World's Highest Paying Airlines
- Thread starter Trip7
- Start date
Maximilian_Jenius
Super User
I know that Southwest is a good airline right now! But this industry is cyclical at best.
Those who think that Southwest airlines is the end all be all because they have never furloughed, always been profitable, and treat and compensate their employees well, need remember airlines like Eastern, Pan Am & TWA.
Years ago, when I and others were children, they were the hot places to be at, and not American, Delta or United. My question to one and all who suscribe to that limited view of SWA and it's mere 35 yrs. of existance would be where are Eastern, Pan Am and TWA today?
Honest question!
scramjet
Well-Known Member
That's a good question...something has to give not because there are too many seats but because there are too many companies trying to charge customers too low. Right now some of the legacys are starting to make something resembling profits, but next even more severe spike in fuel costs or rightfully deserved labor action and it won't look so rosy. The airlines can't operate like bus companies or even train companies. That's not their model. The only way they will be able to do that is if some drastic revolution in air transport technology comes about...
Olympic
Well-Known Member
OK, I see where you are coming from. Now for the cold water!
BTW, let me start by saying that I am not trying to put down your country or disrespect you or it.
With that out the way…..
I think your comparison with Europe and the U.S.A, should be more like Greece and the U.S.A. 7000/month Euro in Greece, yeah, you are ballin!!
But let’s be honest, Greece is, well, poor! Now I have been to Greece a bunch of times, and I have been to Athens a bunch of times as well. It is a nice place, nice people, good food, lots of history, lots of cats!
Would I live there, HELL NO! Greece is the second poorest country in western Europe (Last I checked). And it shows when you are there. Now, when you have a high paying job in a country where you have a majority of low paid fishermen as the population, then yeah, you’ll stand out. But Greece is not Europe.
Example, I lived in Hamburg for the last 3 years until this March. I had my own company and earned over 10000 euro/month as a minimum. You know what I was in Hamburg? BROKE! Now, Germany is the largest economy in Europe, and Hamburg is the richest city in Germany, so relatively speaking my earnings to where I lived was about par.
My wife and I tried to buy an apartment once and were chased out the bank! I also know lots of pilots in Europe, in The Netherlands, Germany, and they are nothing special. They don’t even consider themselves anything special, with regards to their salary or status.
My point, everything is relative. And you can’t use your country as a benchmark for comparison of a whole continent.
Of course I won't get offended, Greece is a country that until the 70s had a fascist king and was run by the military. Now the only comment I have a problem with is that Greece is poor. Please be a little more specific when you say this, you mean POOR compared to other countries in the EU. There are plenty of other countries out there that are not a part of the EU and make Greece look like a super-power compared to them.
This is probably due to the fact that Greece doesn't really produce anything, we have made some military weapons but our stupid old politicians sell the design and not the product instead.. oh and there are a bunch of oil under the Aegean but the Arabs pay us not to dig it up
.Not to mention that our Air Force and Special Forces whips everyones ass at the NATO competitions (Totally irrelevant I know, but I spent a year in Special Forces)
Back to topic..
Another question I have is, when was the last time you were in Greece? If I tell you that Greece has changed and specifically Athens has changed from 2003 to 2004 about 85% would you believe me? Olympics did wonders ...!
I guess it all depends who you talk to, I also have a lot of friends in Germany and all over Europe and I they tell me they are living the life as pilots, especially those Lufthansa guys
. The reason that I think pilots are viewed differently in Europe is the fact that not everyone can become a pilot, there is no General Aviation, and you need to be a TOP student to even be considered into some Flight Programs, oh and the fact that you fly heavy jets right out of Flight School.
For god sakes, when I finished Flight School and University in the US I came to Europe and told people I had 600 hours under my belt, they thought I was GOD (literally) when in the US I was just an average pilot-wannabee..
Velocipede
New Member
The problem is that people with your attitude (I'd love $70k) are the kind who go to work for crappy outfits like jetBlue, Virgin and Skybus. YOU're lowering the bar for everyone.
X-Forces
Big Black Guy
Well, when I referred to Greece as poor I was referring to the size of the Greek economy, and GDP. There is simply not a great deal of wealth in Greece. You pointed out that Greece doesn’t produce much, which is true, thus the low GDP. Oh, I wasn't refering to all countries in the EU. With all of the new entries there are loads of new and broke countries that can say they are "Europe" now.
As far as the Air Force and Special Forces, well, that is a nice to know fact, however Greece’s military is not large or powerful enough to really ward off an attack from any major power, so as you also pointed out it is pretty irrelevant.
