FlyByWire

Will Virgin America be the new low in A-320 pay?

Captains will make less than FO's at most major airlines even after there huge paycuts! I am sure they will still find pilots to fill those seats, and I am sure they will be the same JB Kool-Aid drinking types as well. This will not help the industry pay for pilots, the only hope is we stop foreign ownership in this business.

The word is A-320 Capt tops at 80K per year. (unofficial)

Snoochy Booches

I fail to see what foreign ownership has to do with this. Simple free market economy forces at work. All we can do is inform those headed for this carrer and hope they choose something else.
I look at the Virgin brand and see something I'd like to be a part of. San Fran is not for me, but these folks are actually talking about spaceflight. Sir Richard clearly wants to be a pioneer, and that's what draws me to the company. If they pay scales prove true, then it's clearly a detractor. But tell a relatively young pilot that in twenty years he can expect to do sub-orbital flying, and it's an easy sell.

Bob

FlyByWire

"tell a relatively young pilot that in twenty years he can expect to do sub-orbital flying, and it's an easy sell."
Since this seems to attract folks then maybe they will do it for free!

If you fail to see what increase in foreign ownership will do to this industry as far as our jobs, pay and benifits, then you truly live with your head in the sand!

rickair7777

Their minimums are sky-high, something like 80,000 hours in the bus and a space-shuttle type rating. I doubt that they're really going THAT low on pay. I hope.

I think they know that if they low-ball it too much, they'll just end up facing an ALPA vote one year down the road. I assume they would prefer to avoid that.

rickair7777

SSS: Shiny Spaceship Syndrome

The sick thing is that somebody will go for it...

SWAjet

Why not? Upgrades will be fast, likely around Year 1 or 2. The first officer payscale past year 2 will be meaningless, as everyone will be moving to the left seat in no time.

So compare longevity with a Legacy first officer or an LCC first officer. I'll betcha a Virgin captain makes a comparable hourly wage to, say, a Delta widebody f/o. I think that sounds like a good deal to a Virgin newhire, AND the company, no? Fly left seat on an exciting new airline for about $90,000 a year?

I believe that our (SWA) great hourly rates will come down up to 25% the over the 5 to 7 years if Branson succeeds here in the U.S. Hoping not, needless to say.

Oh, and Branson is bragging that his operating costs will be 25-50% lower than his competitors. Yikes. If that's the case, this industry downward spiral isn't done yet

FlyByWire

"Fly left seat on an exciting new airline for about $90,000 a year?"

There are FO's on narrow-body, not-wide of a legacy carriers that make that even after the pay cuts!

"Branson is bragging that his operating costs will be 25-50% lower than his competitors. Yikes. If that's the case, this industry downward spiral isn't done yet"
Well how can it be his if his stake is only 25%?
This is a front for him to bypass foreign ownership rules.

crewdawg52

Sounds just like JB.......Look at them now. Costs keep going up.

Fly4hire

[quote]Well that's a rapidly shifting number


Or maybe a furloughed card carrying ALPA legacy pilot, just like 3/4 of JB

Source? Fact or fiction?

edik

Give it six years and they will be in the same boat as JB