Originally Posted by
VH-RME
I would suggest it is a fallacy to directly compare AUD vs USD salaries outright. They are two separate job markets (though somewhat linked via the E-3). Not at all suggesting things in Aus can't and shouldn't be improved, but salaries in the US are markedly higher in a lot of fields outside aviation, such as finance and tech. I wouldn't expect Australia to be able to match these dollar for dollar in the near future
To answer the above question, I'm a current E-3 pilot I would pick Qantas over any of the current E-3 carriers. Would I take Qantas over a US legacy? Gonna be a tough choice
I also personally strongly prefer living Australia over the US, if this is not the case for you then your answer will probably be different
The US is not everyone’s cup of tea, so I understand your strong preference to live in Australia.
The disparity between top US & Australian airlines has little to do with affordability - look at what Alan Joyce earns compared to his equivalents at overseas airlines many times the size of Qantas! Does QF actually fly anywhere these days?
It’s disappointing to watch Australian pilots undercut each other to secure future flying. The lack of scope protection is the primary reason airline salaries in Australia are what they are. Airline management will continue to play pilot groups off against each other to maintain downwards pressure on conditions.
James Strong started it, Dixon perfected it, Joyce capitalized on it. Look at the B (or is it C?) scale for 787 S/O’s, and soon 350 S/O’s. No doubt pending A220 deliveries to subsidiaries will be used by management to whipsaw the upcoming SH EBA talks.
I left as Jetstar Intl. was starting up, and it became pretty damn clear how future flying would be allocated. I recall AIPA urging Longhaul pilots to vote in EBA 3 (?) to “get a seat at the Jetstar International table”. By then, we’d already lost most of our 767 Tasman flying to Jetconnect.
Having direct experience of both mainline Qantas and US Majors, there is no contest. Obviously you have to be a US Permanent Resident to play. However, plenty of E3 folk have attained green cards and found forever homes here at the majors.