I think we last made it over there in 2003. I know they were still building for the Olympics, and the cab driver was telling us how things were behind schedule. There was a large complex very close to the airport in Athens that he was pointing out to us. I have no doubt that the Olympics did wonders for the area, but that is not long term, it never is.
Well, two of my best buds in Germany flew for Lufte, and they were just average joes. I mean, yes, they were paid pretty well but where we lived it was nothing that was going to make anyone’s jaw drop. Again, it is relative to where you are, and who you are around.
Not everyone can be a pilot in the U.S.A, or anywhere in the world for that matter. The fact that there is no GA in Europe (Which is incorrect incidentally, there is lots of GA in Europe, I have flown GA in Europe, it is just twice the price or better then GA in the U.S.A, hence the reason more aviation training is done in the U.S.A. then anywhere else in the world). Personally, (And this is just me) I don’t think living in a country, or on a continent for that matter, where due to high taxes and socialized systems, general aviation is so expensive that it is nearly non-existent is something to brag about.
Well, when I read this part I can only think of an old expression.
“In the land of the blind, one eye is king”
You say that back home you were looked at like a GOD, where as in the U.S.A. you would be just an average pilot-wannabee. You think traveling back to your home country made you a better pilot at 600 hours? Personally, I wouldn’t want god like status at 600 hours. However, if you are in a country where taxes are high, pay is low, and opportunity to be an aviator is almost nil, well then yeah, I guess 600 hours is something to brag about.
In the U.S.A. aviation is not so far out of everyone’s reach, as both a profession and a hobby. There is far more aviation in the U.S., and it is far more affordable. Personally I am far happier with this system then Europe’s, and I have lived in both.
Also, in the end of the day, with the pay rates and tax structure, a senior legacy pilot will still take home more a month then a pilot in Europe.
Like I have said over and over again, it is all relative in the end.
Olympic
Well-Known Member
Yep, Greece doesn't produce much .. but Greece is a poor country WITH A LOT OF RICH PEOPLE ...
Greece has Turkey next door and we are always chasing them out of our Airspace with our fighters. We also train the Israeli Air Force with their sea tactics and they train us over land, some type of agreement we have. Greece has 11,000,000 people, with the money we spend on military you would think we are a superpower! .. it's ridiculous.
2003! You need to visit now and you will see a difference I can almost guarantee you! Why not long term? We have a new airport, new highways , new bridges that help connect some areas that would take 7 hours to do, we also have one of the newest and best Underground Train systems. These are forever .. and it means a lot to us living in Greece for the fact that we can now commute better. Greece was a nightmare before the Olympics, yea we are in debt but im OK with it because it has brought things to Greece that I never imagined.
When I say G.A doesn't exist .. compared to the states it sure doesn't! I can agree with you that its probably the prices...It is much easier to find a plane in the states and go from point A to B then it is in Europe, they will chew your ass over here. BTW try and become a CFI in Europe... it's almost impossible with the nonsense you need to go through... compare it to the states where we have people receiving their CFIs almost everyday.
None is bragging! I think it came out the wrong way with the "GOD", I take it back if so! I really don't think of myself as that was just trying to get my point across. And when I say 600 hours I was considered "GOD" , This happened to me in England, people were shocked with the hours I had! In the states its not like that because you have a bunch of people running around with that time and more.
Well none in Europe took a 40% pay cut like the legacy pilots in the US that is for sure.
Oh and BTW .. I think the Flight Training in the USA is FAR MORE BETTER than Europe! When it comes to THEORY though, the EUROPEANS are FAR MORE AHEAD with their JAA ATP ground school. The FAA theory is a joke.
UH, when you do make it to 80k a year and then, for some reason, management drops you back down to 40k a year, remember what you said when some guy posts, "I'd be happy to work for 40k! Stop crying!"
DE727UPS
Well-Known Member
"the kind who go to work for crappy outfits like jetBlue..."
Anybody else on here think Jetblue is a crappy career for a pilot?
"The problem is that people with your attitude (I'd love $70k) are the kind who go to work for crappy outfits like jetBlue, Virgin and Skybus. YOU're lowering the bar for everyone"
Man, I thought JC was supposed to be the kinder, gentler, place...
Anybody else on here think Jetblue is a crappy career for a pilot?
"The problem is that people with your attitude (I'd love $70k) are the kind who go to work for crappy outfits like jetBlue, Virgin and Skybus. YOU're lowering the bar for everyone"
Man, I thought JC was supposed to be the kinder, gentler, place...
Qgar
New Member
:yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat::yeahthat: ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!