Originally Posted by
rickair7777
Unfortunately... it's not a "new mentality". It's a new *opportunity*, driven by two factors...
The lesser factor is fewer young people who are interested in aviation, interested in travel, and able/willing to pass drug tests. Why jump through all those hoops when you can kick back, blaze up, and live your life through your phone.
The larger factor is literally unprecedented demand.
Some of the noobs like to shoot off at the mouth about how they're not putting up with things like past generations... but if regional pay suddenly dropped by 50% how many would actually walk away?
It's important to get all the bonuses and carrots baked into pay scales and contracts to ensure they don't "snap back" at the next (inevitable) industry hiccup.
But I'm certainly glad to see things improving, don't know all the deets of the endeavor TA but it sounds like a major turning point. May have finally put SKW at a competitive disadvantage. Or maybe not... you'd have to pay me about $300K MORE to get me to live east of the rockies, $20K-30K, while a significant percentage of regional FO pay, will not get everyone to move east.
I think you’re correct a better wording would have been “new opportunity”. Although I think today we are more equipped to take advantage of new opportunities which in turn is breeding new mentality.
I would argue that today’s generation is far more likely to walk away when the pay and QOL doesn’t meet their needs/wants. And that is backed up by research that indicates that today’s generation is more likely to have 2-4 career (career not job) changes in their life. Very different than what we are used to, and the aviation industry better be ready for that when they are already short.
As far as geographical advantages/disadvantages of various airlines..
Right now it seems that Skywest is trying to take over the world. With the pay that Endeavor is offering, good luck staffing common bases in the future..