4 ms·
Pilot salaries are all based on union contracts. Union contracts are all negotiated by union leaders. Union leaders are all senior pilots. Senior pilots have a
by SoftwareMaven 13y ago
Pilot salaries are all based on union contracts. Union contracts are all negotiated by union leaders. Union leaders are all senior pilots. Senior pilots have a strong incentive to negotiate contracts that pay senior pilots the most, even if it is at the expense of new pilots.
I know a guy who flies less than 20 hours a month but makes well over $100k/year. He's been a pilot for over 20 years and knows how to work the rules so he makes money even when he's not flying (being on standby and such).
- jellicle 13y agoThings I learned from Hacker News: both high and low salaries are all the fault of dastardly "unions". (Actually, the regional carriers that employ newbie pilots are non-unionized.)
- brightsize 13y agoNot just the unions. "Regulations" are at fault too. They're unnecessary and expensive. The number of airliners that fall out of the sky per year due to faulty design/construction/maintenance or due to under-trained/overworked/unfit pilots is something for "The Market" to decide, not the Gubbmint!
- cloudwalking 13y agoIt is? Personally, I'll take the more expensive airline ticket if it means my airline's safety standards aren't weighed against profit margins. Unfortunately "The Market" optimizes for profit, which is almost never in my (and the consumers') best interest.
- pieterhg 13y agoI think you missed the </sarcasm>
- cloudwalking 13y agoI think you're right :|
- autodidakto 13y agoWait. You'd pay more for safety, yet the The Market won't give it to you because it only cares about money?
- aphelion 13y agoLow pilot salaries are due partly to the dismal state of the airline industry and mostly due to the fact that while flying a 747 may be an immensely impressive skill it's not one that's in very wide demand.
- tb 13y agoFor anyone who's interested in why this is the case, here is the classic article on this situation: http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/unions-and-airlines http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/unions-and-airlines
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]