Would you rather do day trips without perdiem, or two or three day trips and get perdiem?

 

Per Diem isn't pay.

SkyHigh

 

And now an answer from somebody who isn't a bitter, couldn't-hack-it quitter, brought to you by Quit Whining Productions:
I'm young and single, and don't mind being away from the apartment for a few days at a go. Additionally, not having to drive to and from work every day is one of the things I love about this job. The added bonus to this is that once you build an overnight into the trip, the per diem becomes nontaxable. That really starts to add up over the month.

 

I would rather have per-diem everyday, It is baloney to work for someone who does not have per-diem on day trips. I know from experience. However to answer your question, sleeping in your own bed has a price, for me it is worth no per-diem.

 

they give me an extra 500-600 a month that is non taxable for doing all 4 day trips. I actually use my per diem for most of my food, gas, and other bills through out the month and let my flight pay go towards my student loan, rent, car and such.

 

While your perdiem isn't income (as skyhigh said) if you were living at home eating bolagna sandwiches you'd still need to buy the meat and bread, so, if you live out of your food case on your trips, it is extra money going towards something you'd need anyway. Or in my case, (as someone who does enjoy eating out) It's not bad to know that you're eating for free, i can eat those bolagna sandwiches when i get back from my 4 day. So, yeh i'm a perdiem man....

Something interesting though, at 25000 a year, you'll notice your perdiem more than you will once you make captain, as an FO i lived off the stuff making my paychecks managable. As a CA, i typically don't even notice that i have the extra in there.

 

i didn't even know there were places that didn't give you per diem (taxable of course) for day trips. that's a scam. but me personally, for many reasons, prefer getting the big non-taxable per diem that comes from doing 4 day trips. i don't really understand the "it's not pay" point of view. i would say it's not something to compare employer to employer on, or to consider it a "perk" or anything like that. we are, by law, entitled to a certain amount of recapture, and the difference between what we get and what we don't is tax deductible (75% of it was this past year). but it definitely helps to get that money. if you work a regular job, going to work each day and going home each night, you get nothing, yet you still have to eat. so getting extra money to be gone is a nice thing. someone mentioned they prefer sleeping in their own bed, and are willing to forgo that money, so that's a great option. i prefer the money, personally. we each have our own situations.

 

Who do you all work for not getting per diem on day trips???

We get per diem from the minute we sign in to sign out regardless.
The difference is on day trips, per diem is taxed. On multi day trips, it is not, but regardlss, we do get per diem.

That's at Piedmont..

 

Hell I live in base and I still bid 4-day trips. Per-diem is a cool 36 tax-free bucks a day, and I get out of the damn house to boot.

Why does SkyHigh even bother reading these forums on a regular basis anymore? I dont get it.

 

Why do you read these forums?

Skyhigh