Virgin America Info?

[BigMeat]

5) Don't forget about Virgin Galactic. That is right, the space travel is just the tip of the iceberg.

Is that what Branson is telling you. Is he promising you guys the stars? Hey future Galactic traveler have some respect for yourself and and wait for a respectable airline to hire you other than Virgin and Skybus. You want to ride a rocket ship visit a porn shop. This is a real profession that we are trying to up hold and return to at least a glimmer of what it used to be.....

 

[FIREMAN]

Is that what Branson is telling you. Is he promising you guys the stars? Hey future Galactic traveler have some respect for yourself and and wait for a respectable airline to hire you other than Virgin and Skybus. You want to ride a rocket ship visit a porn shop. This is a real profession that we are trying to up hold and return to at least a glimmer of what it used to be.....

This from a King Air driver!

 

[Tomct]

Is that what Branson is telling you. Is he promising you guys the stars? Hey future Galactic traveler have some respect for yourself and and wait for a respectable airline to hire you other than Virgin and Skybus. You want to ride a rocket ship visit a porn shop. This is a real profession that we are trying to up hold and return to at least a glimmer of what it used to be.....

Glimmer...are you on CRACK? Have you witnessed the amount of service lately here in the US? Obviously not! Here is an example....(hi, have a crappy snack pack full of SH!T or better yet...NOTHING for the next 4-6 hour flight.) Yeah...we are bringing it back to a glimmer alright. Not to mention that the ole hag handing you the food is already receiving Social Security. Nice try...go back to flying your little King air!

 

[Tomct]

Ummm... not sure where you're getting your numbers. 1st year Virgin CA pay is $95 an hour, goes up $5 per year to year 6 max.

As far as not being "too far off", it's *only* by 20%, or around $20,000 per year ($24.75 less than the industry average times 900 hours of flying per year on a 75-77 hour monthly credit average which is WAY low).

Or, about the amount of your mortgage. Depends on how you look at it.

/sarcasm

The numbers are from APC. Notice that I said the 5-6 year time frame. I agree that first year pay blows, but for a start-up...what do you expect. They make as much or more than US, Spirit. Again, that is 5-6 year pay. The highest paid (Frontier) is losing money.

 

[JJET44]

Not that it matters much, but it's John Ornstein.
Either way he's a POS!!!

 

[JoeMerchant]

Yup.

Check out airlinepilotpay.com.

It's standard at many carriers in Europe and Cathay does it as well. Unfortunately, since the creators of SkyBus and Virgin are from that part of the world, they see it as standard practice where here in the U.S., it's almost unheard of.
Terrible idea... uke:

Guess who the first 2 carriers in the US were that started the idea of giving up longevity.....??

Independance did it with the Airbus operation, and USAirways did it with the MidAtlantic fiasco....It was started in this county by ALPA carriers......

Back to the "don't undercut me"......argument.......

 

[Lear70]

The numbers are from APC. Notice that I said the 5-6 year time frame. I agree that first year pay blows, but for a start-up...what do you expect. They make as much or more than US, Spirit. Again, that is 5-6 year pay. The highest paid (Frontier) is losing money.

Whoa, wait a second... you're all over the map so let me make sure I understand you...

You're talking about a startup and what they make on 5 or 6 year pay... Which no one's going to be at for 5 or 6 more years? Aren't you all on 1st year pay? Why are you skipping forward 5 years up the progression? Don't like that the pay scale is in double digits to start? Heck, I wouldn't either.

Secondly, have you ever heard of that little thing called "inflation"?

$115 an hour 5 years from now is the equivalent of making $98 NOW. So, you'd be happy getting the equivalent of a $1.20 raise per year when adjusted for COLA?

nice...

Second, are you insinuating that Frontier is losing money because of their pilot pay?

You DO understand how CASM works, right? 'Cause if you did, I know you wouldn't try to correlate pilot pay to profitability.

Pilot pay impacts the bottom line of a company by about 1.5%. If your margin is SO tight that being paid 10% higher than the industry average (which equates to about a .15% increase in TOTAL CASM) is going to make or break you, then I submit that your entire business model is flawed.

Airlines don't make or lose money based on pilot compensation. Those of you who think that "taking one for the team" and accepting sub-standard wages somehow saves your company need to stop drinking the company kool-aid.

There's a distinct line between asking for a respectable wage and being greedy. Your company can afford it. I promise.

 

[JoeMerchant]

Gee...I thought a "scab" was a person who has crossed a picket line to do struck work.

......on Flight Info...."scab" means:

"You suck....I hate you....only I am allowed to undercut someone else....."

 

[737 Pylt]

Gee...I thought a "scab" was a person who has crossed a picket line to do struck work.

There are those that are worse.....How about a group who tries to sue to get around your legal PWA, and trying to abolish scope so that they can fly bigger planes for less.....Actually they're worse than scabs, because at least a scab waits until you're on strike before trying to take your job!

737

 

[JoeMerchant]

There are those that are worse.....How about a group who tries to sue to get around your legal PWA, and trying to abolish scope so that they can fly bigger planes for less.....Actually they're worse than scabs, because at least a scab waits until you're on strike before trying to take your job!

737

Even worse are mainline pilots who undercut regional pilots to fly "little airplanes".....can you imagine.......

 

[737 Pylt]

Even worse are mainline pilots who undercut regional pilots to fly "little airplanes".....can you imagine.......

At least they don't sue.....Because they can't get hired anywhere else!

737

 

[Pilotbob3]

dont forget!!! JB pays time and a half over 70 hours!

 

[Green Banana]

Yes VA pay is lower that most. but where I am it is a 12 year upgrade and reserve is 3 years. At VA I can get a line in a month, upgrade in 1 year and make more at their low captain pay than at my "Major Airline" FO pay. If VA stays around they will migrate to industry standard and the pilots will unionise if not treated fairly.

 

[Tomct]

My point Lear, is that if you are hired at VA within the next year, you will most likely be in the left seat before the end of that year. It also would put you in the top of the pilot group for your ENTIRE career which means better QOL.
Very few get the opportunity to start up a good company. Look at the upper echelon of the JetBlue group. You can stay where ever you are, but I will not throw stones at a glass house when Every ALPA carrier has Caved one way or the other! I have friends over there and do not fault them for their choice. Why run to a Major now when they will be furloughed within a year...if these mergers get approved, which they will. YOUR CHOICE!!

 

[imlars]

$

Well there is always the $30hr majors with 28yr upgrades and crashpad livin'.

lars