Virgin America Pay Increase .... AGAIN.
Based on the following post, I am clearly a VX pilot; so maybe I am biased too far in one direction with my views as a result. That said, please forgive the following rant folks ......... but I have to say :-)
I'm a little baffled by all the flack that seems to head VX's way on this forum about pay. Am I just missing something or what? First off, VX has just approved their second pilot pay increase in a year. With no union assistance and no pressure from the employees. Any kind of increase in this economy, that was unsolicited from the crews is amazing!
Speaking of low jet pay, wasn't it the Legacy's and their legitimizing of the commuters that started the new age of paying jet pilots $16/HR? NOT VX or any other low cost carrier. So please don't talk to me about "pilots that fly for free" when your airline(s) started this mess for all of us that came after you. Talk about throwing people under the bus and then complaining why they got ran over?!?! Seriously?
It would be wonderful if every pilot in the country was paid $450 an hour, but how long did it take for SouthWest and more recently JetBlue to get decent pay rates? JetBlue took 10 years! Those people that complained about airlines like SouthWest are now looking up at them from below! VX is a four year old airline people; relax and see what happens down the road will ya. Any airline that gives unsolicited raises, seems to at very least be heading in the right direction toward staff salaries.
FYI ...... after 4 years VX pilots are already on par or better than airlines that have been around for 80 years. (USAirways and United). Not to mention a handful of Majors. Anyone giving those guys grief about their pay at those two legacies? They should after 80 years of negotiations and contracts and that's all they are earning!! Now THAT'S a disgrace! If VX is paying a 16 year Captain $125/hr in a decade from now, please demolish their name all you want; because that's what USAir is paying now. At least after just 4 years VX is already up to $133/hr for 10 year and that increases effective on June 1st.
One last thought.......... did every major and legacy in this country start day one of operations with a pilot union in place? Or did it take 5,10, 20+ years depending on the situation, relations and other factors?
............ I thought so.
Can't we all just get along?! :-) Geeeeeez.
Rant over, I apologize!
Last edited by Bocaflyer; 03-05-2011 at 06:48 PM.