Rant mode on:
It really is sad reading this thread, with what appears being mainly European pilots, saying how they are willing to, what seems, happily help the airlines erode our own T&C’s even further. I have previously lived in the US and most of my aviation network is over there, and I also frequent one of the better aviation web forums over there daily. I can tell you guys, despite the massive layoffs being forecasted there too, the absolute majority of them are NOT prepared to “assist” in bringing their compensation they have fought so hard for over the last several years down. And as many may know, their compensation packages have been double or triple over what has been on offer in Europe (bar a few remaining national carriers maybe) for the last several years. Most of them are saying they would rather leave aviation and do something else for a while and then return when pay is where it should be than work for sub par pay.
Despite being European and having an EASA license (on top of an FAA one) I have never worked in Europe during my more than 20 years as a commercial pilot due to the, generally speaking, crappy terms being offered in Europe mainly due to way too many selling themselves way too short just so they can put on their shiny white pilot shirt while proudly walking through the terminal. I’m actually seriously considering letting my EASA ATPL lapse next year and solely rely on my FAA license for the second half of my career. Much easier and cheaper to keep alive and current anyways.
The US may have its share of problems (which country doesn’t) but at this point I am so thankful I decided to renew my green card just a couple of months ago giving me the option to go back there at some point to make a decent wage. I’d rather live and work there for fair and reasonable wages in an effort to one day being able to retire somewhat comfortably, versus being under compensated due to surrounding myself with a pilot group who appears to generally lack any kind of self respect and accept whatever is being thrown at them. The lack of unity amongst European pilots is absolutely sickening, a case of truly being their own worst enemies.
Until the virus struck I had a contract to fly through a US ACMI carrier for a European airline over the summer. I was recruited by one of the major crewing agencies in Europe and it was actually a pretty good contract being in Europe, so I accepted it. Today I received a questionnaire from the recruiter and below is one of the questions I was being asked. I have, sadly, no doubt that there would be no shortage of pilots in Europe signing up for one of the several ridiculous options (full pay not included) below, in a way basically subsidizing the airlines.
My bills did not stop coming in just because of the virus showing up, so tell me why I should work for free then? And this is coming from someone who is already on month ten of unemployment due to my last job ending when the plan I was on sold. Luckily I have always managed my personal finances in a way that I can easily take a bump/crater in the road like this one. And I am not saying this to brag, but I have read and heard so many stories over the years from people/pilots who were spending their money as fast (or faster) as they were making them and then ending up in a bind as soon as their job went away, for whatever reason. Hence I have promised myself to never put myself in such a situation. The reason why I have been able to do this is because I refused to accept a job with sub par compensation.
Yes, it has required me to be a bit flexible on where I have worked/lived, but to me it has been well worth it versus constantly feeling the financial stress of not making enough to put away money for a rainy day or two, or even worse, stressing over not even being able to pay my bills. In the end it has allowed me to live anywhere in the world (I returned to Europe) while making a fair/good salary and basically having as many days off in a month as I worked.
End of rant and putting my flame suit on...