World's Highest Paying Airlines

[Olympic]

Think you might want to re-check those exchange rates there sparky!

I wish the Euro to Dollar rate was that high!

my mistake used POUNDS instead... here it is again

95,000.00 EUR= 128,330.69 USD

AND

56,000.00 EUR= 75,647.56 USD

DOESNT EVEN MATTER, STILL A HUGE GAP BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND US PILOTS.

 

[IWExcelsiorE]

Oh boy. If its not asking too much, will you pay to work too?

What is going on here?

I'm real close to changing my signature to:

*edit*

 

[typhoonpilot]

It's hard to compare airline pay in other countries. Places like Cathay and Emirates seemingly pay less money, but once the low/no taxes and free housing are factored in, it's just as good if not better than most US airlines.

When talking about Cathay there needs to be a distinction between Cathay's three major pay scales. Cathay pilots hired early 90s and before are on the A scale and make huge money. After that period there are the B scale pilots who still do okay, but nowhere near the A scale rates. Then there are there Freighter Scales for North American based pilots, even lower than the B scale. An A scale Captain at Cathay gets roughly $7000/month in housing allowance alone :drool:. A freighter Captain makes in the low-mid 100,000s.

I'm a Captain and TRI (instructor) at Emirates and will not return to the USA for less than $15,000 month, even that would be an effective pay cut after taking into account the tax advantages of living overseas.

Fedex, UPS, ABX, and SWA make a little more but I don't have to go through TSA security nor stay in the crap domestic hotels that legacy carriers put you up in. That is worth a lot to me .



Typhoonpilot

 

[Cruise]

I AM going to be an airline pilot! What are you saying? I know I won't complain about 200K a year. I'm willing to risk to everything to get to my goal, so speak not to me about risk!
You know what, I'm not saying how "overpaid" pilots are, I'm just tired of seeing them whine about supporting a family on 200K when some people do it on 30K (without welfare).

No, what are YOU saying?

Good for you, I'm glad you're willing to make sacrifices to achieve your dreams.....that's very important. However, this isn't about who can or can't support a family on how much. Rather, It's about being paid what you deserve. You came into this thread all high and mighty telling people to stop crying about the money they earn. I don't think any pilots are on here crying about earning $180K.......what they do say, however, is that they are tired of conceiding to management and funding an airline at the expense of their personal wages and retirements. This, happening while management continues to give themselves bonuses and retire with golden parachutes when, in fact, it is management who is running these same airlines into the ground!

I didn't make sacrifices and earn undergraduate, graduate degrees, and attend flight school to earn $30K per year. Sure, I could've stopped with a high school diploma or less; and if that were the case, I'd probably be happy to earn 30K per year because that's probably all I'd deserve. But you know what? I didn't! Instead, I attended institutions of highter education and paid a considerable amount of money to do so. In addition, I also learned to fly and became a pilot in addition to my other education. Paid for it all myself too. So why shouldn't I earn more than the high school dropout? Is this a communist society? Nope! Don't think it was a communist party that won the last election.....so not everyone needs to earn the same wage.

So I ask you this, why shouldn't a highly educated professional pilot, such as myself or anyone else, earn a wage that is commisurate with their experience and responsibility? Why shouldn't we make a stand and not sacrifice any more of our salaries to fund failing business models?

You're right, as I stated previously, $180K is alot of money.....but it's money earned! And the same pilot was EARNING a considerable amount more prior to 9/11 and all the concessionary tactics used by management to supposedly keep the airlines alive. Why shouldn't these same pilots expect to have some, if not all, of their salary returned to them now that these airlines are profitable again?

What you said piqued me a little, and I would've gotten a little confrontational (9 months ago, I would've brushed it off).

Again, I'm confused........you would've gotten confrontational or you would've brushed it off? It's typically one or the other.....not both! :drool:

 

[MQAAord]

Cruise, that was an excellent, mature response. Thank you.

 

[mhcasey]

my mistake used POUNDS instead... here it is again

95,000.00 EUR= 128,330.69 USD

AND

56,000.00 EUR= 75,647.56 USD

DOESNT EVEN MATTER, STILL A HUGE GAP BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND US PILOTS.

Anybody have any figures on costs for European flight schools? I know one of my instructors came over here from England because it was completely unfeasable to pay for training in Europe, whereas over here it just sucks really bad.

 

[IWExcelsiorE]

No, what are YOU saying?

Good for you, I'm glad you're willing to make sacrifices to achieve your dreams.....that's very important. However, this isn't about who can or can't support a family on how much. Rather, It's about being paid what you deserve. You came into this thread all high and mighty telling people to stop crying about the money they earn. I don't think any pilots are on here crying about earning $180K.......what they do say, however, is that they are tired of conceiding to management and funding an airline at the expense of their personal wages and retirements. This, happening while management continues to give themselves bonuses and retire with golden parachutes when, in fact, it is management who is running these same airlines into the ground!

