Aviation is a losers job. I mean it's a business based on selling something worth $2 for $1. Prior to deregulation, people were making bank and it was the norm to live the life because my previous sentence didn't apply. Many will say that Qol was doomed after deregulation because that's when the airlines adopted the dog eat dog way of business. Yes airlines still did pay well but at the same time they were losing money. 9/11 ultimately screwed everyone and it ultimately sealed the deal with the destruction of airline qol. 9/11 also quadrupled the regional business. Now there is too much competition with catastrophic gas prices. Therefore we are now left with petty regional pilots rambling on public forums about the injustice of the business, that's all we can do. Nothing has been done the last 20 years, why change now?

 

And you say you work at AMR? I'd expect a Legacy pilot to understand how one airline can be better than another. Also, the regionals were created because of narrow-minded and higher than thou pilots such as yourself.

BTW, we have several FO’s that are making more than $1 per seat. Just look at our 5th year EMB (30 seat a/c) FO rate; and yes I don’t know why, but we do have a few who are 5th+ year EMB FO’s. That rate is well over $1 per seat. Note: You are more ridiculous than a 5th year regional FO.

 

No it's not a losers job, it's a losing battle.

My father (former BIA CA and retired AA CA) always said that "AVIATION" stood for:

A
Vacation
In
Any
Town
I
Own
Nothing

 

I have never worked at TSA, but I don't have good feelings about gojet people and will not forget about them. I worked at mesa, which was (and still is) under a sub-par contract thanks in large part to whipsawing following the creation of the freedom alter-ego.

I think most folks at SKW feel the same way, since everyone here has flown with ex-TSA and ex-mesa pilots.

 

Call me crazy, but I don't think ANY AA fo makes $1 per seat either. I'm sure you can justify your reasoning though???

 

A few things need to happen to save the industry.

1 Some form of government regulation needs to be in place... somethign along the lines of the utility companies.... private for profit, but regulated.

2 A national union with an established pilot contract... doesn't matter where you work, or for whom... this is the baseline pilot contract... period.
If your employer wants to give your local union more that's fine, but nobody shall accept less than whatever comes out of the national.

The $1 per seat is a good starting point for 1st year FO's. $2 per seat sounds good for Capt's. If they did it on a per seat basis, the step raises would seem smaller but in reality work out well. Example; 5 cents on a 50 seater would be an extra $2.50 and hour. The same 5 cents on a 150 seater would be $7.50 an hour.
There would need to be a baseline minimum pay as well.... since the pay by seat thing doesn't work well for smaller 121 transport aircraft like the Beech 1900. $19 and hour for a first year FO stinks, and 38 and hour for a Capt is a joke.... way too much responsibility and liability for such low pay... even on a small plane...

 

No, but they should.... and shame on us all for letting it get to the point it has.

 

i disagree. this industry was ****** before most of the people your blaming it on were born! Dont blame it on ALL of US! Blame capitalism and the likes of J.O. and Hulas

 

use your $1 per seat salary and enroll in a spelling/ESL class at the local community college.

kettle.....whole...

80% of your posts are in the regionals forum. If you hate everyone here that much, leave. Or did the Major forum guys get sick of you too?

 

I disagree. ALL of us are to blame for it's continuing downward spiral.

Capitalism can only take so much of the blame... if WE did not accept such low pay and a poor quality of life then Capitalism would be our best friend... pay and rules would have to increase. So, as long as JO and Hulas can get people like us for the pittance they offer, then WE remain the problem.

Which airline pilot group has the furthest away contract end date? I know at least one is 2013. ALPA should get it's act together so that no carrier signs a new contract for anything longer than whatever is the longest now. Then when that date approaches, we put Prater's motto to work and take it back.