Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
BEware the fickle winds of change. The EU and US economies looking ready to crash. Watch out as pilot recruitment goes backwards yet again.
It is my humble opionion the industry lurches from feast to famine but we can have some influence in steadying the ship. We can't have someone making $380,000 as a Captain of an A380, and an SO of same making $180,000 plus and FO somewhere inbetween, while guys doing essentially the same job on anything from Metro to Dash8 making $45k-$65K(FO), $75K-$95K (Capt). Is it me or is this simply ludicrous? An airline will struggle to simply put enough bums on seats to pay for crew wages alone, even if they were charging what an air seat should cost.
There has never been a 'big picture'view and plan taken (free market economy) to regulate and implant some sence to this.
I would suggest must less bitching amongst collegues, fights with management and unions etc....if the 'Industry' produced a White Paper 20 year plan for wages. yes the guys at the top of the tree might come down (a little) but pull up the guys at the bottom to a reasonable and livable level, comensurate with the qualification (same for everyone ATPL) and experience.
So, I'll never get a consencus on this one but open to the floor, what do you think your really worth?
I will start the bidding at FO $120K, Capt $200K first year
This will probably light up the thread with arguments but let's keep it civil, and think of it as a big picture discussion. STABILISE THE INDUSTRY.
Treat this as an discussion excersize with ourselves the benificiary of better undertanding what we are actually WORTH. I might be a little low to start, given a plumber is now on $100/hr but it's a start.
I'm ****ting myself that we are about to see pilots driving cabs again if the economy hits a tree