Heck for all I know they could have just been claiming to be flight attendants in order to get cheap crash-pad rates on their rent, but that's the story I heard from 'em.

 

This sounds exactly like my life and I'm a 2 year FO. I bring home maybe $200 more a month and I don't commute but other than that it's the same. Even better is being assigned a turn and then having it end up a 6 day trip as crew scheduling keeps adding on to my schedule.

I think they've got it better in the sense that no one thinks flight attendants are overpaid but other than that I'd say a big no thank you to being a flight attendant. Who wants to spend all day serving and trying to placate passengers? Give me a bulletproof door anytime. Plus they have no control over the plane which would drive me nuts, but I am a bit of a control freak (in a good way).

 

I'd say they have it worse. They don't make crap. They're on their feet all day (heels!) dealing with jerks. The company treats them like slaves. Yet they have to act happy.

I would NOT want that job!!!

 

The FA, or the situation?

 

In some states, U.I. pays more than airlines pay their pilots! I was furloughed after 2 years as an FO, and I held a line until the last month. I am now bringing home about $300 less on U.I. Take away the expenses while on the road, and the crash pad I would need if I was still there and I am on the plus side! Sad :-(

 

Interesting topic. From what I hear from my wife, currently an FA at a Regional, they take a lot of crap from just about everyone. Some of the stories I have heard, some of the flights wouldn't have left the ground due to waiting for security to remove hostal and abusive pax if I was the FA. I hear these stories several times a week. If it were I, someone would be coming to arrest me because on what she is getting paid, it isn't worth it. I love how the last day of her week, the plane usually ends up in the hangar for maint. I know what her paycheck is and while I realize that the pilots are well underpaid, you do have a locked door between you and the pax. She is constantly being told by pax that they are filing a complaint against her, usually because of having to move people for weight and balance. I am also amazed by the crap she has to deal with from the ground crew. The airline isn't much better. She shows for work an hour before the flight but doesn't start getting paid until the door closes. That's a lot of work while you are off the clock.

I was recently able to use the benefits and go on a flight, I guess you could say it was free but considering what she makes, well..... Anywho, I made sure upon exiting the plane, I thanked them for the ride.

 

I added up my W2s from being a regional F/O (at three different regionals) for the last three years and they were still less combined than my W2 for being a flight attendant the last year I did it. I averaged 19 days off a month as a F/A and I've averaged about 12 a month as a regional pilot.

 

Well that is what I have said to people. The public wants everything at the lowest rock bottom prices but they want the best quality (not saying that regional pilots are bad mind you). So I want a Corvette with all the options at the price of a Chevette and expect that to happen? Any company is in business to make money and it will be at the sacrifice of their employees. I see it all the time here where I work. I just got out of a meeting all about spending a fair amount of money before the end of the month but yet raises have been cut, ie. we aren't getting one.

 

You gotta move over to the payor side of the fence, not the payee side to escape this stuff.

If you ran your own business, it'd make you feel good to have your chumps working hard making you money. People are people are people, just depends on the side of the fence you're on.

 

I was jumpseating on my way to Vegas for my Bachelor party this past weekend and the girl next to me started to tell me that her friend is a F/A for CAL and according to her it is "extremely easy to get your three stripes and get hired by an airline as an F/O", I laughed and put my earphones on, thought it was funny.

FWIW, a majority of F/A's appear to be much more miserable than pilots

Also I'll say it again if you live in base and have a good contract you can do ok, I made just over $50,000.00 my 2nd year at Expressjet (Including per diem)