FEDEX and what not...

I would never hold out for one over the other with respect to UPS vs Fedex. You gotta go to whoever offers you the job first. That includes SWA. It would be career suicide to pass on a SWA quality job and then blow the Fedex interview while UPS isn't hiring. You just can't do that. Go to whoever hires you and then make the sideways move if you desire but it's very risky ever holding out for a certain airline. I felt that way 30 years ago and would say it's even more true today.
 
I hear SWA is hiring something like 150 this year. I'm not sure if their app window is open yet.
 
SeanD said:
I hear SWA is hiring something like 150 this year. I'm not sure if their app window is open yet.
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Well, 140 are starting class this year, but most have already interviewed and are waiting to hear back. We haven't heard anything about additional hiring. Gary has been pretty clear that there won't be anymore growth this year.
 
Yea I heard Fedex was short during the summer last year and was offering 200% pay for the longer trips that most pilots do once a month. Something like they do their normal a two week trip for 20k monthly, get home, and pick up another two week trip at 200% and bring home 60k for the month. Definitely not going to be home much but getting PAID!
 
Fed Ex has always been my dream job since I was a kid. I grew up in Memphis and know a good number of FedEx pilots. I can honestly say that of all the pilots I know, have talked to on a jumpseat, or in the airport, FedEx is THE ONLY company I have never heard anyone complain about. Now to get the PIC time I need to apply.
 
Trip7 said:
Yea I heard Fedex was short during the summer last year and was offering 200% pay for the longer trips that most pilots do once a month. Something like they do their normal a two week trip for 20k monthly, get home, and pick up another two week trip at 200% and bring home 60k for the month. Definitely not going to be home much but getting PAID!
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Actually, with the ability to knock out 4 months of flying with vacation (or more), plus the fact that training was bumping people with pay and they could turn around and pick up trips over the same footprint at 150%, the situation is a little different than what you might think!
 
I don't see how the average line pilot can make anywhere near $500K a year, much less $700k.. I also don't see how "most guys" are making $300-$400K.."

A 15 year CA makes what? $250/hour? That's $225,000 base pay.

The variance between 1st year and 15th year CA is $40. So let's say a 30 year CA is making $290.. That's only $261,000. You'd have to be crediting 100 hours a month at 30th year widebody pay at "$290/hour" pay to make $350K a year.

Obviously, more plays into it than just straight guarantee pay, but I don't think "most" guys are making $300k a year over there. I know a 25 year widebody CA who wishes he was making $400k a year..
 
Your numbers would be correct if it were not for the vacation policy, training bumps, overrides and extra pay for a lot of the flying on days off (regardless of how they came to be "days off").
 
seagull said:
Your numbers would be correct if it were not for the vacation policy, training bumps, overrides and extra pay for a lot of the flying on days off (regardless of how they came to be "days off").
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That's why I italicized "average line pilot." To calculate pay based on anything but base numbers, IMO, is foolish. I know lots of guys who counted the handing out of 200% pay at 9E as "base pay." When it stopped, people couldn't figure out why they couldn't pay their mortgage. "Well, the whole time I've been here we offered 200% for open time.." I've never picked up a trip in open time, ever, in 7 years of 121 flying. I don't count it as part of the "regular pay."

I guess it's all in how you look at. I had a discussion with my pops about this thread tonight at dinner. He's been on the Bus for the last 10 years or so, I think he will have 25 years at FDX this November. He's not making $400k and he works way more than I'd want to. Lately his schedule has been almost worst than mine. Keeps getting lots of "get home on Wednesday afternoon, go back to work on Thursday evening" type stuff. He goes in this Sunday night. Comes home late Tuesday. Goes back Wednesday night. Forget that.

I guess what I'm saying is, to show up at FDX expecting $300K a year is going to be a huge disappointment.
 
Tram said:
That's why I italicized "average line pilot." To calculate pay based on anything but base numbers, IMO, is foolish.
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You're saying two different things, though. On the one hand, you say "base pay," but on the other, you say "average line pilot." Those are two very different things. There really isn't any company where the average pilot only makes base pay.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
You're saying two different things, though. On the one hand, you say "base pay," but on the other, you say "average line pilot." Those are two very different things. There really isn't any company where the average pilot only makes base pay.
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OK, if you feel the need to nit pick it, sure.

I think you know what I'm saying, but I'll lay it out there, since you don't seem to know what I'm saying..

I'm talking about a guy who shows up. Does his job. Get's the "normal" amount of "extras" and goes home.

The "average line pilot" can expect 74 hours a month, + whatever vacation, + whatever normal overrides they get and per diem. There is an average expected income for the average line pilot.

But, I guess I'm wrong. FDX drivers ARE making $700K a year with most of them averaging $400K.. I totally forgot where I was. Internetz FTW.
 
Tram said:
OK, if you feel the need to nit pick it, sure.
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Didn't think I was nitpicking. I just don't understand what you're getting at. Very few pilots only get base pay.

The "average line pilot" can expect 74 hours a month, + whatever vacation, + whatever normal overrides they get and per diem. There is an average expected income for the average line pilot.
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I don't know what the average FDX pilot can expect, but I know that 74 hours is only his guarantee. Maybe FDX guys usually only get guarantee, but I doubt it. I know at AirTran and every airline I've ever worked at, your equation wouldn't come anywhere close to getting a fair number for the average pilot. At AirTran, the "average" pilot gets just under 1,150 hours of credit per year. But, using your formula, they would never get more than about 875 hours. It's just not a realistic way of looking at things. For example, I fly stand-ups, so you would think I wouldn't make hardly anything. Guarantee, basically, right? Wrong. Because of our rules on vacation, training, distance learning, etc., I end up with quite a bit more. Hell, profit sharing alone accounts for an average of 5% extra gross compensation.

But, I guess I'm wrong. FDX drivers ARE making $700K a year with most of them averaging $400K.. I totally forgot where I was. Internetz FTW.
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No, I don't think anyone is saying that. But it's probably somewhere between what you're thinking and $400k.
 
The cadre that were in that initial 777 group, all LCA's, etc., were able to make an excellent run. It pushed the average up - a lot. That said, with a bit of seniority in the seat and understanding how to make the most from the contract, it is possible to do a lot better than if you just fly your line. It does not, necessarily, though, take more time away from home. It does take being willing to take some fluctuations by shedding straight time trips without always knowing that a VLT will be available, etc. There are times when you can be pretty assured that it is a safe gamble. Those are also the times where there are a lot of training bumps , and those are the situations where you see things such as described in this thread.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
No, I don't think anyone is saying that. But it's probably somewhere between what you're thinking and $400k.
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I've seen my fathers W2. I'm got a pretty good grip on what the "average line pilot" at FDX is making, that's all I was saying.

I'll crawl back in my hole. ;)
 
seagull said:
Average or mean?
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Whatever term you would like to use in order express the statistical norm.

Obviously, I tend to lean towards the word average, since mean is only a form of describing an average and these numbers will obviously change based on length of employment, but blah, blah, blah.

The internetz sure are feeling argumentative tonight, aren't they? :)
 
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