swordfish]

http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/about.php?sec=careers&ref=10002

Yikes! Not too shabby, and you're right . . this ain't bad, ain't bad AT ALL. Profit sharing, 5 day on/4 days off, no planned overnights, direct entry captains, and you can be based in BREMEN!

(ok, Bremen isn't so great).

I stand corrected, Ryanair isn't all bad. But I don't see Skybus following the same ticket. But now that I've been wrong once . . . . :0

Hell, I'd apply, but you need a type, and I don't even know what a JAR/EU license is.

Skybus management is comprised of Gojet pilots. TF is Director of ops, Director of safety is RP and 4 of the 9 check airman’s that have been hired are former check airman’s from Gojet…

swordfish

 

[pilotbrain]

Actually the head of Labor Relations for GJ just bailed for Skybus......he is a checkairman there now.

Wonder how well the GoJet future contract will look like now?

Good Luck GoJet PILOTS.......LOL

Wait i thought that gojet was the last place any gojet pilot would work. LOL


btw GH, lp Just got hired at swa
MP at FDX......