chrisreedrules

That is a big deal and kudos to you guys for valuing your probationary pilots. But by 2nd year a pilot is making the same (or more) at the LCCs and potentially home a lot more. Most of the guys I know at LCCs are crediting 100+ hours /month and home 17-20 nights /month. Hard to beat that quality of life.

SEPfield

Also don’t forget the 15% direct contribution at Spirit and Frontier. So that’s another $20,000+ in total compensation after second year.

Puck Hawg

Good for those guys. Some guys don’t want to fly LCC trash around, they enjoy long haul, and they enjoy large blocks of days off. They also like having a ticket purchased for them, and not jumpseating. They also enjoy living in God’s country, and not some metropolitan cesspool where said LCC might be based.

goinaround

I mean it’s OK to appreciate working at K4 and still dislike the lack of retirement.....

maxjet

As far as retirement goes you have made a step in the right direction. Hopefully followed by another step in 4 years. With the money being paid at K4 right now, if a Pilot is not banking the max in their own retirement vehicle that the government allows for their age and also not purchasing solid reliable long term blue chip stocks, they are incredibly short sighted.

Me? I never planned on a retirement from K4. I was contributing the max amt. into the matching plan. I bought rental properties as a hedge against inflation. I was a silent partner in a small car sales and service business. I have a small pension from a previous career. Thought I was set for a decent life. Then all hell broke loose at K4. The pay was tremendous the last 3 years. Never counted on that. I am now set up quite well thanks to Connie. I had a blast doing it also. Say what you will about the ACMI business, they are the best people I have ever worked with and I worked at quite a few airlines over the years.

My point is that, do what is best for your family first, then what makes you happy second. Save for retirement on your own and count the money from the company as bonus money. Compared to the rest of the working world, Pilots have it pretty nice at this level. People ask me all the time if I miss flying. I tell them I don’t miss flying but I do miss being part of Kalitta Air.

gollum

i thought part of retirement meant you could remove connies **** from your mouth.. go away company man !!! Seriously, enjoy your retirement and move on.

WmuGrad07

seriously, if you can ***** about the money you’re making and the “lack” of retirement you’re doing it wrong. Open you’re own stock account, buy an investment property and do something for yourself. Waiting on someone else to just give you money you’re going to be severely disappointed in life.

Puck Hawg

True. Forgive my quick trigger finger!

RyeMex

Does the K4 retirement plan allow for you to make “super backdoor” Roth conversion contributions? Otherwise, if you are being limited to the personal contribution limits for your 401k / backdoor Roth IRA, you are going to potentially lose a lot of retirement income that would otherwise be tax exempt / deferred. The whole point of a high % DC is that it allows the company to contribute the money to your retirement that the federal government prohibits you from saving on your own.

maxjet

Wow! That was rude. Perhaps if you had been in the lost decade of airline hiring you would actually have an appreciation for what K4 has to offer. My point isn’t that you should be satisfied with what your contract gives you as you should always strive to do better just like you do as a pilot I hope. It is that you can do nothing about it for 4 years. Make lemon aid. Use the extra money you gained to feather your own retirement nest. That way if the union is successful in reaping benefits competitive with the LCC’s or even UPS it is bonus for you.

There is a K4 FO. B.H. He has made lemon aid. He took what was an interest, machining and computers and has created as a hobby at first a crypto mining operation. The track he is on appears to be such that he will be turning a profit soon and then begin to bank real numbers. One could do something fun like that, or they could choose to dwell in a cesspool of despair and complain about what others are not giving them what they deserve. They deserve it in their mind for only one reason. Because someone else in a completely different business environment gets it. Kind of like a participation trophy. Your choice I guess. BTW I have never even seen Connie’s penis.