NetJets Commuting Pilot Atl -Phl On US Airway
 

Last Monday I was commuting on US Airways from Atl to Phl .I was not in uniform. The flight was rerouted to Richmond due to weather .There was a Net Jet pilot on board and I was able to overhear him talking loudly about how low the regional pay level was .He was talking to another airways pilot and another passenger. To me,it is VERY UNPROFESSIONAL to talk about these type of issues when paying passengers can hear you.To most passengers including the one he was talking to dosent know the difference between a mainline ,cargo ,regional or 135 pilot.
It makes us all look bad when this happens and it actually made the passenger feel uncomfortable,thinking safety may be compromised with the low pay ,and thats not the case anymore.In fact several of the most recent aircraft incidents in the US involved mainline carriers.Also the regionals are slowly increasing pay ,offering bonuses and other incentives.
It is not uncommon for a regional fo that knows how to work the system to make $50k and captains easily make $100k.
So for him to berade regional pilots and pay constantly ,and to say these things to paying passengers is totally unprofessional and should not happen again.
You never know who is listening to your conversation, esp when you're talking loudly and discussing pay issues with pilots. I remember him saying he worked at Asa for seven years,never upgraded or never made more than 30k per year.
After listening to him talk I think I see why.
Don't discuss these type of things in front of Or within ear shot of passengers.
Thank You

Ha you sound like a blast to fly with.

Why? There are differences between pilots, not only pay. Some passengers are interested. There are airlines out there (past and present i.e. Valujet for example) I wouldn't put my family on. If someone wants to know my professional opinion why, I'll tell them.

How is it unprofessional to deliver facts?

Hahaha. I also like my corporations to lie to me.

You do realize that NetJets pilots travel on paid tickets as revenue passengers, right? Effectively they are customers like every other paying passenger on the plane, and therefore are free to discuss whatever they please with whomever they please. Last time I checked it was not up to airline personnel to police conversations occurring among the customers that pay their salaries.

You do realize that every fatal US airline accident since 2001 has involved a regional carrier, right?

I'm not in any way bashing regional pilots - I was one for several years. But the pay and safety issues are real, and if they came up in conversation I'd be perfectly happy to share my opinions too.

Some of you don't get it.Is it wrong to try and protect the image of our profession?Maybe its just me but I still have a little pride in what I do ,how I look and what the traveling public thinks about what we do.Telling them some of us makes less than a waffle house manager is just not something I would want to hear if I was a paying passenger,in my opinion .People that work at McDonald's constantly screw up orders because they are underpaid and don't care.Do you want the people who entrusted you with their lives to think the same about us ?

Sure do. Maybe then they'd take a little more interest in their personal safety before boarding a regional with two over worked, disgruntled, extremely tired, poor (one obviously more poor) pilots.

The flying public needs to be more informed about the low pay and horrible QOL that regional pilots have! Im glad he was telling him or her about the poor conditions the greedy management types have created... I hope the whole plane heard how crappy the regionals and 135 ops are!

I'm sure that NetJets pilot, on a paid company ticket and likely an AAdvantage Platinum member, cares very deeply that you think he shouldn't talk about Fight Club around other paying passengers.