Also...this ^^^

Exactly the reason I'm doing what I'm doing. I'll NET between 65 and 70 next year. That's year two. There's guys out here making two or three times that much who own their own rigs and pick loads well.

That's with years of college I don't use and three weeks of training. Sure made a lot more sense to me than that dude a few posts into this thing that said he made 15K at Republic......yikes.

Every other sector in corporate business has merit based promotions and pay increases. Usually, they don't involve any "boys club." Only in the airline business are we so tied to this current seniority system that has helped destroy thousands of lives.

Oh yes.. The Old Boy network is real.

I got hired where I am 18 months ahead of another guy. He goes golfing/hunting with boss. I can't get a day off (literally, had 10 days off this year, and they were all vacation) and he was promoted into a job that I had applied for and was "too junior".

That being said, I did get merit raises for being the best/most competent/least dumb engineer above and beyond most with my seniority.

It can go both ways.

Right, so basically right the rest of corporate America.

So they only hire the guy with no experience because he's cheaper.

To all the people who want a "merit based" upgrade. Exactly what kind of "merit" do you think the companies are going to look at? It's not going to be how well pressed your shirt is, or how well shined your shoes are.

Imagine your "upgrade" interview.."so Captain applicant, we see that you have called in sick once in the last five years, that's sub-standard performance for this group".

"you diverted to an alternate twice last year, while the part 135 FedEx feeders managed to land. Sub-standard!"

"Your fuel burn numbers are 1.2% worse than the best applicant, sorry, sub-standard performance".

Flying airplanes is a business where "merit based", IMHO is one of the worst things we could base promotions on.

Exactly right. Merit promotion proved so disastrous in the '30s that the seniority system was implemented.

From the outside looking in, seniority isn't perfect, but I don't have a better solution.

This thread makes me laugh.. All the regional pilots thinking it would be an improvement to make $40-$50 k. Stop trying to change things after you get the job! Until the day comes when refuse these pathetic entry level jobs nothing will change

I too was once in the "no way to regional pay" crowd.

Then no majors called. Then my currency went from 300 in the last 12, to 100, to 0 then back to 6.

It's just the reality that if I want to fly, my choices are Regional, get lucky and find a good 135 job, or DOD contractor (applied, have gotten one call, waiting on interview).

I personally am not a fan of how the regional pay scale is, but I do understand that the industry doesn't have much of an incentive to change it as long as pilots are beating down their doors.