JetJock16

Yes, per diem is paid in addition to your credit and off your TAFB (Time Away From Base). You typically get 55-65 hours per diem for a 3 day trip and about 72-89 for a 4 day. If you get 89 hours then it is not a commutable trip, 72-80 is a good commutable trip. I average about 300-320 hours of month per diem, that 's 300-320 x 1.6 = ext. $480-512 a month tax free. Some pilots who bid the high paying TAFB trips can expect about 340-370 hours TAFB. On locals (1 day trips with no overnights) the per diem us taxable, that "BS" but it's the law, any trip with an over night the per diem is non taxable. Just because a trip has a high TAFB does mean that it has a high credit value. Some 4/3 day trips will pay high TAFB but only credit 16-20 hours. These trips go VERY Junior and tend to be given to reserve pilots. 4 day trips that pay 22+ hours and usually have about 72-80 hours TAFB (means their commutable) will go very senior if you have a large amount of commutable pilots. Likewise with 2 & 3 day trips.

kansas

This is SUPERB information...if we compile enough of it, it would be great to see it added to the APC main "airlines" page. I'll try to post info from my airline when I get the chance!

fosters

Doesn't EVERY airline do this? I would hope this wouldn't be something only a few do. I can't imagine the airline not PS someone in training, or paying for their hotel. That's over the top.

On a side note, Skywest has only been paying new hires (at a reduced rate) for a little over a year. Didn't it start in 9/2005? If I was hired just before that I'd be PO'd!

U-I pilot

TSA did not. We got our ID's the first week and we could jumpseat but the catch was, if you miss a day of training you are basically fired. Therefore, some airlines DO NOT provide PS travel. It is better than jumpseat.

TSA also DID NOT provide hotel. They gave 60 hour/mo guarentee. If you get a crashpad it works out to about the same as XJT. For example:

XJT= $1500 (2months)Hotel paid for. (on your own for food)

TSA= 60*$21 = $1260/mo (2months = $2520) even paying $300/mo for a crashpad (which is alot) yields $1900 left over....its almost equal

ToiletDuck

Thanks JetJock. Fantastic explination. That takes care of the per diem for the most part. However my other question was how many hours do you normally get paid per month. Someone said 100hrs a month @ whatever the going rate is.

For instance XJT pays $23 per hr. Minimum of 75hrs. Is it normal to pull say 90-100hrs a month?

JetJock16

Well, the only thing you’re guaranteed is guarantee (SKW CRJ 75, EMB 80). But keep in mind that these numbers are actually the minimum hours that a line will be created for. If you get an 80 hour line and then drop a tip that takes you to 71 then you’ll only get paid the 71. At SKW there is a minimum number of hours you must work, otherwise you drop below full time and loose your benefits, I don't have time to look it up but I do know that iit is well below the guarantee. There is a scenario where you can work less than the minimum need for benefits and still retain them. If you are displaced for an IOE trip or the company pulls you off your trip for some other reason, then at SKW you get paid for the full trip and it counts as time worked.

As far as the 100 hrs, that's just how it works out for my seniority at SKW. On the EMB you’ll pull a few more hours than on the jet. Mainly because on the jet you’re limited to 1000 hours a year on the EMB we’re 1200 hours. EMB pilots are building 121 flight time under 135 hour’s regs because we only have 30 passengers. This allows us to fly a little more, however it doesn’t mean that we have less days off. They just build a few more hours into your regular trip. I average 14-17 days off on the EMB and still pull about 100 hours of pay, usually 4-4 day trips or 3-4 days trips and 1-3 day. The average four day trip I bid ends up paying around 25-26 hours and the three day end around 20-21. If you are junior, to get 100 hours, your will probably get about 12-14 days off per month depending on how JR you are. On the jet you will probably average a pay credit of about 88-95 hours per month. Slightly lower than the EMB so your pay will be less the first year but once you start making 2 year pay ($35 hr) your pay check won’t be so bad. 2 year pay on the EMB is $27 an hour but the extra 7-10 hours helps make up some of the difference. The main thing about 2nd year on the EMB is upgrade. You can upgrade once you get 2500TT with 1000 121 crew and 2 year EMB CA pay is $46 hr. So the route I have chosen to increase my earning potential is EMB FO year 1, EMB CA year 2-3 and then transition to the jet in year 3 or 4. This maximizes my earnings.

Keep in mind that all the above numbers are based upon you being a line holder. You will sit reserve longer on the jet than the EMB. Usually averages about 1-2 months reserve on the EMB and 6 or so on the jet. Take in mind that we are hiring like mad because of our growth so these numbers can drop to almost no reserve time. If you are reserve it is a totally different story. If reserve, you will get your guarantee, even if you don’t fly it. BUT, in order to break guarantee you mush BLOCK (fly) 75+ hours. Credit time doesn’t count toward the 75 hour guarantee. BUT, once you block 75+ hours they go back and recalculate your credit back into you pay so usually if you BLOCKED 76 hours your credit will usually take you to 82-85 hours. Just by getting that 1 hour you make 10. The trick on reserve and this only works if you live at your base; is to fly as little as possible but pick up trips on your days off. See, if you can fly on your days off and it doesn’t impede on your duty/time regs then that pay, although it won't count toward your 75 hours because they didn’t schedule you, gets added to (in addition to) the 75 hour guarantee. No, it goes right on top. SO, if you only fly 35 hours scheduled and you pick up another 15 hours on your days off for a total of 50 hours, then you will be paid 90 hours (75+15=90). Not a bad trick and not that hard to do. SKW EMB pairings seem to have a lot of local trips that pay 3.45 and with a block of 2 hours so these trips are easy to pick up and short enough to not impose on anything else.

Hope I helped and let me know if you need anymore info. I pounded this out quickly so my apologies for any errors.

Merry X-Mas to ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pilotpip

JetJock,

Thanks for the info! While the basics of airline pay are relatively easy, it gets very fuzzy very fast. Your posts on this thread have been great for somebody who's trying to go to Skywest in the next year like I am. It's nice to see some useful stuff on here instead of the pis$$ing contests we've seen this deteriorate into recently.

How is flying the 120 as opposed to the CRJ? Routes? You said you fly more, does that mean more legs per day since they're shorter or just more hours in general? Thanks again for the valuable info.

LAfrequentflyer

Whats it like flying the EMB? As 121 time does it count for the LCCs, majors/legacy carriers?

-LAFF

fosters

So they did not PS you to training and from training (indoc & sim), and to OE and back from OE? Did you purchase your ticket/drive to training? That is what I am talking about.

No wonder AWAC isn't competitive in anything...2 months of training pay (75 hrs x $24/hr = $3,600) AND two 6 weeks paid hotel, single occupancy hotel ($40/night x 42 days = $1,680) is double to triple what the other regionals are dolling out, and that's just for training. I have to wonder how much money they spend on other things as well (benefits, retirement, more days off, etc.).

Happy Camper

The answer to your question is yes, but only if you are a lineholder.

If you are trying to figure out a budget for first year pay you need to be careful. Depending on where you get hired, you will be on reserve initially. It can vary a lot from company to company but when you are on reserve you will likely only be paid your minimum monthly guarantee because you probably won't fly much. You also will not get much per diem on reserve (all this is very company specific). I would advise you to be pessimistic and only count on being paid the min. guarantee with no per diem.

For example:
Say you are hired by SkyWest into the EMB-120. Min guarantee is 75 hours at $19/hr. Your monthly income would be $1425 before taxes. That is all I would plan for income if you are calculating a budget. Then if you break guarantee or are away from base a lot the rest is gravy.