The SHOW: Airlines still a "good gig"??

[Fallonflyr]

You don't think the military cares about costs? What about all those broken planes? Not enough planes? Old planes? Lack of pilots? etc. Same thing different name.

Most pilots want to be pilots, not managers. And as others have pointed out - there are plenty of manager positions available to the pilots at an airline that want to do both.

So I counter your "meat servo" bullshit with better family life, more time off, extremely less bullshit, a hell of a lot more flying, great benefits, one hell of a better paycheck, etc.

Every airline pilot on here has experienced military aviation. We can knowledgably compare the two. You on the other had have zero experience with being an airline pilot.

I think he hit the nail on the head. To my company managers I am nothing more than a “meat servo”...but I am a “ meat servo” that only works 13-14 days a month 10 months out of the year, the other 2 months I am on vacation. I cost the company over $320k a year and that is just salary and payment into my retirement plan. That doesn’t included all the other benefits I cost them...they hate that, but it is the current cost of doing business.

 

[HAL Pilot]

I think he hit the nail on the head. To my company managers I am nothing more than a “meat servo”...but I am a “ meat servo” that only works 13-14 days a month 10 months out of the year, the other 2 months I am on vacation. I cost the company over $320k a year and that is just salary and payment into my retirement plan. That doesn’t included all the other benefits I cost them...they hate that, but it is the current cost of doing business.

I don’t think Hawaiian thinks if it’s pilots as “meat servos”. They realize the pilots make huge money decisions on a regular basis. I can cost or save my company tens of thousands of dollars on any given flight.

True they will try and squeeze blood from a stone with labor contracts but at the same time they don’t second guess pilot decisions. I’ve diverted, turned back, continued when I could have turned back, refused aircraft, kick pax off the plane, zip tied pax in the air, delayed flights for rest/fatigue, kicked a sick FO off the plane during preflight who insisted he was capable of flying causing a flight cancellation, removed FAs, etc. without anyone in management questioning my decision making. They may question specifics to better understand the situation but they don’t question the decision I made. I’ve never seen a pilot disciplined for an aircraft or flight decision.

We’re also the employee group that is consulted by management more than any other.

So “meat servo” is not even close. At least not at Hawaiian.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

I don’t think Hawaiian thinks if it’s pilots as “meat servos”. They realize the pilots make huge money decisions on a regular basis. I can cost or save my company tens of thousands of dollars on any given flight.

True they will try and squeeze blood from a stone with labor contracts but at the same time they don’t second guess pilot decisions. I’ve diverted, turned back, continued when I could have turned back, refused aircraft, kick pax off the plane, zip tied pax in the air, delayed flights for rest/fatigue, kicked a sick FO off the plane during preflight who insisted he was capable of flying causing a flight cancellation, removed FAs, etc. without anyone in management questioning my decision making. They may question specifics to better understand the situation but they don’t question the decision I made. I’ve never seen a pilot disciplined for an aircraft or flight decision.

We’re also the employee group that is consulted by management more than any other.

So “meat servo” is not even close. At least not at Hawaiian.

I’m not sure why you guys are bothering to reply at all. You’re just meat servos, but he manages stuff. He manages so hard, you might say he’s kill-chain-centric.

 

[BACONATOR]

I'll meat-servo the shit out of that job.

 

[Deleted member 24525]

I’m a well paid meat servo with a lot of time off.
Who cares about “managing” and being tied to work 24/7. I got about 20 days at home this month. On my days off I thought about work ZERO times (except to figure out what time to leave).
Undoubtedly the ceiling for pay is higher in a mangement job of any sort, but I get my satisfaction and self-identity from my family and what we do in our off time-not from my job. “Job satisfaction”. Hmph. Got enough of that that and “character building” in the military.

 

[phrogdriver]

Was there some other debate I missed along the way here? Be happy. Do what you want. Just examine yourself and figure out what you really want to do to make sure you’re happy once you get it. I could give a personal anecdote, but nobody cares, and the usual trolls would just shit on it anyway.

If this all was because of my comment a couple of pages ago, I’m sorry if someone took that as a slight. It was only a suggestion to those who are transitioning to look at everything they bring to the table and that they look at what their goals are in life.

Is that all really controversial, or are people really just so determined to pick fights and be sarcastically dickish that they’re disparaging that?

