Pilots' Pay Demands May Boost Fare
By Dan Schlossberg
ConsumerAffairs.com
Now that the airline industry is creeping back into the black, pilots want their piece of the pie.
Airline captains worked more hours for lower pay during the last five years, when the aviation industry was staggered by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, runaway fuel costs, and bankruptcies that struck four of the seven major carriers.
In some cases, pilots lost more than 30 per cent of their pay and 50 per cent of their pensions by agreeing to work rules designed to help airlines survive.
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Since 9/11 and the bankruptcy or reorganization of every legacy airline, pilot hourly pay rates have been reduced to what they were almost 20 years ago. In addition, work rule changes force pilots to work more and longer days than they ever have.
Fatigue is a growing problem as long scheduled days get even longer when weather and maintenance delays are encountered.
Pilots from United (UAL), Delta (DAL), Northwest (now merged with Delta) and USAir (LCC) all lost significant amounts of their pensions as those airlines went through bankruptcy after 9/11.