737lakepilot wrote: ↑Thu Nov 14, 2024 1:11 pm
Position bid openings came out and absolutely 0 captains openings, meanwhile captains are averaging 10-20 hrs more per month vs first officers. The logical thing would be to upgrade more pilots to balance the hours out. So please tell me why an airline wouldn’t follow this logic?
Money.
Upgrading people has a cost. You can RSQ all captains and basically make them FOs
Also, it’s a bad time to do anything drastic when a merger is happening
You can, but WJ doesn’t do that for normal line captains.
Training and LID captains are RSQ, but for most they never do the sim requirements.
Captain pay isn't cheap. Have a few less, work them harder, it's okay. Just over the overtime threshold is the sweet spot to balance pay costs vs training costs.
Putting a captain in the right seat is even more expensive when an FO can do the job for FO rates
As per the position bid document, there are more Captains than FOs: 878 vs 791 full time, and 67 vs 12 reduced block. I don’t know how many are currently inactive but that could be a factor to stop the upgrades
PittBoss wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2024 1:13 pm
Why Why Why Why Won't You Come to WestJet?
Give me a good reason.
The current management, lack of fleet diversity, morale, uniform style, absolutely horrendous upgrade times, contract.. lots of things really and the general Cheeseball feeling of the place..
MaxAuto wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2024 5:53 pm
Don't go to an airline that allows pilots over 65 to continue flying and cherry picking domestic flights thereby stagnating movement up the list.
Get rid of that in CA3.
Says the young and impatient who get to the airlines 10-15 years younger than their predecessors... Anyone want to take bets on this tune changing when this group is 65?
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I'm going to knock this up a notch with my spice weasle. Bam!
MaxAuto wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2024 5:53 pm
Don't go to an airline that allows pilots over 65 to continue flying and cherry picking domestic flights thereby stagnating movement up the list.
Get rid of that in CA3.
Says the young and impatient who get to the airlines 10-15 years younger than their predecessors... Anyone want to take bets on this tune changing when this group is 65?
Any pilot over 65 who is still flying needs to get a fucking life
goingnowherefast wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 7:32 pm
I'd love to retire at 55 or 60. But I'm not gonna belittle someone who wants to work past 65.
I’ll offset one and retire at 60!
I don’t understand this, if a guy wants to or needs to keeps working, who cares!
They don’t owe anyone an explanation or a position, that’s the nice thing about being there first you get to decide and if you can pass a medical then good for you.
The majority of pilots at westjet want the AR program terminated. Reason is that AR pilots are further slowing down upgrades that are already some of the longest in the industry, as well as costing the company more in increasing fuel use and flight time.
On top of this many AR pilots are already well off, and the pilots close to upgrade are still struggling financially. It’s difficult for these pilots to see the group of AR pilots that are wealthy continue to increase their wealth at the expense of these more junior pilots upgrades.
This is what I have seen at westjet. Don’t get made at me, just the general sentiment towards AR pilots.
737lakepilot wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 9:08 pm
The majority of pilots at westjet want the AR program terminated. Reason is that AR pilots are further slowing down upgrades that are already some of the longest in the industry, as well as costing the company more in increasing fuel use and flight time.
On top of this many AR pilots are already well off, and the pilots close to upgrade are still struggling financially. It’s difficult for these pilots to see the group of AR pilots that are wealthy continue to increase their wealth at the expense of these more junior pilots upgrades.
This is what I have seen at westjet. Don’t get made at me, just the general sentiment towards AR pilots.
I mostly just feel sad for people working past 65. If you have to for financial reasons that is sad. Even worse is choosing to because you haven’t made a life outside of work that you look forward to getting to enjoy more after retirement. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else but I can’t wait to retire and have more time to do the other things I love. I plan on retiring before 60.
737lakepilot wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 9:08 pm
The majority of pilots at westjet want the AR program terminated. Reason is that AR pilots are further slowing down upgrades that are already some of the longest in the industry, as well as costing the company more in increasing fuel use and flight time.
On top of this many AR pilots are already well off, and the pilots close to upgrade are still struggling financially. It’s difficult for these pilots to see the group of AR pilots that are wealthy continue to increase their wealth at the expense of these more junior pilots upgrades.
This is what I have seen at westjet. Don’t get made at me, just the general sentiment towards AR pilots.
