Originally Posted by
cessnapete
How does an A330 S/O (Cruise only Co-Pilot?) get more pay than a B737 F/O? The 737 pilot is part of the 2 man operating crew at all stages of the flight, makes operational decisions, is qualified for T/Os and landings during route flying, and takes over from Capt if incapacitated etc.
When the 767 F/Os were demoted to the A380 they took a 4% hit on the hourly rate and picked up about 30% overtime for a big pay rise. It has always been thus. When I became a 767 F/O in ‘97 i was earning in the vicinity of 1/3 less than my colleagues who remained as 744 S/Os.
Improvements since then have dramatically decreased the chances of this happening but keep in mind QF have a 12 Year scale so the numbers become distorted quite quickly when a large swathe of your workforce has had little opportunity for promotion from 2009- 2016. Certainly the new S/Os on years 1 and 2 pay aren’t earning more than a 737 F/O. Those employed in August 16 are only max of year three pay and would be unlikely to as well even if they’re on the A380.
So if QF want to keep their S/O pay down the key is to be promoting people to F/O and Captain more quickly. Something they didn’t realise when they made movement to JQ prohibitively difficult.