that is true. Remember SWA hires many Skywest pilots. And they bring the “only in it for themselves” mentality with them.

 

he is not. Throw in the riddle group and you’ve got Me Me Me all over.

 

People generally make the choices that best suit the needs of themselves and their families. Are you suggesting that pilots should put the needs of the organization as a whole over their own?

I’m trying to understand what you mean by pilots only caring about themselves.

 

While I don’t subscribe to singling any particular pilot group out, the “me me me” attitude of picking up trips for anything less than 300% just to make a little extra cash is just telling the company that pilots are willing to work for less than they are worth. If our pilot group started refusing anything less than 300% the company won’t get coverage and will HAVE to raise the pay for the whole pilot group to make 150% pay worth it to pick stuff up…or make 300% pay the baseline, preferably the first option to make our pay across the board better.

At less than 300% you’re severely selling yourself short in this market which hurts the pilot group as a whole. Honestly, picking up any open time at all right now hurts the collective, but at least 300% is along the lines of what you should be paid for open time. (Ex. $100/hr X 150%, or $50/hr X 300%, however you look at it).

In the longer run (and not too distant future if everyone got on board) you’re going to make more money for your time while also helping everyone else make more money for their time, rather than selling yourself out to two lost days off for that one paycheck you got that had half a car payment extra on it.

 

Your point is 100% valid, but unfortunately we will never be in a position to stand united on an idea like this. 10 pilots in a room making a pact to not pick up open time for less than 300% is attainable. 5,000 pilots spread across the entire country, it will never happen (unfortunately).

 

By the time this is done there may only be 10 pilots in a room…. 😐

Damn shame, too. At least on a working level the crews at skywest are awesome.

 

It's a good way to think, but it would only work with if 5000 pilots had the same goals. Everyone is at skywest for a means to an end. For some it is money and 300% would be great for them.

What about the young single UND kid that has airline pilot parents paying his bills? He wants the block time to move on and be like daddy- so 300% means nothing to him.

Or what about the guy that wants to pick up a cool overnight in a city he likes a certain restaurant in? He is not going to pick it up for just so he can get 300%

Or me who works another job (one that actually pays my bills) and sometimes pays a couple hundred bucks to get someone to take a trip. If everything open is being paid at at 300% I won't be able to find anyone to take my trips.

Not that any of this matters because the vast majority of the pilots like me are already working to the 117 limits with minimum days off as it is and are not able to pick up open time even if they paid 500%. The only people that can pick it up are at the top of the seniority list getting more days off because they can bid the efficient trips (I am on a 3 hour sit today as I type this)

 

What the heck? I’m blocking 70 hours/month or less and that’s when I’m actually busy. Those three hour sits and inefficient trips are exactly why I block so few hours. Even with that I’m rarely inside of 10 hours to FDP limits. I could easily pick up a couple days a month at the least…but only if they give 300%. 😂

 

For what it’s worth, I hope they can come up with something that meets all the desires of everyone at Skywest. I’ve had an awesome time flying with all of you and would hate to see Skywest go under.

 

I personally view it as my way of getting back at CS for all the RDY I sit. Min Daily at 300 is my minimum. I work a lot for the least pay, sometimes its nice to work the least for a lot of pay. Taking 150 lets them win.

To quote the great Michael Scott: well well well, how the turntables..