Pilot Minimum Wage
05-17-2009 | 01:32 PM
#31
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,168
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From: Reclined
I have done a search but could not find anything about a pilot minimum wage.
It seems that the only way airlines compete in today’s marketplace and stay in business is by offering the cheapest price, thus encouraging outsourcing. These outsourced regional airlines compete by offering the lowest price. They get low prices by hiring inexperienced pilots who will fly for less, they pay the pilots less, fly cheaper airplanes and a lot of them have outsourced training, which is cheaper. These airlines overwork the pilots, and underpay them. I do not mean to insult my fellow regional pilots, but a lot of us are more inexperienced compared to our mainline counterparts; for example we lack PIC turbine time. At some regionals, when the seniority list gets too senior the price becomes too high and they start another airline where the labor costs are lower.
I don’t feel that total regulation is the answer to the airline industry’s woes. Frankly, the government does not have the resources to fight two wars, regulate the banks, regulate the auto industry, regulate the health care industry, and regulate the aviation industry. If we were to have a pilot’s minimum wage airlines could not compete on the price of labor, the price of the ticket would be reflected in the level of service, the frequency of flights, or any other way an airline can separate itself from the competition. It is about time that the labor groups quit carrying the weight of the airlines on their shoulders.
Although this is not perfect, this is a starting point. I propose that we have 4 different classes of airplanes. Pilots would be paid according to the number of seats and would see an hourly pay scale based on the number of seats.
Typical Pay Scale
Small Category (1-50) Captain 150% First Officer 100%
Example: Emb 145 Seating Capacity: 45 Seats
Ca: 67 FO: 45
Medium Category (50-90) Captain 140% First Officer 100%
Example: Emb 170 Seating Capacity 70
Ca: 98 FO: 70
Medium Large (90-200) Captain 110% First Officer 95%
Example: B757 Seating Capacity 200
Ca: 220 FO: 190
Large (200+) Captain 100% First Officer 85%
Example: B777 Seating Capacity 330
Ca: 330 FO: 280
Now this is not a perfect pay scale, but just a start. This would increase the price of a ticket but not by very much. For example; an 8 hour international flight would be less than 2 dollars per hour per seat per hour. This translates to roughly 16 dollars per seat increase for a ticket that runs around a thousand dollars. Now this would be more expensive from a regionals standpoint but the current wages that they offer are a joke, and maybe it would result in more mainline flying.
I think at this point in the economy, the customers who are flying, have to fly, and will continue to fly regardless of a minor increase in the price of a ticket. If they cannot afford a ticket, they can drive or ride on Greyhound or Amtrak. If an airline can offer a lower price, it is doing it because it has a better business model, not because they are breaking the backs of its employees.
Each airline would have to negotiate an increase in pay rate for seniority beyond the minimum wage with its pilots, but that is up to the airline. If they appreciate their employee’s hard work and dedication they can pay them more, but not less. Let’s do away with the undercutting based on employee compensation which has done nothing but bring this industry to its knees.
Sorry for these poorly written paragraphs, but I was curious if this idea has been discussed or would be something to work towards.
It seems that the only way airlines compete in today’s marketplace and stay in business is by offering the cheapest price, thus encouraging outsourcing. These outsourced regional airlines compete by offering the lowest price. They get low prices by hiring inexperienced pilots who will fly for less, they pay the pilots less, fly cheaper airplanes and a lot of them have outsourced training, which is cheaper. These airlines overwork the pilots, and underpay them. I do not mean to insult my fellow regional pilots, but a lot of us are more inexperienced compared to our mainline counterparts; for example we lack PIC turbine time. At some regionals, when the seniority list gets too senior the price becomes too high and they start another airline where the labor costs are lower.
I don’t feel that total regulation is the answer to the airline industry’s woes. Frankly, the government does not have the resources to fight two wars, regulate the banks, regulate the auto industry, regulate the health care industry, and regulate the aviation industry. If we were to have a pilot’s minimum wage airlines could not compete on the price of labor, the price of the ticket would be reflected in the level of service, the frequency of flights, or any other way an airline can separate itself from the competition. It is about time that the labor groups quit carrying the weight of the airlines on their shoulders.
Although this is not perfect, this is a starting point. I propose that we have 4 different classes of airplanes. Pilots would be paid according to the number of seats and would see an hourly pay scale based on the number of seats.
Typical Pay Scale
Small Category (1-50) Captain 150% First Officer 100%
Example: Emb 145 Seating Capacity: 45 Seats
Ca: 67 FO: 45
Medium Category (50-90) Captain 140% First Officer 100%
Example: Emb 170 Seating Capacity 70
Ca: 98 FO: 70
Medium Large (90-200) Captain 110% First Officer 95%
Example: B757 Seating Capacity 200
Ca: 220 FO: 190
Large (200+) Captain 100% First Officer 85%
Example: B777 Seating Capacity 330
Ca: 330 FO: 280
Now this is not a perfect pay scale, but just a start. This would increase the price of a ticket but not by very much. For example; an 8 hour international flight would be less than 2 dollars per hour per seat per hour. This translates to roughly 16 dollars per seat increase for a ticket that runs around a thousand dollars. Now this would be more expensive from a regionals standpoint but the current wages that they offer are a joke, and maybe it would result in more mainline flying.
I think at this point in the economy, the customers who are flying, have to fly, and will continue to fly regardless of a minor increase in the price of a ticket. If they cannot afford a ticket, they can drive or ride on Greyhound or Amtrak. If an airline can offer a lower price, it is doing it because it has a better business model, not because they are breaking the backs of its employees.
Each airline would have to negotiate an increase in pay rate for seniority beyond the minimum wage with its pilots, but that is up to the airline. If they appreciate their employee’s hard work and dedication they can pay them more, but not less. Let’s do away with the undercutting based on employee compensation which has done nothing but bring this industry to its knees.
Sorry for these poorly written paragraphs, but I was curious if this idea has been discussed or would be something to work towards.
I was going to argue your posting point by point, but there is soo much in error it is easier just to say; You're way wrong about just about everything.
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