"Ryanair is worse but as I understand the take home pay isn't terrible (don't quote me)."
And there in lies a rub: For far too long, glossy eyed wannabees have looked at SALARY ALONE as a marker.
I am in the fortunate position that:
1) I have never paid for ratings;
2) I graduated in 2000;
3) I am now a Captain and;
4) I am no longer in airlines, but in the best side of corporate flying.
However, consider this. I recently saw a friend of mine who works for Ryanair. He has been there 11 or so years, Ryanair employee, LTC at a main base.
He earned £119,000 last year for 900 hours of constant stress and hassle, plus unpaid duties. There is absolutely no healthcare, loss of licence, death in service or very importantly pension.
I worked 350 hours last year and earned £123,240. Plus 15% employer pension contributions and a full package of benefits. We had to push our employer to give us a really good package, but they did because they realise we are key to keeping people safe and doing a good job when called upon to do so. That package is all worth at least £30,000 on top of the BASIC....
It is such a shame that we seem to be blinded by bare numbers, salary or hourly rates - call it what you will.
The career (if it can be called that) used to be a senior role and respected as such. Now, it seems to be a self fulfilling prophecy that we are going to cannibalise ourselves in the race to the bottom.
It always used to be a long term game, involving perhaps 20 years to Command in good airlines. Now, it is a headlong rush to becoming an FO on an A320 with 200 hours, with a Command at exactly 3000 hours.
Sod the future, as long as I have 4 bars and can drive a Porsche to work. I don't need a pension.......
.......that's the future - and the quality of the decision making we are recruiting into the business. It makes me very, very concerned.
Last edited by Narrow Runway; 19th February 2013 at 11:19.