777 FO vs Airbus CA....QOL, Pay and Seniority
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- QOL is most important to me. I make enough as a pilot to not need to make the absolute most every month. I tried to make it easy to understand with a good chunk of data.
****Post edit I realized I never showed Airbus Captain until 777 Captain results. The end amount is 11.7 million with the understanding I would go from senior Airbus CA to junior 777 Captain...worth it? We will have to see in 10 years.
I think I agree with your choice to put it in the next time. I think you're still wanting to fly and enjoy the 777 and travel international a little bit more. But the long term statistics you presented show that the money is basically almost the same but for such such such better QOL long term on the Airbus 320.
This man always has awesome informative vids!
ALWAYS !
Great breakdown. If it were me, I would stay 777 FO and work on getting some of those Asia routes you've mentioned. Why not let your company pay you to see more of the world.
Quality of life is key. As a long haul freight dog Captain, I have very little. 🤣
You were probably a month behind my class. Very close seniority and excellent breakdown. I've been a CA in NY and PHL for 2 years. If QOL is your goal, may I suggest 1. NEVER commute 2. Wait until you can hold a line for ANY bid status change
I know guys who’ve gone the wide body path. Somehow I don’t think they’re ever coming back to the narrow body grind 😂
Excellent explanation as always!
Great video! Would your seniority go up faster at the Airbus A320 fleet since your company is taking delivery of new A320/A321 planes? The 777 fleet seems stagnant. Would it be part of your consideration to go Captain on Airbus?
Thanks. Seniority could go up faster but it would depend on more senior FOs bidding it as well. I’m fairly certain I will go to Airbus Captain when I can see I’ll be a line holder
Hey Darren, I don't hang my stuff on the fridge, I actually hang it on the inside door handle of the main door or I'll hang it on the lock.
I don't like the fridge because I may not always have something to put in it or it may have one of those decorative covers that blends in with everything else.
Same dilemma always. Best QOL and the most $ rarely line up together. A mentor told me decades ago.... "Take CA upgrades when you can because in this business, you never know what trash tomorrow will dump at your feet."
I once left the house without my ID. Called the wife, pulled over on the highway and waited for her to meet me. Ever since then, my ID is kept in my flight bag whenever it's not around my neck. If I go to work without my flight bag, then I have more problems than just forgetfulness. That tag is just one more thing to forget to charge...and that's when the ID will be forgotten. lol
You're right routines absolutely help. Whenever I mix things up for a day trip or a short overnight I mess up.
Always informative and entertaining. Thanks for sharing.
I’ll forget my tie before I forget my food, so in my sandwich the tie goes 😂
I am curious does JFK and LGA count as one combined base ie NYC at Kirkland?
LGA EWR JFK all one domicile. Thankfully 777/787 is JFK only
Awesome video. Very transparent when it comes to income and seniority in your airline. Have been thinking about Commercial Piloting due to me wanting a good QOL. Taking FAA medical exam to see if I qualify soon !
Good luck. Make sure you get a first class even if you only need a third class. Better to qualify for a first class now than find out later there’s an issue that needs to be addressed.
Airbus>Boeing that is all 😂 take those nice overseas turns tho
Good afternoon 🌞What’s the most senior aircraft at your airline?
I believe it is the 787
Correct 787
What happens if your airline were to add a new fleet type? Say they brought back the A330 or added the A350 (hypothetically). How does this impact bidding and seniority in the future?
It would depend on where it was based and how the seniority worked out. It would be a free for all in initial bid.
Nice video!, I’m still trying to figure out how to go above MMAX 92 hrs per month 😂
OG PR having someone drop a trip to you
@@geekontheflightdeck thanks Darren, now that you have more time it would be awesome y you can create like workshops / sessions on how to manage the system so it works on your favor, I’m only been with the AAirline for +2 years and really want to know how to improve my QOL and pay, give it a thought 💭, I’m sure you would have a lot of clients willing to pay you for that piece of advice!
