All,

sorry if this is a repost...but i couldnt find this anywhere.

can someone break down how the entire pay system works: for example:

1. standard hourly pay
2. reserve pay
3. credits??
4. DHD pay (is there such a thing?) (and what is it?)
5. per diem (when do you get it, how much, etc, etc)
6. uniforms??
7. health insurance?
8. anything else i am missing?

general info about how a monthly check would break down, etc. thanks in advance for your help!!

 

Answer would be too long to explaing, besides, it all depends on what company you go to. But I will try to help a little.

1. Whatever APC says is pretty close.
2. Usually the min gauarantee. If the min gar is 75 hrs, you get 75 hrs. IF you actually fly over 75, you will get what you actually fly. But never less tha the monthly gar.
3. Again, depends on the company. Some give credits for ground repos, some don't. Some give credit for clearing customs, some don't.
4. Again, depends on the company. Some pay DH at 100%, some at 50%, jsut depends.
5. Per diem starts when you start your trip. If you trip showed at 12 noon on day 1 and finished on 4 pm day 4, you would get per diem for every hour on the trip. In this case, 74 hrs worth. If you are flying day trips, you show at 6 am and finish at 5 pm, it's 11 hs of perdiem.
6. Again, depends on the company. Some give a reimbursment, some dont. Some give an annual credit, some dont. Some only give the credit if you buy from the company store.
7. Comes out of your pay check and depends on what plan you go with as well as if you have family or not.

I usally get on average of 85-90 hours of pay a month. I commute so I don' pick up open time. Typical per diem is around 280-300 hrs a month. I know, people don't count perdiem as income, but it shows up on my pay check. As a new hire FO, per diem usually is just under 1/3 of your total take home in some cases.

 

It totally varies by airline...these are VERY good questions to ask, but you will need to look at the specifics of the airline(s) you are considering working for.

Here's what I know, (SKY and mesa)

1. See the pay rates on the APC Airline Profiles (top of your page)
2. Guarantee: SKW: 75/month Mesa: 76/Month
3. Complicated, but SKW has much better workrules...I usually get awarded an 80-90 hour line, fly 75-85, and credit 100-110. At mesa you would get a 85 hour line, fly 75, and credit 76 (the guarantee).
4. Deadhead pay: When the company requires you to travel as a passenger (often to start or end a trip). SKW: 100% of block time. Mesa: 50% of block (2 hour max).
5. Basically you get per diem anytime you are on duty. Also, if you are in training or assigned to be on reserve in town other than your domicile you will get per diem the whole time. SKW: $1.60/hour mesa: $1.21/hour
6. SKW provides your first uniform issue, except for your jacket (and hat, if you're silly enough to buy an optional hat). You then get a generous yearly allowance to buy replacement items. Mesa will reimburse you for half of some uniform expenses.
7. SKW is OK, nothing great. Mesa is veryy crappy...I think the FA's have a $25,000 LIFETIME cap on health benefits they can receive.

Note: Anything you are entitled to at mesa will require EXTREME effort on your part to actually get. They will shortchange you on EVERYTHING, and hope you are too tired to fight it. Unless you are willing to vigorously and continuously document, complain and harrass, you can safely reduce your expected compensation by 5-10% to account for their shortchanging you.


Paychecks are done differently. SKW: You get paid for what you actually flew in the last two weeks. Mesa: You get paid 40 hours on the first paycheck of the month, and then you get paid the what you flew minus 40 hours, plus all your per diem on the second paycheck.

 

i dont think mesa will be the same though since they are going to start negotions soon. And they way that they have been treated,, i seriously doubt they are going to accept anything less than a SUPERB contract. we will see though.

 

"Paychecks are done differently. SKW: You get paid for what you actually flew in the last two weeks. Mesa: You get paid 40 hours on the first paycheck of the month, and then you get paid the what you flew minus 40 hours, plus all your per diem on the second paycheck."

Anybody that wants to play "funny money" games with your pay needs to be avoided, IMO.

 

thanks guys for the great answers!!

but can someone explain EXACTLY what a credit is??? in one of the responses i saw "fly 75-80, credit 100-110"??? what the heck does that mean??

thanks again, you guys rock!!!!

 

BLOCK time is actual "flight" time, usually defined as releasing the parking brake leaving the gate until they open the main door or the bag door at your destination (again, company dependent). CREDIT time is what you actually get paid. So if you get delayed, reassigned or cancelled, at the better companies you will still get paid for that segment, even though you didn't fly it (this policy is called "pay protection"). Credit time also includes deadhead (DHD) time and bonus pay. So lets say you get a couple of ground delays where you go sit in the airplane, a couple of deadheads in your month and work on a day off and you quickly can have 15-25 hours of "soft time" (the difference between what you fly and what you are paid) on your pay check. As you've heard many times, these policies vary quite a bit from company to company.