Virgin America cleared to fly!!!

[bigboy]

Those numbers are off. SWA = $183. UPS = $186. Plus, the number of hours in the guarantee have nothing really do to with the hourly rate -- except in the case of premium pay like JB.

http://airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines.html

The way I got UPS #'s are as followed.
hourly rate $186
Min Guarantee 81 Hours
186 multiplied by 81 divided by 70 = $215.22
since every airline have a different way of calculating pilot salary, I chose 70 as a way of standardization. we are talking about the minimum amout of money that pilots will make without going into the premium pay.

 

[GogglesPisano]

The way I got UPS #'s are as followed.
hourly rate $186
Min Guarantee 81 Hours
186 multiplied by 81 divided by 70 = $215.22
since every airline have a different way of calculating pilot salary, I chose 70 as a way of standardization. we are talking about the minimum amout of money that pilots will make without going into the premium pay.

Ah. I see.

 

[bigboy]

Ah. I see.

I even got you an updated list with all US airlines that operate narrow and wide body airliners.



Fifth Year Capt Pay based on 70 Hrs Guarantee:

- UPS--------------- 215
- SWA-------------- 204
- ABX-------------- 197
- FedEx------------- 187
- Hawaiian-------- 168
- Astar------------- 160
- AA----------------- 152
- Alaska------------ 144
- Delta--------------- 143
- World------------- 142
- CAL--------------- 138
- AWA--------------- 136
- Aloha------------- 136
- NWA-------------- 130
- Atlas--------------- 126
- UA----------------- 122
- Jet Blue------------ 121
- VA-----------120
- Air Tran----------- 120
- ATA--------------- 120
- USA3000--------- 120
- Original US Air--- 119
- Spirit--------------- 119
- ATI----------------- 114
- Polar--------------- 111
- Focus-------------- 108
- Midwest------------ 102
- Kalitta--------------- 102
- Southern Air------- 100
- Ryan Int’l---------- 97
- Allegiant----------- 96
- North American--- 95
- Sun Country------- 95
- Gemini------------- 94
- Tradewinds--------- 91
- CAT---------------- 90
- Xtra---------------- 90
- Express-Net------- 90
- Omni--------------- 88
- Champion Air------ 85
- Miami Air---------- 87
- Evergreen---------- 83
- Centurion----------- 81
- Arrow Air---------- 77
- Kitty Hawk-------- 75
- USA Jet------------ 75
- Amerijet----------- 67

 

[Gorilla]

Some strong words from the major guys. I know it must be intimidating when a newbie airline enters the market and has a plan to actually make money and have fun at the same time. And it really is a shame that they would have the nerve to hire guys/gals who were furloughed after 9/11, looking to upgrade to better equipment or wanting some change in their life. Anyways, have fun at the Microtel and good luck with ur next bankruptcy.

Yup. "Having Fun" is critical. Don't worry about anything else. Just be sure you "have fun." Better equipment is important too. Don't worry about anything else except having fun, and better equipment.

I'll tell you a secret. After you've flown them all, the only thing that really matters is pay and family life. The novelty of flying a big, bad widebody across the pond wears off after ~ 3 weeks.

Making money? Branson will make money. I don't know about the new-hire FO doing tag-leg all nighters for his foreign task-master. But hey, he's living his dream!

 

[embdrvr]

I say we start no shiite jump seat wars and get these guys blacklisted at a national level (along with Skybus). See how long they can get employees to work in the SFO Bay area when they actually have to live there on less than $60K/yr.

More like 45K for those seatlocked FO's.
I can understand taking the job if you didn't have one but I've heard that several of those guys were captains at Sky West.

 

[embdrvr]

VA is Virgin Atlantic

Those are not Virgin America rates.

$85 / hour for captains is the number I've heard.

 

[Shrek]

Still way too low..........

 

[Splinter]

Exactly.

Plenty of bastards who will fly for them and let them thrive. It's one thing to scab your airline, making it difficult for the pilots of your airline to maintain or improve their quality of life. Another thing to support an airline that will essentially make it difficult for every pilot everywhere to maintain and improve their quality of life/standard of living.

Good job. So where are these VA pilots coming from? If they ever want to call in a union, f*ck 'em. They had their chance.

That's what everyone said about Southwest and they are leading the pack in pay. Get over it. If you are at Mesa, are you going to stay, or take a chance on Virgin America? No where can suck as bad as Mesa, so it's not really a risk for those pilots, or anyone at a regional for that matter.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Huck's First Law of Airlines: Unemployed pilots will always have a different perspective than employed pilots.

It's great to grab your balls and call for a jumpseat war. But if you were unemployed, with kids at home and a mortgage to make, you'd take a job there in a heartbeat. "Oh no, I could never take THAT job! I'll hold out for something better!" My ass....

I've heard the same thing from FDX guys about me working for Gemini. But again, they're employed, so their perspective is different. Ask the furloughed guys/gals if they'd go do it.

Amen.

With training contracts gone, there is a simple rule. If you are hired by a low paying operation you will eventually leave for a better paying operation.

When the the cost of training replacements gets too high, they raise the pay. If you find a non-flying job that pays better or offers better QOL you leave.

ALPA can only do so much. Railway Labor Act and all, it is hard to enforce a minimum livable wage. It is still a matter of having the right contacts or winning the lottery land the right job now.

...Or just be painfully patient. Many a 40 year old pilot is getting on at SWA, UPS and FedEx.

All that said, pilots ought to be careful who they apply and work for. If it is a scumbag outfit, they might run you into the ground in the "training environment". Then you will have a training failure to explain or shifty supervisors that will be contacted as part of your next interview.

 

[AA717driver]

They are paying $95/hr. for line CA's and getting people with lots of Airbus time. If you're at Spirit or J4J with the prospect of going back to the 190 at USAir, what would you do? Oh, I know, you'd maintain your "dignity and self-respect" and stay at a crappy job rather than go to VA.

It's easy to be high and mighty sitting behind the keyboard. TC

P.S.--Baja and Tomct: I've known this guy for nearly 20 years and flown with him. Ok, maybe I was a little strong in my condemnation but if you don't know what you're talking about when trashing someone, don't do it.

Tomct--Why do you think I'm angry at the business? I've had it pretty good and have no plans to get out. And, since you don't know the guy I'm talking about, you aren't qualified to say that he's NOT the greatest guy ever.