Why be a pilot when you can be an FA?
 

Just came across this blurb on AOL about cushy jobs. Here's what they said:

Work Less, Make More Money?
The average employee works 40 hours per week, 2,080 per year, and earns $9.69 per hour ($26,036 annually)*. There are other options, however. Flight attendants, for example, work an average of 996 hours each year and earn $33,957. That's 1,084 extra hours to spend freely!

I know I've read comments by alot of you about how many hours you have to work as a Pilot. Obviously, the FAs aren't on duty nearly as many hours as you are, so why not switch careers? You still get to ride around in the airplane. :D

Ahhh, yet another lack of the general public's understanding of how we are compensated.

33957/996= $34.09 per flight hour..........and keep in mind that is with about 10 years senority!!!! That doesn't include the time you are "sitting" or the "brakes aren't released"..........all that time you just get your per diem.

But still... A F/A has no out of pocket expenses for edu. An F/A has nowhere near as much time invested and their liability is incomparable. The regional payscale just does'nt make sense to me.

My mom makes around $100,000 as a corportate flight attendant, and when she does contract work she gets around $500 a day......... grrr. IF only all those airline FA's had any clue what some of the corporate ones make while they say "peanuts or biscoff" "chicken or beef?" and get 20 an hour

Some days I want to just do her job!

Why not switch careers? Uh cause I like to fly planes...

Hmmm your mom+some rich guy in the back of a G-IV=$100,00/yr? I think there might be more involved than just "chicken or beef?" :)

P.S. I doubt you'd really want to do her job!

But while as a pilot you get to shut the door, from the folks, they have to sit and listen to them whine about why we are delayed (while lightening is popping all around)............and why they are late, and why the are going to miss thier connections........and why in first class they didn't get a choice of "ranch or cesar" salad dressing.............the grass isn't always green-er on the other side!!!!

I know some girls who do this, but few regional FA's would qualify. The ones I know are all ex-major airline FA's, not too young or too old, have college degrees, are pretty and elegant, and really know how to carry them selves well. None have ever mentioned a thing about inapropriate advances, and I don't think they would put up with it for a second.

I would have trouble doing their job. The only advantage to an FA job that I see is no up-front training costs and no recurrent sim. Other than that they are pretty much on the same program that we are, but without the slight possibility of $200K/year income.

They do have re-current every 12 months, mandatory per FAR's.......full evacuation mode, and normal opertating of the doors, CPR, AED, and security.......each airline it's different times........at UAL it's 16 hours worth...

And don't forget some airlines (like most regionals, and SWA) they have to clean the airplanes before they can leave.....

Hey I watched that episode of Family Guy--no way man--Lois was tired--I would rather be in the front--with the beer!:D

This so true. I can somewhat relate to this being a former Beech 1900 F/O and I think other pilots can relate to this who have flown on airplanes w/o F/As. Its amazing what comes out of some passengers mouths some of them being very rude. I give F/As a lot of credit, not everybody is a courteous rider.

i'd rather drive the bus load full of circus clowns than be a waitress to serve them and listen to why i should compensate them for being delayed.(no disrespect to the great fa out there)

let see how the FA's at my regional compare to that list...

-they are all ex-highschool students
-either cant drink, or quialify for senior discounts
-have a diploma (some have GED's)

ill leave your imagination to whether or not they are pretty, elegant and can really carry them selves well...

I agree with you here, my mom has a college degree and is also a pilot... She does a LOT at her company, the catering alone is rediculous... wish I got fed like that.... and to whomever said there was "more to the chicken or beef" is an idiot, she works for a corporation not some man... there are many corporate FA's who make 6 digits..... many

He was almost definitely not being serious :) I myself thought it was pretty amusing when I read it, not to say anything against your mother, who I am sure is a lovely and wholesome woman.

I said it and I was half joking. :) And call me an idiot to my face next time :)

I don't care how much a F/A makes...I'll be the one at the Controls :) Well said wmarti...

Uh, I was only kidding about the career switching thing. No offense to the FAs. I know the job bites.

At my 135 company, we pilots get to load the plane with all the catering/drinks for each leg of our flight while at the same time, we're trying to do our preflight and flight planning. We have to show up an hour early just to have time to ice down drinks and make the coffee before we can even start our flight prep. When each leg is over, we get to clean the cabin of all the debris and get ready for the next leg. Ever see what pax can do with muffins and crackers on a long flight. Yet another reason I want out of charter. :(

Well then you dont want to be an airline pilot. We dont get to do any of that stuff you are talking about.

Plus, we dont have "throttles". Throttles are for Cessnas.

<Insert Joke About Sexuality Here>

The stupid things the FA says
 

Plus, we dont have "throttles". Throttles are for Cessnas.

Really? I guess that means I fly a Cessna MD-11 with auto throttles.

Autothrust-levers...

Doesn't quite have the same ring to it, don't you think?! My vote is on throttles LoL

What exactly does your mom do?

And Boeings...

Have you ever seen the movie Pretty Woman? http://youtube.com/watch?v=-r8N6I4ENL4

Loved the "more than just chicken or beef"

Awww, I love that movie! I wish I owned it. Good thing it's on tv every other day so I don't have to spend money to buy it. I don't really see what that trailer had to do with anything, though.

Oops, I get it now. I saw the ? you were answering. My bad. I just get so excited when I see Pretty Woman I can't think straight. :)

You are all pretty ignorant, I guess bc my family has a lot of people in corportate I KNOW first hand that they make a lot of money and enjoy their jobs... my mom started it for fun after we all grew up and moved out of the house... now everyone shut up

I've done the regional F/A, corporate F/A, and major F/A thing before becoming a regional F/O, and I have to say it's WAY better to work up front than in the back!

Who cares...if they make so much money and love their jobs---go be a corp. flight attendant. I'm sure your mom can get you a good job. What is this in a regional forum for anyways? Take your ball and go home Paok :)

Thats what she said

Easy gang. I just started this thread as a reminder of how the general public and media do not understand our industry and how it would be nice if we, in some way, could change that. There's no need and it's not professional to insinuate the things that have been insinuated about Paok's mother. Funny is fine, but keep it professional. :)

Nobody insinuated anything... we were having a friendly conversation about chicken or beef, then started talking about Pretty Woman? Theres nothing to see here.

nah...thanks.... Ill be the corporate pilot instead....

I dunno...the high glamour life style of the corporate flight attendant might lure you away.

Tell Fabrico I said hi.