NPV of Regional Airline Earnings

[hawk25u]

I agree with Mark 100%. My last few years at a regional I was getting my choice of lines and salary for many years was 6 figures also. I had a chance of going to the majors when I was 55 but turned it down. To me QOL means a lot, probably sitting reserve in upper slobovia, nowhere and it would have been a drop in pay. I don't think I screwed up either.

 

[mscard88]

Pilots talk, I listen to some PIREPS, why on earth not go to a major in that time? But I know other guys who stay at stepping stone jobs

You just don't know when to guit do you.

 

[James331]

You just don't know when to guit do you.

It seems like my de-affirmation of your group identity is producing quite the visceral reaction eh?

The other guy said after almost two and a half decades life is good and he’s six figures at a regional, except there are plenty of 135 jobs where year one or two you’re six figures, I mean outside of Mcdonalds I’m pretty sure any company with a two and a half decade employee you’d see at least six figures, which after taxes in most cities and blue states is lower middle class.

 

[jordane93]

Plenty of super qualified people never get the call due to industry timing, bad luck, etc. It’s not as easy as saying “why are they not at a major.” I’ve flown with tons of captains who I’ve scratched my head thinking why didn’t they get picked up at a major/legacy.

 

[mscard88]

It seems like my de-affirmation of your group identity is producing quite the visceral reaction eh?

The other guy said after almost two and a half decades life is good and he’s six figures at a regional, except there are plenty of 135 jobs where year one or two you’re six figures, I mean outside of Mcdonalds I’m pretty sure any company with a two and a half decade employee you’d see at least six figures, which after taxes in most cities and blue states is lower middle class.

 

[Hacker]

I had a chance of going to the majors when I was 55 but turned it down. To me QOL means a lot, probably sitting reserve in upper slobovia, nowhere and it would have been a drop in pay.

I've seen an interesting phenomenon the last couple years of riding on jumpseats, and that is 55+ newhire FOs. Probably a dozen to 10 guys, just in cockpits I've jumpseated since 2015 or so.

It is mostly on AA that I see them, and almost all of them are flows from The Airline Formerly Known As American Eagle, but they are all guys with less than 10 years left until retirement when they were hired at mainline. I don't know how long these guys had been at Eagle before they flowed -- the only one I explicitly remember said he'd been there 18 years before he came to American.

All of them have said that, despite the things mentioned above, they were all very happy to have made the jump and they felt their quality of life was better for the change. IIRC they said by year 3 they were making more than they had at the regionals, plus the better schedules, work rules, insurance, and other benefits.

 

[Hacker]

Speaking of regionals. Rotor To Airline Group just had their convention in SAV. They were hoping for around 100 helo dudes to show but about 600 registered! All my old buds got conditional job offers from multiple companies.

I think it is a great development that the airline industry is finally recognizing that rotary wing airmanship has value.

 

[kayoh190]

All of them have said that, despite the things mentioned above, they were all very happy to have made the jump and they felt their quality of life was better for the change. IIRC they said by year 3 they were making more than they had at the regionals, plus the better schedules, work rules, insurance, and other benefits.

When I was still in the left seat, I got a chance to fly with a bunch of the very first flows, and many were older guys that spent decades at Piedmont. I really enjoyed flying with them - just fantastic attitudes and fun to shoot the **** with. One guy was 63 and fresh off OE - he simply wanted to spend the last two years at mainline. We had a really fun four day trip with some great layovers, and he couldn't wrap his head around me always picking up the tab - "I haven't had someone pay for my beer in AGES!"