Saabs

1st year pay is in the MOU, it's just not on the fancy .pdf chart that starts with year 2. It's still around $40, and might get better with the JCBA and might not. Remember APA had no interest in negotiating better group I rates, so they may not have any interest in year 1 pay either. Who knows? If you will excuse me it's time to eat at dougies diner.

JKflight

Yes, seems like the first three days of Indoc will have combined AA/Airways new hires in DFW and all the guest speakers come in during that time.

Then the Airways guys ship out to PHX to finish company specific FAA/SOP stuff.

Suspected timeline is mid-late summer for this to start.

viper548

I think this started this week. I'm in the next class and that is what we are scheduled to do.

JKflight

Lol, I guess I meant to say I think it's already started and the next class will def do it...

Skubajet

If APA and the company are smart, they will raise it. With pay parity in 2016, 1st yr pay should technically be the average of Ual and Dal but the mou neglects pay parity for 1st year pay.

If that first year pay doesnt increase, Im afraid AA will be the bottom feeder of the big 3 as far as hiring goes (once guys start getting offers from all 3). I hear all this talk of AA striving to be #1 and beating Delta in the next few years but 1st yr pay doesnt reflect that. We need to ensure this place is a premier airline all around and a top choice for pilots so that we will continue to hire the best and the brightest for years to come. Although our contracts/pay will be similar to the other big 2, we need to get first yr pay up. Talk to your reps to make this happen!

Al Czervik

Second year pay will be over $100/hr. You think first year pay will swing people to other places? Delta doesn't even pay for your hotel in training.

Skubajet

I think it does matter if you are coming off a Capt job at a regional or military active duty pilot making 90-100k/yr. A lot of these guys have multiple kids with stay at home wives and have financial worries as Huey noted. I'm sure if faced with a choice between 40/hr vs 68/hr, I know what many would choose based on that info. Ive even been asked why our starting pay is lower than the others.

I'm not trying to be pessimistic here but our 1st yr pay is currently below industry standard for an airline of this size that made record profits last quarter(even after the parity). You can't argue that. Let's bring it up to at least the 60s with the new jcba. Seem reasonable?

Al Czervik

Seems very reasonable. Hope it's changed. Wasn't a deal breaker for me based on the upside.

Hueypilot

Like Al stated, I looked beyond the first year pay and thought long term, but not everyone thinks that way...not to mention that my wife works and we have some savings to dig into in case we need it. Not everyone is set up that way.

Even so, it was still somewhat painful to leave an Air Force Reserve full-time gig where I was pulling in $115,000 a year, while living in a decent sized home (i.e. decent sized mortgage) with three kids. So yes, a Regional captain that's got a family or military guys will absolutely consider first year pay.

But beyond that, consider the first year pay at these other airlines: Delta $68/hour; United $66/hour; FedEx $65/hour; Southwest $57/hour; Alaska $53/hour; Virgin America $52/hour; and even JetBlue $49/hour.

Airlines that pay down around our first year rates? Allegiant beats us at $41/hour; Spirit $38/hour; Frontier $37/hour.

We're trying to draw talent with first year pay that rivals that of third-tier LCCs and ULCCs. American Airlines should be better than that.

PRS Guitars

Agreed,

It definitely would have been a factor for me. If I'd had multiple offers, it would have weighed heavily. Yes, Delta doesn't pay for your hotel, and some others don't pay 85 hours a month and per diem in training like Airways, but that is more than made up for by the 60% higher pay the over the first year. And right now second and third etc beat us as well.