Update: UPS flight dispatchers are asking to be paid like counterparts at Delta, American

CRJInTheHeartOfTexas said:
Please PM, I don't understand how this is againist the rules. I believe in the value of unions and supporting the company. Attitudes in this thread are all ME ME ME ME ME. Let's have a conversation, not silly threats.
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I think it's pretty obvious to everyone here that you're not interested in having a conversation. You're interested in giving your point of view and attacking anyone who disagrees with you.

This is Derg's living room. The rules are if you wouldn't say it to the person sitting across from you, don't say it here.
 
Flying Saluki said:
I think it's pretty obvious to everyone here that you're not interested in having a conversation. You're interested in giving your point of view and attacking anyone who disagrees with you.

This is Derg's living room. The rules are if you wouldn't say it to the person sitting across from you, don't say it here.
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WRONG! PM me and we can have a discussion too. Please don't virtue signal using my posts, its very very unattractive.
 
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CRJInTheHeartOfTexas said:
Please PM, I don't understand how this is againist the rules. I believe in the value of unions and supporting the company. Attitudes in this thread are all ME ME ME ME ME. Let's have a conversation, not silly threats.
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Decorum. You tend to want to bully your fellow dispatchers and treat the website like the readers comment section of a newspaper. So when I think you're going overboard, as webmaster, I'm going to call you on it.

For almost two decades, the basic rule is to treat my website like you're an invited guest in my living room. If you're barking at my neighbor about his azaleas and I see more negativity than information, again, amma call you on that.

It may be publicly, it may be privately, but as long as I'm the bruh that created the website, that decision is mine and mine only! :)

This isn't the first opener in a negotiation. Be nicer to your fellow user.
 
bbmikej said:
Not to mention that while the aircraft are smaller. regional dispatchers do the same amount of flights if not more as domestic desks at the majors for 40% or less of the pay starting with the top out at the regionals being less than starting at the majors. From what I have heard, regional salaries used to be competitive with the majors and somewhere along the line it was decided that the majors needed a substantial pay raise while the regionals were fine getting 30 or 40 cents. With the stagnation of regional pay and the increasing economy it has gotten to the point that companies like Costco have raised their starting pay to the same level as dispatch. I'm not saying they don't deserve that pay. What I am saying is that the love of aviation mixed with the carrot being dangled in front of us of MAYBE one day being hired by a major has allowed a stressful, specialized profession with a $4-$5000 entry fee essentially regress to the point that it is almost more lucrative to work at a retail store.

And don't even let the "free flights" fool you. With the modern populous wanting cheaper flights and the airlines right-sizing their aircraft to the routes, you look 2 days ahead of time and the flights are all oversold. Lucky for us that we have the privilege to ride up front where the jumpseat is almost smaller than an economy seat, especially on regional aircraft. But, what if you wanted to go somewhere with family? You pretty much have to buy tickets to have a chance of everyone making it.

It's gotten to the point that I have to do some soul searching with what I want to do if I can't make it to a major in the next year or 2. With a 4 year degree comes the inevitable student loans these days. When 1/3 of you paycheck goes to those and you are forced to have a roommate to even get your rent down to another 1/3 of your paycheck it gets frustrating. Throw in gas, insurance, 401k, etc and you barely get left with 2 nickles to rub together to go somewhere with those "free flights" that they are essentially worthless to you.

So yes, I believe that UPS should at least get near the level of the major passenger airlines, but I also believe that the dispatch groups in the rest of the industry need to catch up a bit also. Maybe not as much, but at least show that the companies value their dispatch groups.

[/rant]
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I feel your pain man but you're not the only one at a regional getting burned. Pilots and even mechanics have far more time and money invested in their certificate than you have in yours, pilots without a doubt. They are making chump change as well at the regional level. Regionals get away with abusing the pay because it is basically a stepping stone to the better pay at a major. Usually it is low time pilots and DX'ers and A@P's with little experience and yes you can say it's paying your dues even though you essentially do the same job as those at the majors. Is it fair? No it isn't. But if you really like aviation unless you have been blessed with picking the right airline from the start chances are you are going to get some kind of beating along the way. I lost my career after 20 years in a strike at NWA as an A@P and had to start over in my 40's A lot of pilots and other airline employees have been furloughed especially after 9/11. Yes you may have seen a few get dispatch jobs at a major after a few months but like others have said it is not the norm. I have been in this industry 32 years I remember pilots who spent 10 years as a flight engineer before getting a pilot seat and today a Delta pilot hired in and based in NYC can make captain in like 2 years. It's all about timing aviation is ebbs and flows. I remember UPS was the trend setter in pay at every level but they are lagging a bit now but I am sure they will overcome and we will all be chasing their pay again. I guess my point is don't get so discouraged so early in your career if you can't take disappointment this early then maybe aviation isn't for you. You may need to find a new career but then again I don't know what career these days has instant gratification. Just have a little patience I know it's easy to say but take the advice of your peers on this forum they have a lot of good advice and want to see you succeed and be persistent that is the key. I know you will get to where you need to be just hang in there don't give up just yet.
 
