Originally Posted by
Smokey23
FYI, 11th yr SWA Captain here. I believe I'm pretty representative of an "average" (or more likely slightly below average) SWA pilot in terms of earnings & productivity. I commute to my base. I have small kids at home. I have a great life outside this job and very much enjoy all the days off I can get. IOW, I basically fly my line and try to improve it where I can through trip trading WITHOUT increasing total work days each month. I pick up very little (~6 extra work days total last year). My 2010 W2 showed $224,860 and I flew 761 hours....virtually all of it at straight pay. I mostly do one 3-day trip each week, or the occasional 4-day every now and then. They're usually not commutable. I shoot for an average of 100 TFP monthly throughout the year to hit our annual household income target. I have 4 weeks of vacation each year.
Best of luck with your negotiations.
What no one has mentioned is smokey is an
11 year southwest pilot. What are the majority of 11 year Delta Pilot's flying? Mid range to junior FO seniority on a narrowbody, 105-120/hr range or horrible wide-body seniority with pay around 120/hr. Can't hold captain on anything! I am talking 11 year payscale which is what this southwest pilot has stated (essentially a 10 year pilot). And we are talking another merger?!? Merger=More stagnation. Tired of seeing students of mine hired at other airlines (Southwest, Airtran, Hawaiian) who have been captain's for many years now (5-7), while my own union wants to downplay the stark pay, QOL differences.
Another thing ALPA likes to threaten is productivity. Delta would have to lay off because they are more productive if Delta matched pay. This Southwest pilot flew 761 hours and is average. That block amount is similar to my block time last year. He also gets 4 weeks of vacation where an 11th year payscale Delta pilot would get 3. And our 3 weeks probably equals 1.5 of the Souhtwest pilot due to trip touching. Delta is getting a bargain!
Waiting for the budweiser "real men of genius" Legacy pilot commercial.
