Airline lifestyle

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C-GGGQ
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Re: Airline lifestyle

Post by C-GGGQ »

Wow, what other than taxes do they take. I get the same and I know my salary is less than jazz starting. Or I guess the real question is how much are the union dues?
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skypirate88
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Re: Airline lifestyle

Post by skypirate88 »

ALPA dues are 1.95% (or close to anyways). The health plan at Jazz is very expensive. I'd wager that's it the bulk of the deductions. There is also pension and potentially ESOP deductions as well.
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Warden
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Re: Airline lifestyle

Post by Warden »

Sounds about right. It's mostly the medical deductions and pension/ESOP if you do it.

My take home at AC is only slightly lower than CA rates at Jazz, mostly due to the fact we don't pay a dime for medical and ACPA dues are a slight bit lower.
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aV1aTOr
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Re: Airline lifestyle

Post by aV1aTOr »

annonyous123 wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 11:35 pm You know, I've asked these same questions from the get go....I had brand newborns just as my career was taking off(joined AC) I've never missed a XMAS, birthday, etc. I've known guys who missed them all.....I think its all to do with how important it is to you....I started at AC as a 320 F/O...it was a cool job for about a month...then I realized It wasn't for me at this point. I bid RP onto the 777. 9 days a month, plus 12 sick days a year, you can have a pretty nice lifestyle with that job. No, you aren't taking off and landing(big deal, I was a left seat prior on Dash 8 and did 12 per day) but you are working your profession and being a Dad/Husband. After about 4 years on the property I ended up holding the RP spot until I could hold F/O on the 777, although very Junior, the flying still has me at 10-12 days a month on Reserve....I save my sick days for desperate times.....i.e. Dec 24, Dec 25th, birthdays. no shame

The money, health benefits, retirement are worth it, just make sure you stick to your guns and do what works for you and your family. there are both types at this company, those who do what it takes and those who throw it all away. You get to decide who you will be.
I hope you're joking mate. That is a dirty move (Dec 24/25) and does not go unnoticed if pulled more than once. You do realize when you book off your flying on Christmas someone else (presumably with a family just as important as yours) gets called in to work? And don't preach seniority over a rsv guy; that's why you were assigned Xmas flying in the first place, seniority.
You picked this career, working holidays until you can hold them off on your seat is part of the gig. Contrary to your sentiment, you should most definitely feel shame for that kind of d!ck move.
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Eric Janson
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Re: Airline lifestyle

Post by Eric Janson »

aV1aTOr wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 4:27 pm
annonyous123 wrote: Tue Jul 30, 2019 11:35 pm You know, I've asked these same questions from the get go....I had brand newborns just as my career was taking off(joined AC) I've never missed a XMAS, birthday, etc. I've known guys who missed them all.....I think its all to do with how important it is to you....I started at AC as a 320 F/O...it was a cool job for about a month...then I realized It wasn't for me at this point. I bid RP onto the 777. 9 days a month, plus 12 sick days a year, you can have a pretty nice lifestyle with that job. No, you aren't taking off and landing(big deal, I was a left seat prior on Dash 8 and did 12 per day) but you are working your profession and being a Dad/Husband. After about 4 years on the property I ended up holding the RP spot until I could hold F/O on the 777, although very Junior, the flying still has me at 10-12 days a month on Reserve....I save my sick days for desperate times.....i.e. Dec 24, Dec 25th, birthdays. no shame

The money, health benefits, retirement are worth it, just make sure you stick to your guns and do what works for you and your family. there are both types at this company, those who do what it takes and those who throw it all away. You get to decide who you will be.
I hope you're joking mate. That is a dirty move (Dec 24/25) and does not go unnoticed if pulled more than once. You do realize when you book off your flying on Christmas someone else (presumably with a family just as important as yours) gets called in to work? And don't preach seniority over a rsv guy; that's why you were assigned Xmas flying in the first place, seniority.
You picked this career, working holidays until you can hold them off on your seat is part of the gig. Contrary to your sentiment, you should most definitely feel shame for that kind of d!ck move.
Thanks for saying what I was thinking when I read this aV1aTOr.

Unfortunately this is part of the New Age of Narcissism we currently find ourselves in.

Been on the receiving end of this a few times - the worst was a colleague taking allowance money waiting for me at Flight Ops that I had gone to a great deal of trouble to organise for my crew ( he'd done nothing for his crew ).

When I confronted him about it he denied any responsibility and blamed the company!

I hope he's enjoying his retirement - I know I am!

There's a few at every company unfortunately.
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Fanblade
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Re: Airline lifestyle

Post by Fanblade »

There are hundreds of long term commuters at Air Canada. I’m one of them. Alberta to Vancouver for a couple of decades now. Staying senior on equipment is the single most important item. As a commuter it is imperative that you control your schedule. If you have to go the night before for an early start you lost a day off. Get in too late to get home on the last day and you lost another day.

To illustrate. A senior 320 FO could work 12-14 days and commute day of to work and home after work. He has 18-16 days off at home. A junior 320 FO will work 16 days and will get a lot of early morning starts. Let’s say he has to go the night before 4 times in a month. He has 10 days off. On the surface 10 days might sound okay. But in reality you will be home only 2 days a week and will feel like a grind.

The key is get senior and stay there. This means delaying upgrades which means delayed pay increases. But commuting junior is even more expensive because of the divorce. :shock:

Things that don’t work long term but are survivable short term.

- multiple time zones. YVR-YYZ.
- two leg commutes
- juniority

As an added note. None of this applies to socialized bidding systems such as WJ, Encore or Rouge. In a socialized system seniority doesn’t exist. As such you will never be able to control your schedule to the point at which I am referring
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