The new contract - like many contracts - provides two raises a year. One on the anniversary the signing of the contract and one on the anniversary of your date of hire. In ball park numbers for the 747 the contractual signing anniversary bump is about $2+/- a year as TWasp said. The date of hire - or longevity - bump averages $5+/- a year. Of course, the first year pay of $75/hr jumps up to $95/hr the second year and the $2 and $5 raises go up from there. You also go up from the first year min guarantee of 50 hours to 62 hours for the rest of the contract.

For me the hourly pay for my first five years (starting last year) is $75, $95, $102, $109, $117. This includes both pay bumps every year.

In my first five months on the line, my monthly hours have been 69, 79, 78, 56, and 62. We are paid the higher of min guarantee, block hours flown, or a "Calculated Rig Time" of 1 hour of pay for every 4.95 hours time away from base. Because of the first year 50 hour min guarantee, I have been paid on "CRT" every month.

To me, the constantly changing schedule has little or no impact. The change is for the "better" about half of the time - depending upon what "better" means to you. For me "better" constantly changes, depending on whether I want the money, the time at home, the layovers, airline/hotel miles, etc., etc. My wife and two kids are used to me being gone, so that makes it easier to launch on a two week trip. The 17 day trips are a bit tougher, but most of my trips so far have been in the 8 to 12 day range. YMWV. Also, the DHL flying out of the CVG base changes a bit less than the flying at other bases.

Hope this helps.

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