BoilerUP

Which regional airline has probationary FOs making $50k?

No "bonus included" nonsense please, just credit due to work rules.

idlethrust

I know of a few at ZW and a few at JS.
JS has the sap,which once they get a line (within a few months of being hired )you can drop your trips and pick them back up on critical days and on you scheduled off days at premium pay..It's not rocket science. There aren't many fo's that just make the bare minimum. If it is then it's by choice,maybe they have another source of income or another gig on the side or something. You never know a person's situation.
I personally know a couple with other businesses on the side,one who is retired from the military and receives his monthly check along with his airline salary .So not all regional fo's are starving, contrary to popular belief.
The pay should be more I get it but if you're smart about it you can make it until something better comes along.
And in my opinion this should not be discussed by pilots on the plane or in the boarding area with passengers listening to every word you say.Just my $0.02

Packrat

Time to let it go. You're just plain out to lunch. How about directing all that energy to Union work to improve the situation for everybody? If not just pound sand and let go.

Captain Quint

AMEN ^^^^^^

First sentance, your preaching to the choir with me. You know the contract. Your hired under the contract. You complain about working under the contract. If you can get better deal, by all means go for it. There is no conspiracy here.

Second sentance, the holy grail of union pilots. Ain't gonna happen. There will always be young hungry pilots with low overhead waiting for their break to fly jets. No one is born with a boeing on their but. How can you get there if not building time some where? Strike? Go for it! I've seen some great contracts come about in the late 90's. Comair, NetJets, United. Wow, I thought, I could make a career flying at CA or NJ. They used to be stepping stones now they are career options. Not sure about UA but I think their pention was decimated. Things change. Economies change. The companies do what they need to do to survive. The workers need to do what they need to do to survive. B***hing to the public or anyone will not change anything. When contract time comes around go for all you can get. Only thing holding you back is you. Make the company pay. They will try to pay as little as they can get away with. Wouldn't you? Enlist solidarity amongst your members and make them acknowledge what your worth and make them pay it. They only make a profit because you're there. Management needs to know this. Don't wait for the government to fight for you. You know your value. You know what you contribute. Make them pay.

Packrat

No pensions anywhere anymore. 401ks rule in this business.

2StgTurbine

Are you new? A regional FO being able to "work the system" their first year and make $50,000 is a very new and most likely not sustainable. These $20,000 bonuses can be taken away at a moments notice. Maybe you think that because new hires at PSA are making a living wage, then every FO is. The truth is, most pilots made very little for years. Being able to make $50,000 one year is not enough to offset the financial destruction of working for 5 years at sub $30,000 while trying to save for a family, house, and car.

And talking about the actual working conditions of our jobs does not mean we don't have pride in our profession. It is because we have pride in what we do that we are upset about how undervalued that is. And talking about pay and working conditions has actually done something. The public was unaware of the regional system, and now they are aware of it. That does not mean that they will stop buying cheap tickets, but they can no longer deny the truth. As a result, ever since 2009, there have been congressional hearings about the airline industry and it is now an undisputed fact that pay is an issue. Not to long ago, when congress was discussing the pilot shortage with the RAA, most of the members asked why the RAA does not raise the pay to attract new pilots. That would not have been brought up a decade ago, but it is now because the general public is aware of the pay problem.

I know it can be difficult for you to realize the dream job you worked years to get is not as great as you built it up to be. Putting you uniform on and having you mom tell you how proud she is wears off after a while. Eight years from now, you might still be waiting for that upgrade making $35,000 a year because the bonuses were taken away and your airline went bankrupt. Then on your way to the airport, you get a flat tire. Scheduling calls you to let you know your flight canceled and that they don't need you anymore, so you aren't getting paid. You now realize that the cost of a new tire, plus the tow, plus the lost pay will set back your plans for having a kid another few months. At that point, you will no longer care about hiding the facts of this job from the public.

2StgTurbine

But the person you saw that started this thread was just another passenger talking to another passenger. Sure he happened to wear a uniform that looked like an airline pilot uniform. No one is saying the captain should be making a PA describing the crews personal finances, but we shouldn't lie about our pay. When I am in uniform and someone asks me about my job, I am honest. I tell them that the schedule can be difficult sometimes and that although the median pay is good, most make far less than that.

2StgTurbine

You will learn that those things do not last. I used to think the same thing when I started out. The most money I ever made at a regional as an FO was my first year. We were understaffed, the contract was good, and I lived in base. Then the company decided to build an entire month of 75 hour lines and I saw my paycheck get cut in half. Then the airline went bankrupt.

Anything out side of your hourly rate X 75 hours is out of your control.

Lazyb757

Find some lovin ****

polymox

There are if you fly freight.