The command training charge is only if you try and bid back.
Example would be FO A320 gains command on A330 International Ops and then decides some years down the track he is sick of long haul and wants to go back to domestic A320 command.
In this case the training costs for his A330 command are paid for by the company...if he then decides he wants back to A320 left seat there is a charge for that training.
If you think about it it's not that unreasonable.
Glad to see some facts being posted re pay in the US.
The pay might be good in the US when you make the top pay rung on your career ladder...but the lower 99% of the rungs are abismal...compare a Eastern/Sunnies Dash FO on 50k and 5 or 6 weeks annual leave to a CRJ FO on 1/2 the pay and 1/6th the annual leave and thank your lucky stars you're not working in the US. Career earning are the important thing...it's no use comparing the top pay rates when you don't get them until the last 5- 10 years of your career...and maybe not then if you've been unlucky with furloughs...yet another system you don't suffer in Oz.
Then take a look at what the beancounters are doing with peoples retirement benefits...their system gave you great retirement plans because your first 25 years of pay was not great...deferred pay if you like...then the beancounters worked out how to take that off them via Chapter 11.
FOs in some US regionals flying jets actually qualify for food stamps...in Oz a regional FO flying a turboprop is paid about 20% more than the average wage in Oz...think about that for a minute.
There is nothing I find attractive about the US system compared to the Aussie one.
Last edited by Chimbu chuckles; 31st Jul 2006 at 13:40.