When is too late to pursue a legacy job?
01-17-2025 | 10:15 AM
#71
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I take your point, but the pilot in question here isn't 62. He has 30+ years left in his career, so even in his worst case scenario (hired at 38, upgrade at 50) he will have 15 years in the left seat of a legacy with pretty good seniority, not to mention the stability of being at a "too big to fail" company. Legacy FOs can get close to that regional CA pay, and legacy captains blow regional pay out of the water.
It doesn’t make sense to settle at a regional unless you have some circumstances that prevent you from leaving, eg…family
01-17-2025 | 11:04 AM
#72
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That's great. But if you're 60 and pulling down $400K+ where's the tipping point? Friend's son is pulling down $400K+ as an under 30 regional Captain. He's bailing as fast as he can. But the math is different for an under 5x guy vs an over 6x guy. The statement was made that leaves never a reason to stay at a regional and not go to a major airline. That's just not true. As an example you're last two years pay + first year pay would be about $500,000 less than if a guy was pulling down $400K the last 3 years (I don't recall when the crazy pay rates hit the regionals). If you make $500K a year it will take a minimum of 5 years to make up the shortfall. Yes, no one knows when the regional pay bubble will burst as it won't stay that way forever. But a 62 yr old you, 3 years ago, might have been better staying as a regional Captain.
01-18-2025 | 08:29 AM
#77
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From: Engines Turn or People Swim
I could still get there on a NB, but it would be painful and on the bleeding edge of the realm of the possible.
So good consolation prize for those who stayed (I left before all the pay raises, so moot point for me).
01-18-2025 | 09:09 AM
#78
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Joined: Sep 2016
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That's an option not generally available to major FO's, and it is more readily available to regional CA's than in the past. It used to be a small clique, now the criteria is basically don't have a CJO or an adverse training/discipline record.
I could still get there on a NB, but it would be painful and on the bleeding edge of the realm of the possible.
So good consolation prize for those who stayed (I left before all the pay raises, so moot point for me).
I could still get there on a NB, but it would be painful and on the bleeding edge of the realm of the possible.
So good consolation prize for those who stayed (I left before all the pay raises, so moot point for me).
01-18-2025 | 02:04 PM
#80
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Joined: Oct 2010
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