If we're not being paid the VERY VERY BEST. We are doing it wrong.

It's time for this career to pay up.

Think about this career and those that are still working here.

1. We have a few pilots left from the very late 1970's. The deregulation act of 1978. How have those pilots faired? Well, not good. Their wages were crushed from the 1980's through the mid 2000's. They lost over 30% of wages and career expectations. Jimmy Carter wanted to take away monopiles in industry to give passengers more choice. Effect: lower pilot wages. Airfare still as expensive today as it was in the 1970's as adjusted for inflation. Carter was wrong.

2. The pilots hired during the eartly to mid 1980's? Yeah the CAL and UAL strikes! How did that do for wages/retirement?

3. The suck-arse 1990's. No one was hiring. 17 year FO's at American Eagle making 30K a year. Freight dogs making 18K a year. Other commuters starting to hire, FO's making 14K a year.

4. Furloughs of 1995/96. Everyone going backwards, Re-treads sent from mainline back to commuters.

5. Growth in 97/98. Majors hiring. A few small contractual gains.

6. Terrorist Attacks of 2001. Everyone falls down. Industry collapses. Furloughs, bankruptcies, loss of retirements. More wage regression and stagnation. Airline managers aware of coming pilot shortage. Refuse to invest in career or career path. Many prospective airline pilots not interested in earning poverty wages. They stay out!

7. Decade of Doom: 2002-2015. The airline industry in a giant holding pattern. Industry looks for synergies to survive. Mergers. Airlines look for suitable dance partners before the music stops. A few merger contracts result in modest improvements. More pilots staying gout. Cross-training into other careers.

8. 2016 to 2019. Things looking up. Airlines hiring. Pilot unions looking to improve. New hire pilots looking to move on and up, and improve their careers.

9. 2020 Pandemic and possible recession warnings. Current administration not sure how to run an economy. Global security concerns. Pent up travel demand busting out.

10. 2022 Airlines hurry to make deals with labor unions while pandemic crisis and global security still a threat. Management teams realize they may get a "cheap deal now" by rushing it pass their unions, realizing a contract after the midterm elections will be more expensive.


Can't we just understand the cycle? Be patient.