Originally Posted by Adlerdriver

If you're only using section 3 of the CBA to make a pay comparison, you're really not going to get the full picture.


I'll start out by saying that I'm not trying to convince anyone that one seat/job is better than another. I just bothers me that some of our pilots are making decisions to upgrade or transition to a particular fleet with partial or inaccurate information. Obviously if you're living in domicile and don't mind being on reserve (if you can hold it), upgrading at 100% to the first Captain seat available might be a good decision. If someone can hold their hometown or nice domestic double-deadheads, wants to be an LCA, doesn't like long-haul, likes domestic AM hub-turns or just HAS to have those 4-strips - then maybe 757 CA is exactly where you want to be. But if you think the higher pay rate in section 3 is adequate justification to do that job, then I suggest you look a bit closer.

It's all about pay per day. If you want to get a bit more subjective, then it's also important to look at what you're doing on those days to earn that pay.

Since someone threw out 4th year pay numbers, I'll use those along with the 777 and 757 bid packs for Feb 2020.
777 line 2029: Not a cherry RFO line, no front or back DHs. Held by a 777 FO hired in Oct 2016.
18 days off (10 work days) - Line Credit Hours = 74:23
True pay including Block Override once the trip is flown = 82:23
This line is a single departure trip that works 10 days, 5 revenue legs with 236 hours TAFB and 1 commute.
Every CH has an $8.00 bump thanks to the international override.

757 line 1179: Held by 757 CA hired in Sep 2016.
First line I could find held by someone with similar seniority that wasn't bought up.
15 days off (13 work days) - Line Credit Hours = 69:39
True pay - N/A, the line pays what it pays unless there are disruptions but I'm not factoring those in in either case)
This line works 13 days, 22 revenue legs with 234 hours TAFB
This line has at least 4 commutes with two unpaid days in MEM between trips.

777 line pays 8:14 per day x ($189.22 + $8.00) = $1624.76 per day of work ($254.64 more more day than the 757 CA)
757 line pays 5:21 per day x $255.73 = $1370.12 per day of work

So, yeah - take the line value and multiply by pay rate and that busy 757 Captain is raking in an extra $1563.95 per month. But, I submit that doesn't tell the whole story. He's making that extra money in exchange for 3 extra days of work (not even counting unpaid days in MEM), 17 more flights and 3 more commutes than his 777 FO counterpart.

FYI, the monthly pay calculations favor the FO as the years of service increase. By year 10, using the same two lines, the total pay for each pilot per month is within about $170 of each other. Obviously pay per day for the 777 FO is eclipsing that for the 757 CA for that to be the case. Get to the 15 year end of the pay scale and that just gets better.

If that 777 FO decides to work some carryover and make his total work days equal to the 757 CA - those 3 extra days are going to pay at least 6:24 per day (probably more) for an additional 19:12 CH for the month. But I'll go the minimum to be conservative. He still makes about $170 more per day.

19:12 x ($189.22 + $8.00) = an additional $3786.62 for the month which now makes the 777 FO's pay exceed the 757 CA's pay by $2222.67 for the month over the same number of days worked. To just match the 757 CA's pay, all he needs is about 8 extra CH per month (i.e. 1 slightly above average C/O day). That's still less work days than the CA. Not "stay on the road quite a bit" or "work many more days" than the 757 CA.

Hawking open time for a make-up trip or bidding for a few extra days of carryover allows that 777 FO to work on his own terms when it suits him, still not work any more days than the 757 CA and certainly work more efficiently doing much less actual work, IMO. Most importantly, in the end he gets paid more for the same # of days worked.

Or, he chooses to enhance his QOL, work less and get paid less at the end of the month or year. But he was paid more to do less on each day he worked.

Or, he does a little of either choice from month to month and at the end of the year, his pay is very likely going to match or exceed his new hire classmate who opted for the first available upgrade.

No right way or wrong way. There usually is something for everyone here. Bid what you want to fly - but just make sure you've accurately assessed your options and are doing it for the right reasons and not a simple pay rate comparison.