Awesome video! Question for you, if you have let’s say 5 years as a FO for your airline and transition to a CA, do you get paid as a first year CA or as a 5 year CA since you have a total time of 5 years in your airline?
Great question. At almost every airline out there it’s years of service at the airline. A 5 year FO on Airbus that bids CA 737 will get year 5 Captain pay. Same if they went to the 777 CA they get year 5 CA pay.
omg - look who showed up on my youtube feed powered by some AI BOT algorithm ... good seeing you again - used to share AM/PM standby with you on DFC before they closed DFC and moved all 47 planes to OFC - way back when... obviously you stayed and either flowed to AA or got hired to AA OTS don't know which... I bailed and have been a minion/banana DFW 320 captain for 11 years now. anyways good seeing you again. lol
Funny how feeds work. I stuck it out and got hired OTS by borderline stalking a recruiter for 3 years.
@@geekontheflightdeck good deal - watching your other video - i think you should stick with 777 FO until it makes upgrading to Captain gets you better QOL. go with QOL...
plus with all of the money pilots should be able to sock away into retirement. we start having IRMAA issues and RMD issues if the 17% company non-elective contribution is traditional. that's what im working on trying to reduce now since all of my airline's 401k employer contributions are traditional and not Roth.
as you say - first world problems.
being a CA is not all it cracked up to be - you get to deal with all of the FA drama... there is no amount of money that's worth having to deal with squabbling FAs...
i do enjoy being captain, but i try to fly as little as i can get away with and pocket the money. i could honestly just retire - so i'll just wait until the airline goes chapter 7 and be done with it.
If you are out of NYC, wouldn't you have to be on the hook for NY income taxes? That would eat any increases over DFW?
Good question ! But, i think your taxes are based on where you reside. for example, when he was commuting to Chicago, I'm sure he wasnt paying illinois rate income tax.
Taxes are where you live not based
@@geekontheflightdeck
Interesting. I have a nephew who is an app developer for a New York City based software company for the last 2 years. He lives in Vancouver Washington state (which has no income tax) he pays New York income taxes even though he only goes there once a quarter.
I thought the same but his CPA has him writing those checks to New York. 🤷
Thanks for the feedback!
I wonder if every pilot obsesses over this as much as you
What makes you think I obsess? It’s a video explaining a thought process. The whole point of the channel is showing various aspects of the career
Yes we do :)
I do a small version of this almost every month when the schedules come out, he’s pretty normal!
I stayed W FO for 18 hrs. Never thought I would NB Capt. I I did it not to commute. Miss it a bunch but the money is better . I went from 19-20 days off to 17 days off as a line holder.
I suggest you read an article by one of your colleagues at your airline that ended up there through two mergers after originally starting at AWE, His name is Eric Auxier and he wrote an article for the magazine Airways (March 2022) under the category/Left-seat Chronicles/ titled "Goeing Boeing: An Airbus A321 Captain Checks Out on the Boeing 777".
So now your with AA but was with United before....?
No. He was with an AA regional subsidiary.
@@enriqueosuna Yeah them Regional should be a crime... the FAA needs to stop with that million hour flight time BS requirement
I love the my hips don’t lie tag LOL. When I nonrev, and they throw me in the exit row immovable armrest seats, I tell them that’s not gonna work. I’ll take anywhere but that and bulkhead seats.
I will never stop seeing LGA as LGW/LondonGatwick for whatever reason…
As someone who is heading to one of legacies soon, I really appreciate you candor and diving into the numbers.
Most of the pilots I know started their own and made more money. Family and health were very important.
Thank you for making your videos Darren, I've been following you since the earlier days on TikTok, you were always one of my favorites and I'm glad you're on here now.
Thanks for making the trip over here and the kind words.
Are there some assumptions in here about the crew positions staying static? Like say for example, the network became more LAX heavy requiring less DFW pilots. Instead of 200 DFW 777 CPTs, there became a requirement of 150 DFW 777 CPTs, will that throw your numbers out?
It uses historical staffing levels. As in life there are no guarantees. I do live in the largest base and in the city where the airline is based so it can be viewed as more stable than a smaller base.
