Originally Posted by
MalteseX
I'll try to explain what happened to me. Your figures sound OK and that's what I was thinking as well. And the first year I was there I made more. But then the lines changed. The one and two commutes became more rare. There were more and more lines with one and two days between trips. (you pay, but also they count as days off---this is huge... in MEM I was able to get at least 6 if not 12 CR for this time off and it doesn't count as days off).
In my experience the gross pay was more like 19K vs. 27 K. Just looking at the W-2s. A third of that was eaten up in taxes. A bit more union dues, insurance, and alaska unemployment. Higher SS taxes and medicare. The 7 dollars international pay was eaten up with a falling dollar (unrelated to AK vs MEM, but you go overseas more often).
Looking back, commutes were more like 3 per month. Usually had to drop one trip to make it reasonable. I could only hold the junk lines. Many more commutes. Bought 14 airline tickets last year due to no seats or no planes getting there the day I needed to be there. Total I spent for tickets was 4155. Crash Pad/Hotel/Car/transpo/parking (non-dev)/ and cab expenses totaled 7233. (Actual figures--I keep records). Add that to extra taxes, what I had to drop, a letter in my file (causes you to make sure you get there thereby spending more) extra SS, a falling dollar, and days off I could have been flying a NB in MEM adds up to less take home pay and a lot more headaches.
Even the first year where I made 6500 takehome more than in MEM, the headaches of the ugly commute did not make it worth it.
If you live there/move there/or are single.... go for it. I'm just throwing this out here to let people know what happened to me there (in great detail... but the nickel and dimes add up). So they can make an informed call.
My commute to MEM is much less expensive and stressful. That's why I bid to relieve from ANC to MEM NB. Of course, your mileage may vary. Maybe you can swing it with the $$$ and the stress. You can have my spot!!!!
I would agree 100%. It looks like I'll be getting excessed out of the left seat in ANC, and frankly, I am fine with that. This is my 2nd tour up there, and I voluntarily left ANC the first time to go back to Mempho. As a 40% FO in MEM, I made $26k more than I did the previous year in Anchorage. I just had a lot more flexibility. Here's a few other things to consider:
The Commute. You'll need to get there a day prior (at no pay) in order to be in position to fly an int'l flight. They normally leave in the morning. Whoa to the commuter who flies in and tries to operate out a few hours later. (A big No Go.) With a 12 hr commute plus being on station 24 hrs ahead of showtime--that's 36 hrs lost upfront. Figure 12-18 hrs on the back end commuting home. It's pretty easy to lose 3-5 days a month here, especially for a 2-leg commute.
Trip trading. This doesn't happen much in ANC. There's just not much to trade into. Get a garbage line with 3-4 days between trips, and you'll be gone for the month if you want to make BLG. Even with vacation and sick time, you'll have some bad months. If you are a DP flier...don't even think about it. The whole base will know who you are within weeks. That you do not want.
Secondary lines. Historically, secondaries have worked out pretty well personally. In ANC? Not so much. MS, the secondary scheduler, evidently has a problem with pilots and seems to pretty much ignore all requests.
Many actually ask for the opposite of what they really want. This system is broken, and there seems to be no cure for it at this point.
Upgrade to Captain? If you sit RSV, count on 4.5 hrs a day vs. 6CH as an F/O lineholder down south. Do the math. You'll see the daily pay comes within a couple of tall boys of being virtually the same. RSV pilots get no int'l override and no per diem. Like I say...do the math. You will get some nice paychecks--which the taxman will take a bigger chunk of--and some that are less so.
Oh...if BLG's do get cut, RSV pilots will still sit 15/19 days per month. It would not be great to do 17-18 days (with commute) for 50 BLG. That is contractually legal. Will it get there? Who knows? I do know I'd rather be flying 8 days/mo as an FO. Otherwise, you could end up a half-step away from the ND's who are working for half pay.
Costs. You can get a crashpad in Mempho for $150. In ANC, expect to pay $250. Good luck with a B & B or Inlet towers during the season, especially with the influx of UPS guys. Cars? A Winter rental is a great deal at $20...which becomes $115 in the summer. You'll also be buying some airline tickets. A good chunk of making NW Silver Elite out of my own pocket. Sometimes by choice, but when the j/s's are filled in MEM and other bases, there are zero alternatives. You suck up a $600 ticket and go to work.
Exchange rates. We've heard enough about this lately. But your costs will go up accordingly. I just paid $56 last night for a chicken sandwich and 2 beers. You can use up that nickel increase in our per diem pretty fast. (It had 3 legs, but that was one fine chicken!)
Trips. The ANC bidpack is changing. There are now lots of 8-9CH trips from ANC-OAK-ANC...with days off before and after. More domestic stuff. You'll see lots of NRT and KIX as usual. Take a look at a bidpack, it may have changed since you last saw one.
All that being said, I do still like ANC. I've had a great time. The family has been understanding about it, and that's helped a lot. If I end up back as an FO in MEM, there will be some positives in a different way. I'll have a decent schedule, much less hassle, more days off at home, and I'll live with a pay cut that will end up being smaller than it may appear on the surface.
Sorry about the rant, but hopefully there's something here that is helpful to somebody considering a bid.