blueridge71
Outlasted two companies
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2003
- Posts
- 2,261
I read this in Freakanomics and thought that it was an interesting comment on regional payscales. Steven Levitt is actually discussing drug dealer pay when he discusses:
In my view, in the regional world, and the airlines in general, there are a lot of people willing to work and there is a high demand for our services, as evidenced by 80+% load factors and climbing ticket sales.
Contrast that to the ability of the people to fly for an airline. It does require specialized skills that take time to develop. Although the airlines are taking lower-end pilots with less and less experience, there is a minimum standard that they can are able to accept.
Unpleasantness varies by company and aircraft, but the key is that most people don't realize how unpleasant a regional lifestyle can be.
All that to say that IMHO there are two factors which will turn things around:
1. Prospective pilots have to realize how unpleasant a regional flying job can be.
2. That unpleasantness has to translate into fewer people becoming willing to work and to acquire the specialized skills that the job requires.
There is some evidence that this is happening. I know that in some of the big pilot-mills, enrollment is down. With fewer pilots, the equilibrium wage would have to increase at some point.
One problem with the theory is that in organized labor, there is a disconnect between the forces of the market such as supply, demand, and prices. Another is that aviation attracts a certain number of people who work in the field for pleasure, rather than income.
In my view, in the regional world, and the airlines in general, there are a lot of people willing to work and there is a high demand for our services, as evidenced by 80+% load factors and climbing ticket sales.
Contrast that to the ability of the people to fly for an airline. It does require specialized skills that take time to develop. Although the airlines are taking lower-end pilots with less and less experience, there is a minimum standard that they can are able to accept.
Unpleasantness varies by company and aircraft, but the key is that most people don't realize how unpleasant a regional lifestyle can be.
All that to say that IMHO there are two factors which will turn things around:
1. Prospective pilots have to realize how unpleasant a regional flying job can be.
2. That unpleasantness has to translate into fewer people becoming willing to work and to acquire the specialized skills that the job requires.
There is some evidence that this is happening. I know that in some of the big pilot-mills, enrollment is down. With fewer pilots, the equilibrium wage would have to increase at some point.
One problem with the theory is that in organized labor, there is a disconnect between the forces of the market such as supply, demand, and prices. Another is that aviation attracts a certain number of people who work in the field for pleasure, rather than income.
