1st year pay/new TA
 

Interview in late January '17! Just wanted a realistic estimate of what I can expect my first year as far as pay goes, considering I get the offer, of course. Making around 125K year/$112 hr right now at my current gig. Need a heads-up of what kind of adjustment - financially - I and my family would have to make. Kids, wife is a stay at home mom, live and based in Chicago. Is the 78 guarantee and 77/hr accurate?
Thanks

Read up. SW pay is .... different. But generally different in your favor.

It's only accurate if nothing changes in your schedule, and you don't pick up anything ever your first year.

If you are willing to work, you can make 6 figures your first year, pretty easy actually.

Anything you pick up from the company that's above your original line value pays at 2nd year rate even if picked up at straight pay. And if you live in domicile, even as a junior guy, you'll be able to pretty easily pad your check with low-hanging fruit.

A few of my classmates broke 160 TFP's, with 1 breaking 170 TFP's in December... I totaled them up. On average 19-21 nights in your own bed, 10-12 days off (not on reserve). On average, anything north of about 100 TFP paid at 2nd year rate. What all these guys have in common - they all live in their domicile...

This is pretty easily done during busy times of the year around Christmas/New Year holidays and summer. Maybe not so much during other times... I found I can easily do 120-140 TFP's year around so far without breaking a sweat.

The way we are paid at SW does take some getting used to as it is quite different than all the other 121 airlines. We also generally make a lot of money by working a lot, instead of some of the creative ways guys are able to make extra elsewhere. Since you live in one of our largest bases, and if you are willing to work for it, you should be able to make $100k in pay and per diem during your first year with the new pay rates. The numbers you quoted from APC are adjusted to make them roughly equivalent to the way other airlines are paid so that's not exactly what the real numbers are here.

Rather than worry about the bills just work extra for 2nd year pay. Rarely see anyone bidding straight so you will have your pick of the extra flying. Keep in mind you will be obligated to fly 14 days +/- a month at first year pay. For second year pay it needs to be picked up from the company in open time. Monthly open time is a great resource for a new hire. This will make sense once you hopefully get hired and get through IOE. For now focus on the interview and good luck to you. Money will be a short lived issue you can make a ton here.

Finished my 1st yr last last yr. Did a 115-120 avg a month and made $87k with per diem. That was under the old rates with a month at new rates. A 115 avg under new rates would be around $92k without per diem.

If I do the same avg this yr I should make around $130k+ not counting per diem or profit sharing.

From reading a few threads it seems to me that at the new rate, $67.32, and an average of 100 trips for pay, for 12 months would be $80,784. Maybe that math is incorrect, but it's what I'm using as what one could expect at first year pay as a commuter to reserve. 115 average could be likely though. A new hire buddy of mine on reserve, commuting, will likely average 120+ with the highest month at 170. Disclaimer..I actually know nothing :-)

You can do as little or as much as you want. I know guys picking up nothing and I know guys giving themselves 1 day off a week and picking up everything they can regardless of credit/day.

You're guaranteed to get around $72k with per diem on top. However much you want to work beyond that is up to you.

1st year pay/new TA
 

Correction. You can do as much as you want. You cannot drop a trip unless another pilot is willing to pick it up. You can trade with the company for another trip with equal or greater duty periods too. And under extremely rare circumstances - like Haleys Comet or Bigfoot sighting - you can trade with the company for a trip with fewer duty periods. Gotta be really quick though.

Minor clarification in case you happen to be coming from an airline that allows drops. Getting rid of flying as a junior pilot here is challenging to say the least.

True...What I meant by as little as you want would be swapping a trip paying 23 for 19.5 with less block or just flying your line/rsv without picking up on days off. It's hard dropping weekend low time trips...not sure why you can't drop here if the rsv coverage is ok.