Question for the ACMI carriers...

[Flyer8]

Scumbag Freighters...

I see a lot of references on here to the scumbag freighters and just thought I could add something on the subject. I have worked for two of these airlines. One for 6 1/2 years and I am in my 15th year with the present company. During this time, I have never missed a paycheck. More importantly, I have never had to buy one ticket to work or worry about jump seating to a crash pad. I have had the agony of a coach seat for 14 hours to Narita and then 7 hours more to Singapore,but that was only until I attained Elite status and could upgrade frequently.(yes, the scumbags give us the miles).I have been able to make somewhere between $65000 to $100,000 a year most of the time.(not counting per diem) That may be more than some pax carriers made over the same 20 year period, if you count crash pads,tickets,hotel rooms,layoffs,etc. We may be freight dogs, but not all of the less than Elite airlines are terrible places to work.

 

[dutch747]

I see a lot of references on here to the scumbag freighters and just thought I could add something on the subject. I have worked for two of these airlines. One for 6 1/2 years and I am in my 15th year with the present company. During this time, I have never missed a paycheck. More importantly, I have never had to buy one ticket to work or worry about jump seating to a crash pad. I have had the agony of a coach seat for 14 hours to Narita and then 7 hours more to Singapore,but that was only until I attained Elite status and could upgrade frequently.(yes, the scumbags give us the miles).I have been able to make somewhere between $65000 to $100,000 a year most of the time.(not counting per diem) That may be more than some pax carriers made over the same 20 year period, if you count crash pads,tickets,hotel rooms,layoffs,etc. We may be freight dogs, but not all of the less than Elite airlines are terrible places to work.

Flyer8: Keep in mind that everyones perspective is a little different. So maybe in your eyes your outfit isn't a scumbag outfit. But if your pilots are not thinking about spending the rest of their life flying for your outfit, chances are there are those who do.

 

[One Dot Low]

The scumbag freighter outfits get a very good deal by being allowed to jumpseat on pax carriers, since they have almost nothing of comparable value to reciprocate with.

Careful, alot of us here "scumbag outfits" do not fly from Applebee's to Applebee's in the lower 48. Let me tell you that if you have to go international, jumpseating on a widebody freighter beats any first or business class hands down. No airport delays, quick and efficient security checks, do dealing with people in the terminal asking you where the restroom is and you are already confirmed on that first class seat on the upper deck of a whale. And unlike domestic flights, all our flights are very well catered.

Perhaps you might not use it but others have. I've seen more adventurous types taking advantage of our jumpseats going overseas all the time.

 

[El Piloto Chido]

Flyer8: Keep in mind that everyones perspective is a little different. So maybe in your eyes your outfit isn't a scumbag outfit. But if your pilots are not thinking about spending the rest of their life flying for your outfit, chances are there are those who do.

Yes, scumbagginess is definitely in the eye of the beholder, and the dichotomy between scumbag and first rate is not so cut and dry.

Most of my recent time has involved hauling boxes here in the lower 48, and I'm sure there are plenty of RJ drivers out there who, after seeing us taxi to the ramp at 0530 in a venerable old F-27 would say- "there goes another scumbaggy freight doggy-dog." Personally, when I think of a certain Convair operator based in central Ohio, the S-bag word comes to mind. Maybe the old Zantop would've fit that bill, but it was a bit before my time.

Thanks to all for the above info about int'l j/s as well as travel benefits.

 

[avbug]

This attitude of looking down your noses (some of you) at other operators is really pathetic. Such arrogance and pride. Sad stuff.

 

[Draginass]

No one is looking down their nose at freight crews themselves (I used to be one myself . . . twice), but there's a lot of outfits that richly deserve their reputations.

Jumpseating on a freighter is generally a good deal if it happens to work out for you . . just not one that's used very much. In 4 years of flying international freight, I had a jumpseater just once. The point of the post was not to put the jumpseating privilege on the commerical pax carriers in jeprody.

 

[El Piloto Chido]

No one is looking down their nose at freight crews themselves (I used to be one myself . . . twice), but there's a lot of outfits that richly deserve their reputations.

EXACTLY. The flight crews out there do the best they can with what they've got- most of them are d*mn fine sticks and stand up folks. It's the anti-pilot management that makes these certain outfits what they are: cutting corners on MX, sticking you in a cheap motel in gangland, docking your paycheck, ect. I've been there, and I'm probably STILL there by some accounts.