Bigger must pay more.
Always.

Because it always has.


I've tried for years.

 

I honestly don’t think most people are stuck to that notion. But when it comes time to normalizing hourly pay, those at the top scream bloody murder if anyone suggests the negotiated pay increases across the fleets might actually be non-uniform to achieve pay banding. Strawman arguments abound. We missed an great opportunity to make it so in the last contract before what was to be (and became) massive category shuffle that would have let almost everyone exploit the pay banding as they saw fit.

 

i was flying an out and back, Guam, NRT and back to Guam. We were heading back to Guam when the lead flight attendant ask us if we wanted another 1st Class meal. Neither the Captain or I was hungry but when he told us what was on the tray, we thought, “What the hell, ok.”

When he delivered the meals to the cockpit, he asked, “Do you know what’s the difference between a pilot and Jeffery Dahmer?”

Us: “Uh, what?”

FA: “Even Jeffery Dahmer didn’t eat both legs!”

Best joke from a FA I’ve ever heard.

Humboldt

 

Delta will never go for it... $$$$$$$.

 

Eat till you're sleepy, sleep till you're hungry.

 

I am stuck to that notion... maybe the junior guys aren’t, because they have 20-30 left. But those of us that have less than 10-15 probably aren’t for it. The whole dynamic would change. I’ve managed my career based off the bigger pays more. That’s how it’s been and that’s how I will vote for it to stay.

 

I’m interested to hear more if you’re willing to share. Your next 15 years aren’t malleable to a new dynamic because of your many historic years here or because of a recent bid/seat lock? I’d understand the latter but not the former.

Clearly, the dynamic changes, but if done with, say, 3 bands, the dynamic doesn’t change drastically. And I’m not sure it’s a junior/senior thing as much as you imply... although I could be wrong. Plenty of senior pilots sit and will retire on the 320 where they might be fine banding up, and same with the 330. There are also an increasing number of junior pilots moving to the 350 who might have preferred the 330’s trip mix if it paid what the 350 paid...same for for senior pilots deciding between the 330 and 350. Middle-seniority pilots on the 737 might be happy to move to the 320 without a pay drop, and of course some 737 pilots could be ****ed to tolerate the yoke without the extra pay they thought they were signing up for over the 320. Of course changing the rules in the middle (or the end) of the game is unpalatable for many for various reasons. I get that. But if this were done slowly over time and with advance notice, I think there could be interest.

 

I don’t get that logic. All sorts of work rules have and will change. Pay scales and ALV and ADG and all the things like that have and will change. I don’t see how this would be different in regards to how you’ve managed your career to this point. You just adjust to it, the same as all those other changes.

That being said, I like the amount of options because it gives more pilots more choice. Want the highest paying, go for it. Want better seniority at the expense of pay rate, go for it. I don’t know how much that would change, but I like being able to attain seniority faster in a lower paying plane while others can go for the dollars per hour.

 

are you serious? Or just a sarcasm!!!!

not sure why the europeans can do differences course in 3 days and not Delta? Just ask Lufthansa?
all their pilots “triple qualified” to do A330/340/350 as well as the turks, and maybe others.

I agree if Delta agrees with the union approval to top up the pay of A330 to A350, everyone will love to have the amount of variable schedules and less headaches for crewing trips.

 

Eh, like 6% of the pilot group are at the top pay rate at any given time and many will never see that top rate. Many of those even with 10-15 years left may not be able/willing to make he jump and may like a shift away from the "bigger pays more" notion. Also, those with 20-30 left are also nearly 50% of the pilot group. It makes way more sense to have higher pay rates over the length of a typical career than it does to hold out hope that some day you just might be able to hold one of the few, coveted spots.