Airline Professionalism Down the Toilet
If the pay cut trend continues in the airline industry the passengers can expect the professionalism to really decrease. Comair may try to pay their flight attendants $18,000 a year on average. This is really a low wage. What kind of customer service would you expect from someone that can't pay their bills. Fast food workers make this much money.
This is how much some first year airline pilots make flying a people around in a jet. Don't tell me that a pilot with this income is not stress over paying bills.
Passengers and airline management - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!
As an airline pilot the airlines are the most negative and unhappy environments I have ever been in. Why, because everyone is unhappy with their pay, work rules, lack of job security and management. All I ever hear at work is complaints.
This is how much some first year airline pilots make flying a people around in a jet. Don't tell me that a pilot with this income is not stress over paying bills.
Passengers and airline management - YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!
As an airline pilot the airlines are the most negative and unhappy environments I have ever been in. Why, because everyone is unhappy with their pay, work rules, lack of job security and management. All I ever hear at work is complaints.
posted by Jet Airline Pilot at 7:36 PM
2 Comments:
Dear airline pilot,
Hi I am 17 and am looking into the world of becoming a professional pilot, most likely from the sounds of it, corporate. I was just wondering if i could ask a few questions about the business...
1. Is Embry-Riddle University worth the money... if I do decide to go and have 50,000+ in student loans, will i easily be able to pay that off while raising a family? If i decide not to go to embry-riddle, is there a cheaper way I can get the training?
2. How hard is it to find a corporate aviation?
3. I love to fly and I think being a pilot would be my dream job, but it seems like from your blog, that it is low-paying, stressful, and sometimes just a pain. Since you say that the pay is dropping, would I be better off getting a degree in Engineering and flying as a hobby?
thank you so much,
Matt.
Matt:
You are very smart in researching the profession before you jump in. Flying is a fantasy for most humans and it is what drives pilots like myself to do crazy stuff like go in debt for a job that does not pay well at times and has little job security. That is the purpose of this blog, to inform future pilots like you what it is like in the real airline world.
I love flying and I don't regret learning to fly. In fact learning to fly was the most fun I have ever had. The reason I believe is that you are fullfilling that fantisy of flying and it is a lot of fun. The problem is when you become an airline First Officer or a Captain the fantasy starts to fall off and it becomes a job.
Many future airline pilots don't realize this when they are learning to fly, like I was at one time. They are willing to do anything like go in debt for $100,000 dollars for a job that pays $20,000 in its first year and has no job security.
The point is that learning to fly is one of the best things in life. After learning to fly and flying for a airline it becomes a job. The problem is at this time the airlines are not a good job.
I would highly suggest getting a degree in something you like, make you a good living and be something to fall back on. I got to this level without going to a big school like Embry Riddle.
I had a great time in college, got a BA and learned to fly on the side. I have had a great time and I did not go in debt like the Embry Riddle graduates.
I have flown at a corporate flight department and an airline. They both have plus/minus and you have to decide what is more your style.
I don't think the airlines are going to recover for some time and the regionals will be hiring for some time. There are a lot of experienced pilots leaving the industry to do other things. If a big airline goes out of business then things could change by fluding the market with pilots.
Independence went out of business and it really didn't phase the regional market. In fact many regionals are still hiring low time pilots. If you go to a good four year school, get a good degree and fly on the side or at that school you should be in good shape.
I don't think going in debt for $100,000 at at school like Embry Riddle is necessary. Like I said before, I have flown with a guy who did this. He graduated with an aviation degree and all his ratings. He now has a wife, a kid, $100,000+ in debt in school loans and is making $36,000 as a First Officer. I am not saying he did something wrong, but it is something to think about in this current airline industry.
Have you started flying lessons? If not you need to be going to the local airport and try it out. You may like it or not. If you get bit by the aviation bug like I did you may want to just continue learning to fly on the side and look for some good schools to go to. If you fly on the side you will build your time fast enough through college and graduate with a degree that you enjoyed and can be something to fall back on.
I don't think the industry will recover fast enough to make a difference where you learn to fly. If you love it, do it because it will be the most fun you will ever have. Even if I leave the airline industry I will never regret learning to fly.
You need to do your homework and decide what is right for you. Just be aware that aviation schools are probably hurting for students and they will tell you what you want to hear. That there are jobs and the income is good. That is wrong. The income is not good and there is no job security.
I hope this helps and you should only make a decision after you have researched the subject as much as you can. This is just my opinion but I am a airline captain that has been a corporate pilot, flight instructor and freight pilot so I guess I know something. I am just saying be careful.
When the fantasy wears off what type of lifestyle do you want? Do you want to live in an apartment with a wife and kid waiting for the economy and the airline industry to decide when you can afford to provide for your family or do you want to have something to fall back on if the flying fantasy does not pan out.
I know life is unpredictable but if you are going to spend the time, money and energy to do something that not very many can then you expect more out of life. If that career can't give it to you then you won't be happy.
If any pilot does not agree with me then that is ok. All I have to say is that any experienced pilot I know that does this for a living trys to fly as little as possible and trys to find schedules that impact their home life as little as possible. That tells me that the professional pilot eventually values time off and time at home more then flying.
Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions you may have. I will give you an honest answer and tell you what it is really like as a regional airline pilot.
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