Originally Posted by
JetJock16
Sure, but those are starting wages for CA and FO. Look at most all the Majors and Legacies, you'll see about the same pay scale. $25 (US Airways)-$54 (SWA) an hour for first yr FO's and once you upgrade you'll make between $90-#130 an hour based upon yrs with Co. The pay is not what it used to be, I agree, but if you start at $95/hr at VA you'll probably top out around $145-$160/hr (around JB pay range). You can't make that at ANY regional unless you're one of the few employed as sim instructor. If he goes to SKW or XJT then he's stuck with 2 yrs (est.) FO pay ($19-$23 first yr and $34-$35 second) and a starting CA pay around $60-$65/hr (2-3 yr). DAL FO pay beats RJ CA pay when you compare 3 yr RJ CA (60-65) to 2 yr Maddog FO pay ($68). Top out as an RJ CA around $95-$105 (18yrs) and top out DAL FO at $129 (12yrs) while on your way to CA in the mid to upper 100's.
Just numbers, but I'd take the chance if I had his numbers.
Well I'm not sold on those numbers. I haven't seen official pay scales and who knows what the work rules will be. According to APC VA pilots get a $5/hr raise each year. That would put their 12 year pay for CAs at $155/hr. Using pax 737/A32X fleets and 12yr CA for comparison, heres where VA would fall among other operators just looking at hourly rates:
SWA $198/hr
AA $161/hr
VA $155/hr
AS $154/hr
AT $153/hr
FNT $152/hr
DAL $151/hr
JB $147/hr
CAL $144/hr
AWA $138/hr
NWA $137/hr
UAL $133/hr
SPT $130/hr
USA $125/hr
With a pay scale like that and a supposedly LCC business model either they are printing their own money, have found a cheap alternative to jet A and are not telling anyone or their work rules are not user friendly. Again, just some numbers I tossed around for comparison. Something doesn't seem quite right to me.