Hope so, I want (need) a bonus as well... Can I quit and get re-hired? :D

How new are you?

It's because we,the pilots, want more money. When the union negotiates higher wages, the company cries foul because "they can't afford it".

But they can afford to give new hires $17K signing bonus? AND Why should new hires get a bonus? We're the one's who sacrifice day in and day out, are away from our families and we don't see a penny.

THEY HAVE A VERY LEGITIMATE ARGUMENT.

For the record- I hope this pilot shortage gets worse. It will force companies to do what they can to attract pilots. Then when they pay them better, the pilots will be happy and management will say to themselves "Wow, pilots are actually good people when we treat them good. And they're willing to help us out!"

Management teams know this. But as my father said to me when I was growing up. "There is always someone willing to do your job cheaper".

17 gs! thats not too far fetched, a lot of hospitals offer huge bonuses to nurses! they even pay for school, if you sign a long enough contract! These bonuses are sure signs that the industry is changing and the ball is now in the pilots court!

I still feel that a crazy sign on bonus is treating a symptom instead of the problem. You cant fight cancer with asprin and you cant fix a chain saw wound with a band-aid. Eventually the airlines will kind of start to realize this and will maybe try to make this career more appealing!

3500 was confirmed by a chief pilot..but it's not even a hit on the company..cause if you take the singing bonus..you don't get the per diem which classes are already getting..which works out to about 3500 anyways.

Sly devils.

I guess HR blatantly asked a class that came in recently "what do we need to do to get more of you guys in here?" and I guess signing bonus was a popular answer.

I definatly didnt not get 3500 in per diam during training. It was probably around 2000......maybe.... i was there 62 days total, per diam started about 10 days after being there when we were assigned jfk equals $1900 dollars.........

Thread Drift
 

Every captain I have flown with (when I get to fly) is either leaving or planning on leaving. So what could the company do to improve moral so that people want to stay. No flames please....And don't say more $$. I don't think more $$ alone would fix the problem.

Or am I way off base and people aren't supposed to stay long term here in the first place?

First...I'd rather have the per diem.... its not taxable.

Chow....some would say just that, that people shouldnt stay long term..... but the reality is that a percentage will for reasons that are theirs and theirs alone.

The way I see it... Comair was once a place that was called a "career company" where it felt like a family and people were willing to give up the chance at heavy iron and the "majors paycheck" to stay close to home with a company that gave a damn about them and took care of them.

Right about the time "Daddy D" took over, they stopped giving a damn and it stopped being a career company. I think in order to keep people, a few things need to change.

For one, a few people in management need to go. We all know who they are, so no point in naming names.

Second, trips need to be more productive. December is a nice start, but it's a holiday month with lots of flying. It needs to stay that way. Lots of flying leads to growth. Growth leads to upgrades. Why stay at a company slinging gear for 5-6 years just to upgrade and then spend possibly 2-4 years on reserve as the junior captain when you can go to other companies and upgrade in 2?

Third, we need more flying and more growth. How many times have we flown a route, and all of a sudden its no longer ours? How often do you hear "[Place name of airline here] stole our flying!" The BOS base will likely never happen now that we do much less BOS flying than we once did. Yes, I understand it's not "stealing", but from our viewpoint and gripes with management with no forseable growth, it certainly feels that way.

Fourth, the pay for pilots and other employees needs to go up while management's pay needs to go down. Maybe not to post-strike pay, but certainly higher than what it is now. I agree with HercDriver abut per diem. 1.55 will hardly buy you dinner on the road.

That's just my piece, but what do I know.

Driver;

Sometimes your comments make my day. ;)

Now don't hate the players.....