I didn't make sacrifices and earn undergraduate, graduate degrees, and attend flight school to earn $30K per year. Sure, I could've stopped with a high school diploma or less; and if that were the case, I'd probably be happy to earn 30K per year because that's probably all I'd deserve. But you know what? I didn't! Instead, I attended institutions of highter education and paid a considerable amount of money to do so. In addition, I also learned to fly and became a pilot in addition to my other education. Paid for it all myself too. So why shouldn't I earn more than the high school dropout? Is this a communist society? Nope! Don't think it was a communist party that won the last election.....so not everyone needs to earn the same wage.

So I ask you this, why shouldn't a highly educated professional pilot, such as myself or anyone else, earn a wage that is commisurate with their experience and responsibility? Why shouldn't we make a stand and not sacrifice any more of our salaries to fund failing business models?

You're right, as I stated previously, $180K is alot of money.....but it's money earned! And the same pilot was EARNING a considerable amount more prior to 9/11 and all the concessionary tactics used by management to supposedly keep the airlines alive. Why shouldn't these same pilots expect to have some, if not all, of their salary returned to them now that these airlines are profitable again?




Again, I'm confused........you would've gotten confrontational or you would've brushed it off? It's typically one or the other.....not both! :drool:

Ok, fine,...

So we add a little more to the 188K....and my father (whose's a mechanic for United), gets HIS pension shot to heck....

No lie..

 

[wheelsup]

<deleted>

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

Ok, fine,...

So we add a little more to the 188K....and my father (whose's a mechanic for United), gets HIS pension shot to heck....

No lie..

Not sure what's going on here either. But from your tone, or at least the one that I'm reading, it appears as if you are crusing for confrontation. While it is unfortunate about your fathers pension being slashed, what does that have to do with the topic at hand, and how is his pension being slashed a result of UA pilot actions?

Getting back on topic, I'll say this. $188k is definitely nothing to laugh at, but I don't think that flying at the international level it is enough. Heavy pilots are flying around 250-400 people and the pay should reflect it. At a minimum a captain flying a 747, A340, A380 or a 777 should be banking $200k.

Like Doug stated in another thread, pay is only one part of the equation in terms of professional worth.

Having the responsibilities of 200+ people under your command, the possibility of having your medical yanked once a year, or every six months depending on position. Time spent away from family, communting, insane training cost, TSA drama, terrorist attacks and threats, and who knows what else, pilots do deserve more.

A salary commisurate with skill level. Lets not forget that higher paying jobs such as lawyers, and engineers are higher paying because of their skill and education level. Besides doctors, pilots have the most skilled job on the planet.

As such shouldn't they command more, both in terms of pay and respect?

 

[FSIPILOT]

What is going on here?

I'm real close to changing my signature to:

"You ever get smacked in the MOUTH for talking too much?"

or

"A big mouth always has room for a fist."

Easy there young padawan easy.

I was merely bringing to light your self exclaimed lack of drive for obtaining the higher rung in the aircraft food chain, you have said that anything from instructing to major airline and any and all in between will satisfy you.

Just curious but, do you consider yourself to have had enough real world experience to even understand how far $70,000. or $1,000,000. will go? I think you would be surprised how much a million dollars will not buy you today, especially seeing that you live in California. If you do understand the short distance a dollar will go, I wish I was in your shoes when I was a teenager.

You had said that you’d be happy to make seventy thousand. Ok so seventy thousand pre taxed per year is nothing to sneer at, however it is by no means what so ever a lot or even enough money either. If your working now, I can see how in your eyes 70,000. would appear to be a mint. However I’m sorry to say that once the tax man cometh and the every day expense of life and loans, mortgages, repairs, children, entertainment, hobbies, savings, insurance I think you’d be penniless way before you think you would.

I see you live in California, nice state. Expensive state. Do you think that a professional pilot is a position that should be compensated for, plentiful enough so as the person could be able to purchase a home? I think so. Think he could do it on 70,000 a year? If its possible trust me it would be very painful.

Now onto $200,000 per year. If you stay the course, and are lucky enough to catch a break into aviation, maybe in ten years you would have seen enough to truly understand what goes into being that heavy long haul international captain. The level of responsibility, amount of experience, level of dedication, and sincere personal and financial sacrifice it takes to get to those elusive well paid positions is something that through no fault of your own, you couldn’t possibly imagine, yet. I have faith that when your ship comes in, you’ll see and most likely even laugh at yourself for thinking that 200,000/year is an atrocious and undeserved level of compensation.

No worries bud, just a matter of experience verses perspective. We’ve all been guilty of in the past.

Now suggest that you’re going to attempt to pop me in the mouth again and not only will I be sure of one major airline that you’ll never fly for, I’ll give you the chance next time I’m in the neighborhood. After all, you are talking to a good ole’ country boy.

