Originally Posted by
FixTheMess
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sum Ting Wong
They are not underpaid. No one is forcing anyone to work for low wages. If a person chooses to make $16,000 a year as a Regional pilot, that is his/her choice. He/she can make more money working full time as a grocery store cashier.
There is simply an abundance of people that want to fly.
Bingo! This is supply and demand, and the unfortunate reality. Morally wrong, yes, but I've yet to see any company that is morally sound. The reality is, we choose to spend money on our careers, and then work for peanuts. We are truly our own worst enemies.
It really isn't supply and demand. The artificial inequity between regional pay and mainline pay is just that, artificial.
If supply and demand dictated pay, then why are wages so high at Fed Ex, UPS, Southwest, etc. when these companies have so many applications on file.
The reality is that regional first officers really do subsidize the pay of senior regional captains. Why else would such a pay disparity exist between two equally trained and qualified pilots? Not every regional pilot can make $120,000, but it is possible for some to make that salary if others only make 25,000, in order to even out the costs.