Originally Posted by
FlyJSH
Salary typically means a flat amount regardless of how many hours one works, so no overtime.
If we were to get a salary, you can be sure each and every one of us would fly 999.9 hours per year. I can even imagine some managements putting timed-out pilots on a tug or throwing bags.... or maybe I am too cynical.
I'm on salary with a foreign scheduled air carrier. Honestly, we don't even come close to 1000 hours per year. More common, so far, is about 500 hours. Certainly there are months at close to 100, but we combine our time off to 28 days every 3 months, which means even two 100 months over three months means 66.6 average.
No, we're not throwing bags or driving tugs. Sit at the hotel pool and drink cocktails.
I prefer salary, but for us, the major disadvantage is no monthly rostering of trips. Literally, you get the call the day before as to what trips you'll fly on your duty days.
Not to say that everything you suggest may happen in the US. That wouldn't surprise me.