 

[Deleted member 24525]

The title of the thread is “airlines still a good gig”. Airline pilots are commenting that “YEA!!! It is!”
Nobody’s butt hurt or picking fights.
We are making the point that the money and the time off allow you to pursue other avenues to get that personal satisfaction which, you implied, comes from a management job.
It’s the kind of job where you CAN have your cake and eat it too.

 

[bubblehead]

That doesn’t included all the other benefits I cost them

Your flight benefits are priceless. I don't think there is a way to calculate the lifetime cost of the flight benefits, especially if you and your family use them regularly. A family member of mine is a former commercial pilot; he now flies private planes (Global 8000). He and his family of 5 have been flying all over the world for the last 20 years. It would be an interesting metric to know that cost is to the airline over a lifetime of traveling.

 

[Treetop Flyer]

Your flight benefits are priceless. I don't think there is a way to calculate the lifetime cost of the flight benefits, especially if you and your family use them regularly. A family member of mine is a former commercial pilot; he now flies private planes (Global 8000). He and his family of 5 have been flying all over the world for the last 20 years. It would be an interesting metric to know that cost is to the airline over a lifetime of traveling.

The vast majority of it is space available, so not much cost to the airline.

 

[zippy]

Your flight benefits are priceless. I don't think there is a way to calculate the lifetime cost of the flight benefits, especially if you and your family use them regularly. A family member of mine is a former commercial pilot; he now flies private planes (Global 8000). He and his family of 5 have been flying all over the world for the last 20 years. It would be an interesting metric to know that cost is to the airline over a lifetime of traveling.

Minimal. Non-rev travel is done on a space available basis... I make sure I list in first class and as often as possible and order as many free drinks as I can to maximize this employee benefit.

 

[BACONATOR]

Minimal. Non-rev travel is done on a space available basis... I make sure I list in first class and as often as possible and order as many free drinks as I can to maximize this employee benefit.

Dumb question, but how does that work? Can you non-rev in first class? Limitations? Are you free to reap all the benefits as a non-rev (understanding a dress code is applied)? As long as you're not jump-seating or commuting, can you drink?

All research questions...

 

[zippy]

Dumb question, but how does that work? Can you non-rev in first class? Limitations? Are you free to reap all the benefits as a non-rev (understanding a dress code is applied)? As long as you're not jump-seating or commuting, can you drink?

All research questions...

Yes. Limitations are company dependent and published in employee travel guides. Some benefits you only get with a paid ticket (Flagship First class lounge access etc.) but you should be able to drink at most (if not all) places as long as you’re not traveling for company business.

 

[wink]

Flight benefits, what are they? There is no benefit to take advantage of if the planes are full. It is almost impossible to non rev now with any sort of confidence.

 

[ChuckMK23]

Flight benefits, what are they? There is no benefit to take advantage of if the planes are full. It is almost impossible to non rev now with any sort of confidence.

+1 @mad dog confirms non rev flights/travel benefits are non existent for Delta pilots - hence why we are in the cop car as I type this - ugh.

 

[RadicalDude]

I don’t think Hawaiian thinks if it’s pilots as “meat servos”. They realize the pilots make huge money decisions on a regular basis. I can cost or save my company tens of thousands of dollars on any given flight.

True they will try and squeeze blood from a stone with labor contracts but at the same time they don’t second guess pilot decisions. I’ve diverted, turned back, continued when I could have turned back, refused aircraft, kick pax off the plane, zip tied pax in the air, delayed flights for rest/fatigue, kicked a sick FO off the plane during preflight who insisted he was capable of flying causing a flight cancellation, removed FAs, etc. without anyone in management questioning my decision making. They may question specifics to better understand the situation but they don’t question the decision I made. I’ve never seen a pilot disciplined for an aircraft or flight decision.

We’re also the employee group that is consulted by management more than any other.

So “meat servo” is not even close. At least not at Hawaiian.

So you’re like a combination between Paul Blart and a Greyhound bus driver. Literal tin-pot dictator. Fuck yeah.

Management wouldn’t give a shit about you if you didn’t have collective bargaining power.

Thank god every day you have a healthy union. Management would take my baggage fees out of your paycheck in a heartbeat if you didn’t.