Originally Posted by
DeadStick
I debated typing this because it sickens me to defend this company, especially in public, and especially during contract negotiations.
Here’s how it works at mesa. You are guaranteed 70hrs/bid of which there are 13. Any junior assignment or volunteer flying is double time above the guarantee.
Example: I fly 65 regular hours and am junior assigned an additional 15 hours in a bid. 70 hr min + (15 x 2) = 100 hours.
As a second year FO I will very easily clear 40k this year. I know CA's that clear 100k. My basic attitude is this: Mesa will consistently try to F me, and often they succeed. All I can do is try to F them back for every penny I can get. I try to play the game better and smarter than they do, and sometimes I succeed and sometimes I don’t. Yes I go into work everyday with a militaristic attitude. I wish I didn’t have to, but I do. I agonize over open time numbers and work over my schedule with a fine-tooth comb. I argue with crew tracking often. I am the king of open time IAD-IAH-IAD day trips. Why? Because they’re worth 14 hours of pay, keep me in my own bed, and time me out for other junior assignments on days I have plans. You have to be smart, know your contract, and stick up for yourself or this company will run through your ass.
I’m fortunate because I don’t have a wife or kids and because I live in base. Admittedly I’m in a better defensive position than some. There is so much that is wrong with this company that I wouldn’t know where to start. I do not mean to defend mesa.
You can bust my balls about working for a bottom feeder, fair enough. And you can make fun of my 11 days off a month, yeah that sucks. But don’t think I’m not getting paid...
I was a second-year FO at mesa once myself... $40K is totally unbelievable unless you are flying everything at x 1.5. $28K is more like it.
Some CA's do make $100K...senior 900 guys. The payscale was set up that way at the expense of all junior pilots by AH and Co.