Is DFW overall a very senior base?
Generally yes. CLT and PHX are more senior
Non-pilot but your presentation was not only totally unique from the aviation perspective but thoroughly enjoyable. The ‘inside’ view was really interesting.
Thank you. I try to keep everything down to earth and not sensationalize anything.
Love these videos very informative!
The big imponderable in this is what “Kirkland Air” does in terms of fleet distribution and any type changes. More or less of say the 777 or A320 V’s 787 or 737 in DFW can change what works best. Same would apply if Boeing build a “mid market” aircraft, your company buys it and bases some of them in DFW. I guess all you can do is each bid window reassess your plan based on information correct at the time and don’t get upset if the plan changes .
One advantage I have is living in the largest hub. Every fleet is here. Other bases like CLT PHL BOS ORD PHX DCA have 1-3 aircraft. Any new aircraft would need negotiated pay rates of course.
If you were to go back in time and be able to have the same exact seniority on the 787 and 777 out of dfw which one would you choose? Plane, destination, and QOL/pay wise.
787. More destinations and more modern flight deck.
Great idea with the tie in the fridge Darren!
Thank you very much for the video, it was very interesting. A couple points: the A320 fleet at is AA is awful for the passengers, each of them I've been on have been worn out hand-me-downs from USAir.
How do you feel about the long term prospects of AA's 777 (and Boeing's support of the type) fleet for the next 20 years?
I just flew from phoenix to Dallas to New Orleans and back the same way over the last 2 days all on the A320-321, in first class and the seats all felt and looked brand new. The WiFi even worked on each flight which is not something I get to say too often.
I found this is a really interesting video and applaud you looking into all the details like this. Is a 20k monthly salary the norm for airline pilots?
At the mainline level yes that’s a normal pay. Thank you for the words.
Great Vid! For the quality of life I rather you remain a FO on a 777. That’s just my opinion.
Thank you.
Do a video on jet lag, body clock and how you feel during different pairings.
Thanks for the suggestion but that could be viewed in a negative way by multiple entities.
Quick question Darren,
With making over 20k a month, you’re in a tax bracket that gets hit pretty heavily. Do you do anything on the side to offset the tax hit, That you feel comfortable talking about?
First. Never take financial advice from a pilot. I have tried to find tax breaks like upgrading my stove to induction, heat pump water heater, solar panels and full home battery backup. Each cost money but also had a 30% tax credit.
The more you put into your 401(K) the more you reduce your taxable income, dollar for dollar!! Still your earnings, just put in a tax deferred vehicle for later and reduces your taxable income. Other investments you make with money out of your own pocket you could do tax deferred variable annuities and tax free municipal bonds. Another one that works too is the 529 college savings accounts. 37 year financial advisor here with my own firm.
Yep both kids have 529s
the normal HSA ($4150/8300 / year) , IRA (7000 / year) , 401k ($23000 / year)
but once you start making second-year airline pilot pay - your income excludes the ability to deduct IRA contributions and excludes the ability to make Roth IRA contributions, and Roth 401k contributions don't reduce taxable income.
you can put money into 529 - there is no federal tax deduction for 529s as money going into 529 is all post-tax. the tax advantage for 529s is that 529 distributions are tax free when withdrawn for education related expenses. if the beneficiary doesn't use all of the 529 money for education related expenses - then you can designate/transfer to another beneficiary or if the 529 is at least 15 years old - to keep the distributions tax free - you can roll over a lifetime maximum of $35k into the beneficiaries' Roth IRA up to the annual Roth contribution limit ($7000) - i.e. 5 years to rollover $35k from a 529 into the beneficiary's Roth IRA provided they have $7,000 of earned income that year.
@@siobhanmurphy6301 there are limits on 529 contributions and it varies state by state so you can’t do $108k each year. Most of them have limits between $100 and $200k in total. Like I said, depends on the states plans rule. Some states offer state tax deductions on contributions too. Also, in this guys case if he does the IRA while he is also doing his 401k, those will be non deductible contributions.
