Skywest, Expressjet and SLC flying

[Spinplate]

I heard that SKYW is possibly going to buy XJET......just what I heard from my imaginary friend.

 

[Nevets]

You can spin phrases and put words in my mouth all day long to serve whatever purpose you wish. I'm just saying the extravagant raises that some around here think they are entitled to just don't work in this sector of the industry. I also believe that a yearly COLA and a percentage more for you guys is not too much to expect...I'm definitely on your side there. But I forget that, because I don't fly the line, I therefore must be an idiot. You have your mind made up on the subject, so why bother?

I was NOT spinning phrases or putting words in your mouth. I quoted you word for word. And when I had an opinion on what you wrote, I said so.

Like I said, "just a little bit more." I never said anything about extravagant. No entitlements, pilots get paid what they negotiate, not what they are worth or think they are entitled to. Negotiations are a two way street. Skywest management is too good to let themselves be put at a competitive disadvantage. Also, I do NOT think you are an idiot. Obviously you are not. Sorry, if I insinuated as much.

The long story short is this regarding the original topic between Nevets and I: By the end of this mess of a year, some are going to look like geniuses while others are going to be struggling to survive. I'm not saying I claim to know who those companies are...but I like the idea of the extra money in the bank to weather the storm. My comments regarding pilot pay are strictly to point out my belief that we could tear into that nest egg in the bank and jack the pilot pay through the roof but put ourselves in a less than great situation to be able to sustain ALL (including the 8500 that aren't pilots) employees if things were to go south in a hurry.

And all I'm saying is that, in the midst of the uncertainty in the future, if Skywest can afford to invest in foreign entities AND shop for another regional, they can certainly afford "a yearly COLA and a percentage more for you guys is not too much to expect."

Again, I'm not saying to "tear into that nest egg in the bank and jack the pilot pay through the roof but put ourselves in a less than great situation to be able to sustain ALL (including the 8500 that aren't pilots) employees if things were to go south in a hurry."

I think we agree.

 

[Nevets]

What are your friends first year FO's, sit reserve and never fly? Because I have at least 25 friends at xjt, Air Whiskey, and Horizon also. Now I am not going to exaggerate and say I compared W2's with all of them because I didn't. But a few of us were talking one night about compensation recently and did compare W2's. We have nothing to prove to each other we were just curious. All of us had been with our respective companies within a year of one another. Well guess what? My W2 was as big or bigger than all of them. As a Skywest pilot I have no doubt I am compensated as well as they are. I have seen it in black and white. We were all line holders and flew similar sized lines as well. Nothing naive going on here, we all work for good companies that we like and are compensated at the top of the regional industry. And for what it's worth mine was considerably bigger than a couple of them. I attribute that to good junior man pay and profit sharing however.

If there are any Mesa pilots reading this maybe they can share a recent issue of "The Negotiator." I don't know how to attach it here otherwise I would. But on page two it shows a graph of "Total Pilot Cost Per Block Hour" for April - June 2007 which includes salaries, benefits, expenses, and taxes. The source is from DOT Form 41. Anyways, it shows Skywest being ahead of Mesa, TSA, Pinnacle, and PSA. Air Wisconsin, Eagle, Mesaba, ASA, Comair, Horizon, and XJT were all ahead. But I will admit it is not all about pay anyways. Its about productivity, flexibility, reassurance, insurance, and advocacy. None of which can be assured without a NMB recognized union.

Say what you want. Skywest pilots are compensated near the top of the regionals.

Okay, I will. Skywest should NOT be NEAR the top of the regionals. They should be AT THE TOP of the regionals considering their overwhelming success over the past decades, making $160 million last year, and with three quarters of a BILLION dollars in the bank!

 

[Nevets]

I heard that SKYW is possibly going to buy XJET......just what I heard from my imaginary friend.

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=108223&highlight=skywest+buying+xjet

 

[WalterSobchak]

I think we agree.

I think we just might...almost. Someone check the METAR for Hell...it might just be a little icy down there.

 

[CFIT]

If there are any Mesa pilots reading this maybe they can share a recent issue of "The Negotiator." I don't know how to attach it here otherwise I would. But on page two it shows a graph of "Total Pilot Cost Per Block Hour" for April - June 2007 which includes salaries, benefits, expenses, and taxes. The source is from DOT Form 41. Anyways, it shows Skywest being ahead of Mesa, TSA, Pinnacle, and PSA. Air Wisconsin, Eagle, Mesaba, ASA, Comair, Horizon, and XJT were all ahead. But I will admit it is not all about pay anyways. Its about productivity, flexibility, reassurance, insurance, and advocacy. None of which can be assured without a NMB recognized union.



Okay, I will. Skywest should NOT be NEAR the top of the regionals. They should be AT THE TOP of the regionals considering their overwhelming success over the past decades, making $160 million last year, and with three quarters of a BILLION dollars in the bank!

SkyWest pilots are paid as high or higher, the DOT average is an across the range sumation, and since we have many 2 year Captains our costs are lower.

 

[Nevets]

SkyWest pilots are paid as high or higher, the DOT average is an across the range sumation, and since we have many 2 year Captains our costs are lower.

Its funny that when you point to imperial data to show what respective pilots are paid people will always make an excuse if it doesn't fit their view. But they will point at anecdotal unverifiable data about their W2s being more than some other random pilot.

By the way, keep in mind that there are airlines in that list that have only 50 seat or less aircraft on their property and yet are ahead of the "2 year" CRJ900 Skywest pilots.