RJSAviator76

Good point, but...

CAP 371 is the basis for flight time/duty time limits at UAE-based airlines… not sure about QR. I think it's generally superior to FAA rest rules. Which one do you follow, and how do you pick and choose if the foreign rules are perhaps superior than the FAA ones?

Rightfully so. Why on earth can a ramper in the US make up to $40-50k a year throwing bags? It's insane! Nothing against rampers, but this is an unskilled, menial labor position. Want to fix an injustice? Why on earth do we have regional airline pilots (skilled technical position) starting at $20k a year, on par with rampers?

Leveling the field… I love it. Some interesting reading here:

HowStuffWorks "How Communism Works"

tsquare

Where do you live?

tsquare

Allah forbid that anybody should have a decent QOL and be able to make a decent wage doing menial labor.

TeddyKGB

HaHa

av8tordude

I don't think he was advocating paying slave wages, but paying a full-time (2080hrs/year) baggage handler (unskilled laborer) 40k-50k/year to sling bags onto an airplane flown by airlines pilots (mandated Federal certificated training) making approx. avg. industry 75k/year working approx 1440-2500hrs/year) is out of balance.

If 40k-50k/yr is a livable wage for a baggage handler, then I think all airline pilots are due for a substantial compensation package increase to match that of an unskilled laborer.

tsquare

I don't think you'll get any argument from anybody here about OUR wages, but the fact that rampers here (in SOME places.. not all) are making those wages goes right to the heart of the argument as to why it is difficult for American carriers to compete with the ME carriers. It all adds up. Fuel cost subsidies they get, retirements that have to be paid here, their EX/IM bank financing.. all those things make it difficult. And now some Harvard azzclown is advocating for cabotage where we would have to compete with those state funded airlines. If you need evidence that this is a bad thing, look at the shipping industry.

Skyone

It's a tough one to wrap ones head around. The ME carriers all provide housing or compensation for such, which ups the package overall. Included is free health care that the company provides for families. The wages paid are lower than US or EU standards, but include the additional benefits and it may come close. In some cases the housing that is provided is the equal to 50 thou a year when it comes to what a similar villa would rent for. Shouldn't personnel that are based in SF or LA be paid more than those in ATL doing the same job. The government even pays more at higher cost of living locations.

Funny thing is, the US pilots here are the ONLY pilots taxed on their salaries. Every other country does not tax expatriates (some countries do if one owns property). Talk about taxation without representation, the Brits love the irony.

Skyone

Just to add a little more fuel on the fire. Love to see where you find info on fuel subsidies. Retirement funding is exactly the same as what you're getting at DAL now. Is it the ME carriers fault that some goofball politicians allow the bank financing. But then again, a trillion dollar order to Boeing will keep a couple of American workers gainfully employed for a few years. Oh, and why is DAL so in love with Airbus these days? Subsidies from Airbus? Why not order some wide body home grown airplanes?

Because the government does not really promote the protection needed to compete, don't blame airlines that have the full backing of their governments. You could even make the argument that ATL was built on the backs of Delta and Eastern to some extent and in the day, you bet they got some "good deals". But protectionism goes against the tenet of cheap cheap airfares for the masses that the government truly wants, re. deregulation.

Columbia

What sort of job protections are in place over there? Is one able to commute to where one wants to live?

Purple Drank

deleted.

see also: http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/ma...-airlines.html