Originally Posted by
ExDeltaPilot
Agree 100% - when I started at Delta and used to jumpseat to work I flew with guys who were flying 1 trip/month on reserve and making $200K/year - the idea that you should be well paid to not work is an old line Union philosophy that is not going to work again. One thing about Southwest pilots is all their pilots earn their pay - you can work a lot and get paid a lot or work a little and still get paid OK. They don't have anyone sitting reserve and getting paid to do nothing - everyone works.
As you, I agree 100% with Shackone's comments. However, I disagree with you on your comment about reserve pay. I sat reserve for two years, the first as a flight engineer and the second as THE junior-most MD-11 captain. In both cases, it meant I had to be away from home for even more days than a normal line-holder. As well, all the days where I wasn't used, I was on my own nickel. Reserve pilots are paid, not for actually flying the line, but for giving their company the flexibility that's required to account for guys going sick in the field, guys just forgetting they have a trip, additional flights that need to be manned, last minute sick calls, etc, etc. I would think that the vast majority of us would rather fly than sit around waiting for "the call", but since our companies require this flexibility, I just don't see it going away. Southwest guys work a lot, and maybe that company uses reserve guys as semi-line holders, but I know that that philosophy just will not work at FedEx, UPS, or a number of other long-haul airlines. Besides, if you've ever sat around a crashpad for 16 straight days, you'd realize that it is "WORK."