Originally Posted by
BoardPilot
So on these reserve schedules that people take by choice, do they pay the same as an actively flying bid? Or do you just collect per diem and the monthly guarantee? If the pay isn't much different, it would seem that there is some hope for us family guys (and you gals out there) to be home more. Or have I misunderstood the pay structure?
Most reserve lines have a reserve guarantee (usually 65-75 hours) and you get paid that no matter how much or how little you get called out. No Per Diem unless you're actually working. In most cases per diem ($1.50 - $2.00/hour Time away from base) can add up to an extra $400-600/month (tax free unless you go places where the IRS per diem is less than actual) and that can be significant especially on first year pay. Also, you are usually on call more days (18-20) than you would if you actually held a line (say 14-16 days/month). If you live in domicile it can sometimes be really good (you may only fly some turnarounds, etc) - if you live out of domicile then you need a crash pad and it ends being pretty bad.
Most of the airlines are working to get more productivity from everyone and no one wants to pay you to sit at home.