@FXMXC
I don't mean to sound discouraged and I don't mean to offend anyone who has had a rough time in their careers. If I didn't have a passion and a love for aviation i would have never gotten into dispatch. I just see the way the economy has responded over the past 15 years and see how wages and expenses for the economy overall are increasing but the wages in regional airlines just kind of stays there. With the average college graduate being $35k in debt, it isn't an easy industry to work in, especially in the cities that regionals seem to be gravitating to. Do I think regionals should be making what a major does? No. Do I believe that you should spend a couple years at a regional making your mistakes on a 50 seater instead of at a major with a 400 seater? Absolutely. My issue is that the regionals don't seem to be keeping up with the rest of the country. And I just want to know why? Why are we content to allow our pay to not at least go up with inflation? And why do we tell people who recently got into the industry and question it that that's just the way it is and to suck it up? It's what I have been trying to figure out. I am sorry if my tone didn't match or if i sounded like I was whining. It just bothers me that we let ourselves get into the status quo of the industry and don't question why things don't change.
 
bbmikej said:
@FXMXC
I don't mean to sound discouraged and I don't mean to offend anyone who has had a rough time in their careers. If I didn't have a passion and a love for aviation i would have never gotten into dispatch. I just see the way the economy has responded over the past 15 years and see how wages and expenses for the economy overall are increasing but the wages in regional airlines just kind of stays there. With the average college graduate being $35k in debt, it isn't an easy industry to work in, especially in the cities that regionals seem to be gravitating to. Do I think regionals should be making what a major does? No. Do I believe that you should spend a couple years at a regional making your mistakes on a 50 seater instead of at a major with a 400 seater? Absolutely. My issue is that the regionals don't seem to be keeping up with the rest of the country. And I just want to know why? Why are we content to allow our pay to not at least go up with inflation? And why do we tell people who recently got into the industry and question it that that's just the way it is and to suck it up? It's what I have been trying to figure out. I am sorry if my tone didn't match or if i sounded like I was whining. It just bothers me that we let ourselves get into the status quo of the industry and don't question why things don't change.
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First regionals should be paid more. But as long as people think they need to go go the regional route and accept the low pay it won't change. I never worked regionals because of that. I went the Supplemental route and glad I did because it was to me a more experiencing route and I could live on what I made.

Secondly a college degree isn't a requirement to be a dispatcher so regionals don't care if you have that debt.
 
You shouldn't have to "make it to a major" in order to make a living in this profession. It's unconscionable that Dispatchers taking responsibility for a dozen or more multi-million dollar advanced jet aircraft flying upwards of 1,000 passengers and crew at any given time are making less than the guy selling hot dogs at CostCo. We're educated and skilled professionals, not off-the-street laborers.

The "pay sucks but its good experience" mindset maybe made sense when regionals were flying Metroliners and Saabs. But now they're flying modern jet aircraft every bit as advanced as a Boeing. The only difference is the number of seats in the back.
 
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ATC had those 5 flights east of the field hold to the east with the WX moving near them coming from the west. And held them there... and held them there...

For the younginn's

Smoove Dispatcher steps in and says "Hey uh, Captain... can you ask ATC to route you north toward Indy and come in behind the weather?"

Beeeecause : If you want your guys to hold there because you're worried about hold fuel you'd burn to get to the other side, the problem is they're not making it in by holding on the other end of a lightning wall any damned way.

2 flights were eventually brought to the other side and got in.

The others diverted.
 
Flying Saluki said:
You shouldn't have to "make it to a major" in order to make a living in this profession. It's unconscionable that Dispatchers taking responsibility for a dozen or more multi-million dollar advanced jet aircraft flying upwards of 1,000 passengers and crew at any given time are making less than the guy selling hot dogs at CostCo. We're educated and skilled professionals, not off-the-street laborers.

The "pay sucks but its good experience" mindset maybe made sense when regionals were flying Metroliners and Saabs. But now they're flying modern jet aircraft every bit as advanced as a Boeing. The only difference is the number of seats in the back.
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Completely agree. Not to mention that regional dispatchers have double the workload than at the majors.

There was a time when I seriously considered abandoning the career. It was too insulting to be so overworked for under $16 an hour with seemingly no end in sight. I eventually was able to move on but looking back those few years at my regional were some of the worst in my life. Not being able to pay bills despite having a more demanding job than anyone I knew making $75,000+ a year was so draining. The regional industry is simply abusive, there's no other way to say it. Ultimately you either choose the abuse for several years with the hope of making a livable wage some day or you choose a different career.
 
Kev said:
View attachment 43848

Today - SDF Armageddon. UPS tried there... Wish I had one from ATL last night - we lost 57. #MorningShiftDoesntWorry
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Yeah, today was pretty nuts. 5 of mine were holding, trying to get in with that mess. One almost made it as the storm came in but went missed - he was one of two that ATC had holding to the east with the wx moving towards them. Thank goodness the dispatcher I took these over from gave them plenty of gas and MEM. Was able to change a few alts and all 5 eventually got in. But we did lose some today. Sorry to second shift having to clean up the mess and then deal with the next wave coming through.

Drive home was interesting. Huge trees down everywhere, and several right where I live. Heard straight line winds around the area reached 81.

In any event, it’s officially bourbon time. :-)


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Do you get taught how to deal with the insanity of bad weather days in terms of how to manage workload in school or is it more of an OJT, you gotta experience it to get good at it thing?
 
A1TAPE said:
Do you get taught how to deal with the insanity of bad weather days in terms of how to manage workload in school or is it more of an OJT, you gotta experience it to get good at it thing?
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The class doesn't teach you how to handle workload at all, it is more about how to dispatch 1 flight at a time. In fact, OJT doesn't eve really teach t to you. If you get swamped there you have an instructor to step in and take. Not only that, but you can't plan to be training on a bad weather day. If you could predict the weather that well you would be in a much different career. It is more a trial by fire in these situations. You come in to work, weather takes a dump, and you either break down, get behind, and crawl into a ball on the floor or you power through and are able to stay ahead of everything. This kind of response isn't something that can be easily taught. Either you can or you can't and you won't know until that first bad day when you are on the floor by yourself.
 
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