If I’ve learned one thing from this video, it’s that the pilots union is doing great thing for you and the other pilots. Wish other professions had the attention span to unionize
United has the best contract in the industry right now. It's not that way everywhere else.
Real cool jacket.
Another great video giving us insight into the life of a commercial pilot. Two questions: What happens if sometime in the 2030s your airline retires the 777s (772s will likely be gone by early 2030s and 77W perhaps a few years after that)? Does the seniority list just transfer over to 787-8/9 (and maybe -10) or do you have to redo all your calculations?
If a fleet is retired the pilots are displaced and have to find a new fleet based on what each pilot seniority can hold. There will likely be 1 for 1 replacements so it shouldn’t be a shock to the system.
@@geekontheflightdeck Got it, thanks!
777 is it.
Seeing the monetary amounts now I am crying cause I wanted to be a pilot but I am color blind
There are options. I’m not an expert but there’s a FAA Statement of Demonstrated Ability (SODA)
@@geekontheflightdeck This was back in the early 80s and we just had what was called the Ishihara Test. Back then you failed that it was one and done. Believe there is another test that always for a different wavier but I am too close to the mandatory retirement it isn't worth the money to learn.
You’ll be retiring the same year as me. When’s your birthday in March?
I’m now about to fly the B747 after turbo props for the last 2 decades 😁
March. I’m glad that works for you.
@@geekontheflightdeck 27th for me, but looks like you had a tougher paper round than me 😆
Paper Round?
Only you can make the choice of what's better for you and yours, but what does your wife say if you were to be based out of N. Y.? Always interesting and informative!!
She thinks I’d be crazy as I’d be paying for a crashpad or hotel and spend hours in jump seats.
Darren... I knew she must be looking at you thinking '' you lost your damn mind''🤣🤣
She does that often….. ha
777 FTW! 🎉
73 Capt! I know cockpit isn’t the best but QOL days w family and $ matters more
I would hate every day I went to work in a 737
@@geekontheflightdeck aww I kinda like it at least out of MIA 😂😂😂
Then again every CQ they tell us we’re a different airline down there 😂😂
@@geekontheflightdeck I guess you feel sorry for your colleagues at Southwest. Poor souls are stuck in that aircraft for their whole career. LOL
I am curious. When do you think you could ever hold DFW 787 F/O and DFW 787 CA?
787 FO now but seat locked. 787 CA would be 2036
@@geekontheflightdeckdo you wish you would have stayed airbus f/o for a few more vacancy bids until you could have held 787.
No. The current junior 787 DFW FOs all transferred in. I have zero desire to ever commute
lots of assumptions , hopefully no major economic shocks or fur-lows
There will always be economic shocks. Furloughs are rare but happen
Even now, at 53% systemwide...he's way too senior to be furloughed if there was one.
Do u wear a hat?
When I was a Captain yes
Canadian airline pilot here. I had to punch out of the video 11 mins in. Too depressing!
You are so depressed listening that you leave a message. Get outta here.
Totally kicking myself fornot pursuing this career when i was younger.
As an airline pilot, I can't believe you refer to yourself as a nerd or geek. You have a great responsible job which pays well.
I assume at thirty-nine you worked for another airline or were you a military pilot?
I don’t see the terms geek or nerd as a negative. I worked for a regional airline. I’m a civilian.
I don’t know…Why do you feel the need to discuss this with the world on TH-cam? There are 15000 other pilots at AA that are in your position that don’t feel the need to broadcast how much they make and what their seniority progression will be. You’re not doing yourself and your colleagues any favors by bragging on how much you are making right now….
It’s not bragging. It’s discussing a part of the career that many don’t understand. The pay is public. How is this causing an issue? What part is bragging by the way?
A day later. I didn’t think you’d reply. Have a better day.
YOU made the decision to take the 777 bid instead of the upgrade and now regret your choice. Man up and fix it instead of making video after video complaining about to. Making all pilots look bad thanks to you.
You’re an idiot.
Also. Block my channel. Why are you watching video after video? Man up and fix your TH-cam settings. Troll away now.