Why do pilots get sector pay?
 

Hey all,

I was just wondering--what the hell is sector pay and why do pilots get it? It just seems too good to be true that you get a wage and then on top of this you get something like 10 or 15 quid for every journey you make.

Could somebody please explain,

Many thanks.

same reason cabin crew get it, you get a fixed amount if u fly or not, then this extra per hour rate.

So why do CC get it then...!?

Sector Pay
 

Sector Pay

I dont know if Dan Air was the first to pay it, however it was paid in Dan to allow flight crew to purchase on board food. This was a long time ago.

The crew meals were actually charged to the crew and the sector pay was used to purchase it. There was a letter from the revenue saying that this was ok and the sector pay was not taxed. After a while they stopped charging for the meals but still payed the sector pay in cash at the end of every duty. The Captain held a float from the company and had to keep the accounts, hence his (her) hourly rate was slightly higher. When I left Dan it was just over £3.00 per hour of duty and still tax free.

I think Tristar, it was Duty Pay (an hourly rate whilst on duty) that was introduced to pay for inflight food.

Sector pay is a set amount per sector, not hourly, which I believe is paid so that those who fly more sectors than other pilots are recompensed in some way.

It is generally acknowledged that a 4 sector day, with short sectors and minimal turnarounds is a harder day than a single long sector flight equating to the same duty time. Hence the 4 sector day would attract a higher rate of pay.

PP

Sector Pay
 

Thanks Pilot Pete.

Yes it was duty pay (DTA) short for Daily Travel Allowance.

It was paid from sign on to sign off and could really add up on a detachment.

It's not as good as it appears. It's another scheme for employers to pay you less, in a lot of cases substantially less, when you are on leave, standby etc. I would ask the original poster if he only gets paid when using a pen or typewriter or whatever it is he uses to earn a living. The average pilot these days not get paid for flight planning, cockpit preparation, turnarounds etc. It's called 'Productivity Pay'.

The background and history of all wage/salary supplements will vary according to the industrial history of the particular contract.

The trend in these times is to pay flight crew (and many other staff) a 'retainer' BASIC salary (mine is about half of what I actually take home), and above and beyond this, pay for productivity. The airline industry is not unique in this respect.

The number of sectors flown, the hours flown, the distance flown, etc. are all fairly good indicators of productivity.

As knackeredII indicates "It's not as good as it appears. It's another scheme for employers to pay you less, in a lot of cases substantially less, when you are on leave, standby etc. ".

Ditto to that oh knackered one:*

Regards,

Old Smokey

interesting subject - it doesn't just depend on industrial history, the inland revenue or it's equivalent has a large effect also!

There is, as Old Smokey says, a large movement to cut down the basic salary for all jobs, not just aviation - some smart accountant realised that the basic salary is the basis for many things such as pension, social insurance or other benefits, hence the company can save considerable money in trimming it, and the added bonus is that if you're sick or can't work you will receive sod-all. The sales pitch from the company to you is that the rest of your remuneration is far better related to either the type of work or the amount of work you do, and how well you do it. It's also an artifice designed to save you tax in many countries, given a certain or large amount of your payments outside your basic salary may not attract the same tax levels or be tax-free. There are many of your aviation brethren around the world on a Mickey Mouse basic salary that is considerably boosted by extra tax-free or low-tax payments, and there are many cases around the world where pilots are given lower tax rates or made-up "allowances" specific to them that allow them to pocket more of their wages.

The simple answer as to why we get it is because we EARN it. It is part of our T's & C's. The more sectors we fly, the more productive we are, the more we are paid! Quite reasonable really! So what do you do for a living and how are you rewarded as you improve your own productivity?