I mostly just feel sad for people working past 65. If you have to for financial reasons that is sad. Even worse is choosing to because you haven’t made a life outside of work that you look forward to getting to enjoy more after retirement. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else but I can’t wait to retire and have more time to do the other things I love. I plan on retiring before 60.
"I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything."
"I can’t wait to retire and have more time to do the other things I love"
Apart from the conflicting statements, if you can't wait to retire, you should just leave your job now. Sounds like you are only in it for the money
That's 4.5 x the average Canadian rate. Half of Canadian workers earn less than that.
I mean seriously. "Financially struggling".... Can only afford the 328 instead of the m3. Get a grip
I’m assuming you are not in aviation as you would understand how hourly rates work. To get an equivalent rate to a 9-5 job you need to halve the hourly rate of a flight crew member.
Good job outing yourself though
I enjoy flying, but would prefer a hangar full of different airplanes that I can fly whenever I want instead of being told when and where to go and who to take with me.
The goal is to save up enough money flying for other people that I can fly for myself the rest of my life. Life is only so long, so the sooner I can do that the better. That also means compromise, since I will never be able to afford my own private jet. Even if I work past 65.
fish4life wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 7:49 am
I’m assuming you are not in aviation as you would understand how hourly rates work. To get an equivalent rate to a 9-5 job you need to halve the hourly rate of a flight crew member.
Good job outing yourself though
You're not quite the detective you think you are. 32 years in aviation bud. That aside point taken, however....
Where I work MMG is 85 hours. 161 at 85 hours is approximately $164k a year.
The median FAMILY income in Canada is approximately $84k a year. So still twice what an average Canadian family has to support their lifestyle.
My argument still stands that this is hardly an income that is financially struggling.
The AR program is highly contentious. On one hand I completely understand guys working past 65, especially when WJ just turfs you out with no benefits or pension. They should get something to soften the blow.
On the other hand, junior FOs were told by the Merger Committee this week in their career prediction email to expect 17 year upgrades, so a level of resentment to anything that delays an upgrade further is expected. Hopefully WJ comes up with a respectable way to end the program before it starts costing them even more in wasted fuel and reserve resources.
Canadaflyer46 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 18, 2024 9:02 am
The AR program is highly contentious. On one hand I completely understand guys working past 65, especially when WJ just turfs you out with no benefits or pension. They should get something to soften the blow.
On the other hand, junior FOs were told by the Merger Committee this week in their career prediction email to expect 17 year upgrades, so a level of resentment to anything that delays an upgrade further is expected. Hopefully WJ comes up with a respectable way to end the program before it starts costing them even more in wasted fuel and reserve resources.
It's going to the company in new hire training too when they realize guys are just coming for a type rating and time before they go to AC or overseas.
737lakepilot wrote: ↑Sun Nov 17, 2024 9:08 pm
The majority of pilots at westjet want the AR program terminated. Reason is that AR pilots are further slowing down upgrades that are already some of the longest in the industry, as well as costing the company more in increasing fuel use and flight time.
On top of this many AR pilots are already well off, and the pilots close to upgrade are still struggling financially. It’s difficult for these pilots to see the group of AR pilots that are wealthy continue to increase their wealth at the expense of these more junior pilots upgrades.
This is what I have seen at westjet. Don’t get made at me, just the general sentiment towards AR pilots.
I mostly just feel sad for people working past 65. If you have to for financial reasons that is sad. Even worse is choosing to because you haven’t made a life outside of work that you look forward to getting to enjoy more after retirement. I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else but I can’t wait to retire and have more time to do the other things I love. I plan on retiring before 60.
"I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything."
"I can’t wait to retire and have more time to do the other things I love"
Apart from the conflicting statements, if you can't wait to retire, you should just leave your job now. Sounds like you are only in it for the money
I love my JOB. But it’s still a job. I’d rather not have to work. Nearly everybody is in it for the money in every profession. You don’t see many people keep working after they win the powerball.
MaxAuto wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2024 5:53 pm
Don't go to an airline that allows pilots over 65 to continue flying and cherry picking domestic flights thereby stagnating movement up the list.
Get rid of that in CA3.
Says the young and impatient who get to the airlines 10-15 years younger than their predecessors... Anyone want to take bets on this tune changing when this group is 65?
Got to the airlines earlier and yet the absurd COL negates all financial benefits of being able to do so. If you’re a 65 year old boomer who feels the need to hold things up for younger generations to progress in their careers you’re either beyond ignorantly selfish and/or you’re making other people pay for your poor financial/life decisions. Get a life and touch some grass
