Originally Posted by
F9 Driver
And for years all of the Legacy carriers paid in the $25/hr range for their first year - while you were on PROBATION. Second year you got a 100%+ raise, but they actually used the probationary period to evaluate whether they wanted to have you work there. Some even had you get a form filled out from every Capt. you flew with in that first year.
Supply and demand has changed things, but try not to forget how this industry got to where it is. $40 at year one in an RJ is part of the problem for those of us who want to fly decent schedules for good pay into retirement. I know they're old, but go on Amazon and pick up "Flying The Line 1&2". It's all perspective (and ball bearings these days)!
How is starting at $40 to fly a CR2 a problem when Frontier, Spirit, Virgin, ect. are paying less than that to start flying an Airbus? Seems to me the problem is with the starting Airbus pay today more than Endeavor's starting pay (granted that does take into account the $20k/year retention pay, but that's not just a newhire bonus. All active pilots get that so it's effectively a pay rate)
And $25/hr to fly a DC-9, Fokker,B-732, even FE on a B727 is pretty pathetic even in 1980 Dollars. So what if it's your first year, that should mean you don't deserve a wage to support your family? Yea it was nice in 1980 when a Pan Am B747 captain took home $180K (in 1980 Dollars), yet a United captain is still taking home that same amount today. Progress is beginning to be made on the bottom of the regionals, meanwhile Delta puts a TA to its pilots (after billions in profits) that looks to be overall status quo. Sure the pay rates go up a bit, but at the expense of QOL and other pay opportunities.