RJSAviator76

Senior, higher paid pilots? Why would they be higher paid? You just got rid of seniority...

Hard to imagine a life without SENIORITY, isn't it? Let me tell you, it's beautiful!

RJSAviator76

George Hopkins is a perfectly unbiased writer without an agenda too!

What would make it better than the 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's? I'd say something called evolution, progress, etc. Not to say that ALPA didn't have a place in those times, but times change, however ALPA doesn't.

If we're gonna by the tradition, we should put third pilots sitting in the jumpseat on every flight too, even on RJ's too! Y'know... flight engineers and all.

SkyHigh

I base my premise on what free market pilot wages would be on the fact that there are plenty of current and past airlines that offer wages that are a mere percentage of what the majors get paid to do essentially the same job and plenty of pilots show up.

Allegiant
National Airlines
Casino
Skybus
Legend
Gojet

If the unions were to go away and the airlines were completely free to set wages they could universally be cut int half and most would still show up for work the next day and new pilots would still fill out applications to get a flying job.

Skyhigh

FNFAL

You can't afford to pay a pilot $200k per year. You can't get quality, talented people for 18K per year. Engineers (Mechanical, Electrical) generally start relatively high right out of school (around regional capt. pay), and top out below 100k per year. Since the pie in the sky jobs are all but gone, this is a more common sense pay scale.

Companies would have to treat employees better or risk a mass exodus of qualified pilots. Your QOL sucks? Ok, turn in your resignation and go somewhere else taking a 10 or 20% pay cut instead of an 80% pay cut.

ATP should without a doubt be required for both pilots, you should pay your dues in flight instructing / building 135 multi time, then be eligible to fly 121.
That would weed out the silver spoon brats.

RJSAviator76

Let's see... all those airlines still use the seniority system.

Just curious... are you familiar with pay and compensation packages of pilots outside of the US? Let's just stick to the airlines. I don't want to make your head spin with "sky butler" salaries in certain parts of the world.

RJSAviator76

... or imagine... a certain place actually pays better, and treats their pilots better simply because they know pilots CAN LEAVE without having to go back to poverty again!

FNFAL

Yeah i hate to say it, but having a castrated union can be worse than having no union at all. Any union bargaining under the RLA is completely ineffective.

Having a company seniority system means that your ability to market your skill set dies the day your company dies. You can be the best captain on earth, but in the eyes of your next employer, your a first year F.O just like the 250 wonder kid sitting next to you in ground school.

This isn't 1930 anymore. The airlines aren't just a nice to have industry, they are an essential part of the economic infrastructure of the country.
Having ALPA bargain for contracts under the RLA is an insanely ineffective, and outdated practice.

I think pilots have been beaten down so thoroughly that they forget they are providing an essential service, that this country cannot do without.

You should be able to market yourselves to a better company without losing the ability to feed your family. First year wages and bargaining under the RLA will never allow that. That's not alpa's fault, but it has crippled alpa.

Yes alpa can save your job, but with MEC approved contracts that allow mandatory overtime, 15+ hour work days, and sub $20k salaries, all on less than 6 hours of sleep per night, what regional jobs are really worth saving?

ExperimentalAB

I'm with you...even the best of regionals should probably go away...

SkyHigh

You are right. Take away the seniority system and captains would be paid less than first officers.

I sure hope that corporate guys are paid well. I remember being told once that the hardest part of the job is learning how to properly set a table while in flight facing the VIP.

Airline pilots sit around the hotel. Corporate guys spend their day sitting around the FBO eating the free popcorn waiting for the cell phine to ring. It is not an easy job.

Skyhigh

RJSAviator76

No. Take away the seniority system, and you just might get paid what you're worth. If you think your experience, your flight time, your type ratings are worth minimum wage, I feel sorry for you and you're in the right place - let ALPA take care of you. I value my experience and get paid appropriately FROM THE START... without seniority system or union.

I thought you said you flew corporate and you thought regionals were better. I should have clarified - corporate meaning flying something that burns Jet-A and requires a type rating. Different strokes for different folks.

Psssst.... we actually pay for popcorn. $4.75 per small bag. Those rat bastards charge more for popcorn than the movie theatres! If Mr. Big Shot is late, I spend my entire paycheck on stale popcorn in just a couple of hours. Keep telling your friends how horrible things are for corporate pilots and how regionals are way better! I'm just dying for that airport ready reserve and hangin' out at crew rooms as they're so much better than FBO's. Also for those Holiday Inn Express and Super 8 motels... you should see some of the ratholes they put us corporate pukes in.

Oh, to be in the regionals and being broke again.... I guess I'll just stick to being a "sky butler."