arctic099

A little more food for thought. Even if you apply externally and do not go through the old guaranteed interview program or pilot pathways program you will still get put in a pool with the rest of the people in the programs.

flynshoe748

Pay Comparison NPV 401K
Delta B737 $3,727,251 $3,106,603
United B737 $3,712,194 $3,094,365
Alaska Airlines B737 $3,482,399 $2,802,202
Horizon Air $1,630,288
SkyWest $1,603,430

Constants/Assumptions
Company 401(k) Contribution/Match 15 - 16%
Monthly Credit Hours: 80
Net Present Value Percentage: 4%
401K Assumptions
Rate 0.07
N 1
Time(years) 1

Not accounted for:
Cost of Commuting

For me it is quality of life. All things being almost equal, where can I be based where I want to live, do I want to move, or do I want to commute.
This data is lifetime earnings for a mid-30s person joining the airlines converted into 2018 dollars, hence Net Present Value. Please check my math.
On average, over a career at Delta, United, American, Southwest, or Alaska in 2018 dollars you'll make $3.6 million. Average annual income just over $200,000 on a 30 year career, working just about half the year. According to USA Today, super reliable, you'll be making more annually than, wait, than 95.8% of the country. You'll almost be in the 1% club, not too shabby, even at Alaska Airlines, for only working half the year.
If you want to live and play in the Pacific Northwest then Alaska Airlines is a good company with strong financial record that will probably weather the coming economic downturn just fine. If not, go somewhere else, if you get a phone call.
As for OO and QX, probably close in pay, OO doesn't have a union, where as QX does. It might not be a whole lot but, its something.

SactisbonesBJ

This! Go to Compass, they have a SEA base.

Excargodog

It's not your math that needs to be checked, it's your assumptions. If you assume that you will never proceed beyond the 737 (which is all Alaska flew until they bought Virgin), the analysis is arguably valid. And it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy if you decide ahead of time that Alaska is where you want to work. But UA, Delta, and AA also fly bigger stuff. An Alaska captain may top out at $251 (2018 dollars) but a Delta or UA captain flying a 777 can make $330.

Granted, money ISN'T everything, I don't care if you want to live in the NW simply to dig geoducks, but if you are purporting to do an economic analysis it ought to be apples to apples. Don't torture the data to make it agree with your going in biases.

Alaska clearly DOESN'T pay what the other three do. That you find what they do pay sufficient for your purposes is fine, and personally I would too, but don't pretend the dufference doesn't exist.

flynshoe748

That comparison was for actual apples to apples, 737 to 737 pay rates. A progression of 5 yr 737 FO, 5 yr 767 FO, 10 yr 737 CA, 10 yr 767 CA nets $ 4.2 million NPV. I think it is obious that you'll make more at United, Delta, American, UPS, and Fedex.

It was more point as to quality of life less about the actual money.

Excargodog

No, that was apples to apples for equipment but apples to oranges for employers. That's like saying a Volkswagen is just as capable as a Maserati if both are limited to 100 horsepower. True in a sense, but grossly deceiving.

If your financial "analysis" was for the purpose of saying that either option was sufficient financially for your purpose, OK. But it was presented as if the financial options top three vs Alaska were equivalent, and as you now admit they are not.

And of course it is an option to work for one of the others and still live in the Pacific Northwest. Many pilots do.

flynshoe748

My numbers actually, clearly show, AS does pay less than United for the same equipment, $3.4 vice 3.7 million NPV. You're also making less in your 401K, 2.8 vice ~3.0 million.

The point I am making is: if you make $200,000 on average per year over a 30 year career, it becomes less about money and more about quality of live. What ever that is to you, if you actually get the job.
Then, you're also making more than 95% of Americans and working half the year.

fenix1

Is Compass stable? I’ve heard a lot of chatter about Republic buying all 3 TransStates Holdings airlines (Compass, GoJet & TransStates).

Packrat

[QUOTE=flynshoe748;2518913 What ever that is to you, if you actually get the job.
Then, you're also making more than 95% of Americans and working half the year.[/QUOTE]

And we can't figure out why our co-workers think pilots are overpaid, greedy prima donnas.

Excargodog

You assume a buyout by a company with higher pay for its aircrews would be a BAD thing? Why? The equipment, people, bases, and jobs would still be needed.

For that matter, when seniority lists are merged, the smaller pilot workforce generally gains.