Per Diem is compensation for living on the road. The money is supposed to offset expenses. Some pilots wish to consider it as pay, and add it to their base wage in order to inflate their perceived income. One recently bragged about how he only spent $20 over a three day trip on food. Per Diem is not pay. Why not eat top ramen for the next three days and pay yourself the savings over living like a real human. If you are willing to count it as pay then perhaps you should subtract for crash pads, airport cars, student loans, and for the opportunity cost of what you could be doing in life.

Per Diem is not pay. Even the government does not consider it as such.


SKyHigh