 

[MQAAord]

Just to make it clear, that threats of personal violence against other members will not be tolerated. I let the initial 'pop in the mouth comment' go, because I did not read it necessarily as a direct personal threat, more just like it was an emotional reactive statement.

 

[Cruise]

Ok, fine,...

So we add a little more to the 188K....and my father (whose's a mechanic for United), gets HIS pension shot to heck....

No lie..

Sorry bud, but this rebuttal doesn't answer or prove anything. So again I say, "what are YOU saying?"

Still confused here But hey, maybe it's clear and I'm just obtuse.

 

[scramjet]

Everyone got screwed last down cycle in the industry simple as that. Pilots felt it the worst, but other suffered including the mechanics. Hah I remember some guys around here in PIT pulling in six figures pre 9/11, now they have to adapt to five. Management screwed everyone... Another random thing...I notice the pilots and mechanics at USAir seem to be a lot chummier than other airlines as evidenced by this thread...corporate culture thing I guess...

 

[X-Forces]

my mistake used POUNDS instead... here it is again

95,000.00 EUR= 128,330.69 USD

AND

56,000.00 EUR= 75,647.56 USD

DOESNT EVEN MATTER, STILL A HUGE GAP BETWEEN EUROPEAN AND US PILOTS.

There is also a pretty big gap between the cost of living in Europe and the cost of living in the U.S.A.

I won't even get into the tax difference!

You are in Greece, right.

So, you have a 19% VAT (It was 18% the last time I was there, but I understand that it was raised to 19% recently, when Germany raised theirs to 19%)

And.... What, 44% tax for income in the highest tax bracket, which I believe is not more then 47,000-50,000 Euro.

So tell me again how much better off the pilots are over there again?
They might make more but I guarantee they take home less, and it isn't about what you earn, but what you keep, which has been pointed out several times in this thread.

 

[derg]

BTW, the exchange rate bites monkey butt.

And if you want a modest apartment in the suburbs of Paris, you'd better be ready to drop about 300K Euros.

 

[IWExcelsiorE]

Just to make it clear, that threats of personal violence against other members will not be tolerated. I let the initial 'pop in the mouth comment' go, because I did not read it necessarily as a direct personal threat, more just like it was an emotional reactive statement.

*edit*

 

[IWExcelsiorE]

<deleted>

I think it would've been nice to see what he said....

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

....Sorry Mr. Official....

Ask a United mechanic where his pension is, and you'll know my father's situation...(at least the ones at SFO)

And it was a "smack in the mouth", not a pop.
See a "pop" is sugar-coated version of a punch. Someone gets a pop to the mouth, and they rub their lips and say "Why did you do that?"
But a smack, a smack is a full-fledged blow, intent on making silence. Someone gets smacked in the mouth, and they cover their swollen and/or bleeding mouth. They say nothing, as they know why they received such justice....

Does that get me another technical Mr. Official?

Dude, what's your problem as of late, you're being a huge ass, chill!!!

Yelling at people and taking attitudes with members isn't going to return your fathers pension, more especially if they had no direct involvement with it being taken.

You're on an aviation website, so when you're talking destroyed pensions, bankruptcy profiteering, and management bonus and employee concessions, you're kinda preaching to the choir, bro!

Lastly, MQAAORD is a chick, who has been furloughed and who's husband had to take a 40-50% salary reduction which caused them to have to sell his birth home and move to another state, amongst other things.

Dude, you're not the only one who's life has been affected by concessions post 9/11.

So, get over yourself already!

 

[TheAlchemist]

....Sorry Mr. Official....

Ask a United mechanic where his pension is, and you'll know my father's situation...(at least the ones at SFO)

And it was a "smack in the mouth", not a pop.
See a "pop" is sugar-coated version of a punch. Someone gets a pop to the mouth, and they rub their lips and say "Why did you do that?"
But a smack, a smack is a full-fledged blow, intent on making silence. Someone gets smacked in the mouth, and they cover their swollen and/or bleeding mouth. They say nothing, as they know why they received such justice....

Does that get me another technical Mr. Official?

So violent...

Chill out man!

 

[IWExcelsiorE]

Dude, what's your problem as of late, you're being a huge ass, chill!!!

Yelling at people and taking attitudes with members isn't going to return your fathers pension, more especially if they had no direct involvement with it being taken.

You're on an aviation website, so when you're talking destroyed pensions, bankruptcy profiteering, and management bonus and employee concessions, you're kinda preaching to the choir, bro!

Lastly, MQAAORD is a chick, who has been furloughed and who's husband had to take a 40-50% salary reduction which caused them to have to sell his birth home and move to another state, amongst other things.

Dude, you're not the only one who's life has been affected by concessions post 9/11.

So, get over yourself already!

I'm sorry that I said that to her (how am I to know that she's a lady?).....

But I still say: "You guys have got it made, what more do you want?"

Mr. Official, will they fine me, suspend me a couple games?