I wonder why everyone says pilots pay is a small portion of cost for a regional airline. Most do not own any planes. Pinnacles pilots cost per year was around 180 million.

Bottom feeders probably taking the flying at a loss again if it`s true.

If you grab the pie the take a slice for maintenance, another for fuel, another for cost as insurance, hangars office space, employee training, HR, pay other workgroups and other misc expenses you will see that the pilot compensation is a very small piece of the pie considering we are who make the airplane fly!

Airlines continue to say pilot cost are very high but this cost also includes our training that is required by the regulations and shouldn't be taken against us, our compensations is a very small piece of the pie a very small percentage of the CASM but is an easy place for the airlines to make adjustments.

Labor costs are the largest operating expense besides fuel. Management has more control/leverage over labor costs than it does with insurance, hangars, office space, aircraft leases, maintenance, etc.

You need to break down labor cost further, then compensation and when it winds down pilot compensation is a very small part of the pie. Management has chosen to hit us over the head for pilot cost, meaning everything that is required by regulations that we have no control over. If you are a pilot you shouldn't be thinking like management, when they reduce pilot cost they reduce pilot compensation, not the other related cost that we get smacked over the head with...

Pilot costs at pinnacle for 2011 were 15% of total cost for the year. This does not include the training costs. That is pilot compensation only. Now I am not thinking the way management wants me to think I can think on my own. Just because I think we are a descent portion of regional airline cost does not mean i think we should take pay cuts. I am just stating that we are a descent portion of the cost for airlines. This all includes flying that is pro rated which pinnacle no longer does and aircraft that was owned by pinnacle. For 2013 and beyond pilot costs will be a much larger percentage of our companies cost.

Are you kidding???

Good point, I've been through the concession process at two different companies. It's amazing to hear the company (AND MEC at times) talk about how expensive pilot costs are, etc. When as mentioned, it's only a small piece of the pie. At a regional airline, the pilots are the largest labor group, as well as the highest line item cost. At a legacy, the pilots aren't the largest labor group, but are still the highest line item cost.

There used to be a mantra that at AA, the pilots (as well as everybody else) helped "save" the airline from BK when everyone else was going into BK. Well, didn't work out so well.

I had to try to figure it out myself. I've been in the business for 21 years and Regional airlines come and go. Many of us have more to do with our lives than try to stay current with the airline code of every airline out there.