pay scale question
 

Tried to search but couldn't find the answer. If you upgrade to captain do you go back down to first year, or do you keep your time in the company?
For example, an FO upgrades to captain at 5 years, would they go to the 5 year captain pay or back down to 1?
If they stay at 5, when would you ever actually be a first year captain?
Thanks

5 year captains pay, direct entry captain or upgrade within a year.

Haha, of course the related topics listed someone asking the exact same question this time, but I really appreciate it anyways.
So pay stays up, but I assume you're taking a hit on seniority when you bid?

With the exception of perhaps an odd startup, all published payscales for US Airlines are years with the company (not years in seat) - so like Pilot said, if you upgrade after 5 years you will get 5 year captain pay. The published "year 1 Captain" number is generally meaningless because nobody upgrades in their first year (with extremely rare exceptions, of course).

But, yes, you take a hit in your bidding power once you upgrade since you are now a junior Captain rather than a senior First Officer. Some guys will put off taking a Captain upgrade for a while to allow more junior people to move into the left seat first - thus they will have a bit more bidding power once they finally do take the upgrade (essentially moving in "above" the more junior folks that took the upgrade sooner).

Hope that helps.

Alone the same lines, in terms of seniority, are you xx of xx,xxx in seniority with the company or does that change depending on the aircraft/seat you occupy?

For example, does your seniority # change when you go from a 717 to a 777 or is it really just your buying power that changes?

Thanks!


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Seniority is Seniority. Most Airlines use your Date of Hire (DOH) to determine this and this is everything. People hired ahead of you Leave or Retire...you move up. It's that simple.

If the 777 is flown by more senior guys (as normally is the case) than the 717....it is considered "more senior" on that basis only. Your "buying power" is how you can Bid on your current A/C/seat/base. If you are mid pack on the 717....your bidding power on the 777 (if you transition) will be less if the 777 has more senior manning. But within the 717 fleet....different bases might get you better bidding. A LOT of guys put off transfers/upgrades to make sure their Quality of Life (QOL) isn't affected as much when they do eventually (if ever) upgrade or transfer. There are just A LOT of factors. Its one of the benefits of this career is you have some say in your QOL in what you want to do and where you want to be. So yes being a new hire FO sucks for awhile. :)

Not true. At my previous airline, you went to year 1 when you upgraded to captain. It's not common, but it does exist. I only knew of 2 airlines where this was the case, and that other airline changed years ago, to years with the company. Not sure about my former employer, but if I had to guess I'd say they were still that way.