I think we're monkeys throwing poo here... I've credited by block twice at Atlas. Once was December of 2015. The other was a 5 day block that I worked for Atlas one month because of military leave the other 25 days. I flew HSV-STN-LUX limoed to HHN-Manas-HHN limoed to LUX-HSV. That was slightly more than 4.85 times 5... The way our contract is structured it doesn't really hurt the company to have us sit. I do think scheduling us at 80 hours flying would be best for the company but that's not what they do...

 

One buddy of mine got a BILL for his mid month check on first year pay. That's right... He paid Uncle Same for his two weeks of work at Atlas. The taxes on his imputed income plus his health care was more than 25 hours times $79.50....

 

Fact: 7 Atlas pilots just started at UPS (including 4 Captains!).

Rumor (believe it) is that over 100 more are in UPS and FedEx pools ...

Are Atlas applicants getting this message???

8

 

Atlas is quickly turning into a stepping stone to those companies. Come here, check the heavy international and Boeing boxes then move on quickly.

 

How much did your buddy claim he was imputed? ....because frankly the math doesn't work. Regardless, imputed income doesn't affect your pay until 3 months after the charges are incurred. Furthermore, a charge in a given month is divided into two parts across two pay periods.

I'm NOT defending Atlas. We have a paltry contract and crap working conditions but to claim that one would pay to work here is unethical.

The proof is in the putting and I will happily stand corrected with numbers that back up that claim, but until then its just blowing smoke.

 

This is literally the advice I've received from every Atlas pilot I've talked to, prefaced by "It's not a career destination. It could be if they paid more."

 

When he went through it, it made sense... So... For the people who think Atlas is so NEATO....

As a new hire on the 747 you'll be based in ANC and the last guy up there when you clear OE. My buddy was living in the South and it was Summer - tourist season for ANC - where flying and hotels up there were scarce. He was junior and there for on Reserve. The lines he could hold only started out of base and were 60 day lines with a ton of commutes up there. So at that time 25 hours times $77 equals $1925. Then subtract healthcare, taxes, retirement and union dues and you're down to around $1250. Divide that times a tax rate of .25 (25%) and you get to $5000 in imputed income for the month. If you commute 3 times on a 60 day line in a month plus add hotels? Yeah... You get there.

 

Yeah... The company could change that at any moment but they have zero intention to do so.

 

monkey math......

"divide that".....what are you talking about....divide what into what??? to get $5000 of imputed? Ridiculous. You are not computing a solid math argument to substantiate that "your buddy" had no take home pay for a given pay period.

......"it made sense, So,"..... and, "you get there".......is not an argument.

We all know that imputed income sucks and should be done away with but.......I do have a bridge to sell you.

 

Sigh... Simple math man....

So if you're taxed around 25% then you take the $1250 left over after taxes, union dues and insurance and to get an imputed income amount that equals $1250 you simply divide $1250 by .25 to represent 25%. To prove it work back. If you tax $5000 at 25% what do you get? $1250. So to eliminate $1250 in income you need $5000 in imputed income taxed at 25%.

In ANC over the Summer a last minute gateway from say Jacksonville to Anchorage probably costs over $1000. There are 60 day lines that may have 4 commutes a month. Hotels are probably over $200 a night down there where we stay, so if you're on Reserve that's as much as $3400 for hotels for 17 days... More if you need one Day 0 and Day 18. It can add up depending on how you're used.

In September I had $2500 in imputed income getting from the Southeast to Miami and spending about 7 nights in a MIA hotel. That's MIA with short flights. Gateway is NOT a free benefit. You pay about 25% to Uncle Sam for it AND the company will hold it over our heads as part of our compensation come time for negotiations... When ever that is...