Originally Posted by Bucking Bar

I hold down THREE jobs. Still, I can't make up for the $20,000 bath I took in the markets last week.

No, I'm not thrilled with my pay, but realistically, I'm doing better than 80% of US Air. In this market (both as Delta pilots and in our personal dealings) we have to deal with reality. Assumptions, like an 8% return on investment (4% after inflation), are probably gone. Further, you may find yourself as the one wage earner in your immediate family, or extended family. Our neighbors on either side don't really have jobs and are now picking up contract gigs here and there while letting their other real estate investments (which were speculative) go back to banks.

Point being, a lack of pragmatism and care can hurt a guy a lot worse in this economy than in typical times when errors could be caught back up. We do not need a repeat of last decade. Would I like a 35% raise? Sure. Would I like a 35% raise which would nearly certainly result in the loss of my job?

My preference is to work with Delta to find a model by which Delta pilots perform Delta flying. I'm fine with reasonable wages and I'll enjoy a more than 35% raise by upgrading and getting back in the command seat. There is potential for a win / win here, by our doing our flying more productively with less managerial redundancy.