Your very OBJECTIVE opinion please

[cynic]

Before our two paycuts and changes in the contract, it was not inconcieveable to make $80K a year flying six trip transatlantic and vacation fly-back.

What it used to be is irrelevant, what is the hourly rate now? Way too many people here focus on pay rates that are never coming back. Forget what it used to be and make the most out of what it is now and will be in the future.

 

[Twicebaked]

What it used to be is irrelevant, what is the hourly rate now? Way too many people here focus on pay rates that are never coming back. Forget what it used to be and make the most out of what it is now and will be in the future.

EXACTLY!!!!!!

 

[songbirdstew]

I would wait. Wait until the combined contracts have occurred. You have waited this much, what is a bit more? At least you can see where eveything is, pay wise and seniority wise.
This job is in my blood, but age is in my favor. I WILL ride this out, either way. That is not an option for eveyone. So chose wisely.
I do love the dumbness of my job...

I have to ask what waiting will do...even with a new joint contract it will never be what it used to be. In 1994 I made 18K more than I did last year. I know I will never see that again. Aside from that, it's taken 18+ months to negotiate just the small things in this joint contract---how much longer will it take ? " A bit more" waiting could be until 2012 when the East contract is up.

There are a lot of variables concerning the original poster we do not know.

1) Can you support just yourself or a family on your $1600 per month ? (That's $19,200 per year-ugh !)
2) What is your rent per month?
3) What did the other job pay that you had?
4) As the price of everything goes up a lot and perhaps w/ the new contract your salary will go up a little, will it be worth it ?
5) Does your salary enable you to do other things or just "live" with the bare necessities ?
6) Look at yourself 5 or 10 years down the road....realistically, things are not going to get all that better even w/ a new contract. We may fly to more places and get a few more days vacation. DH will be paid at 100% pay and credit but how much better can it actually get?
7) While you may not be able to fly for free at your other job, is the salary higher where you can just buy a ticket and know you'll have a seat instead of trying to j/s, passride, etc?

I guess what I'm asking is what do you feel your self worth is ? Are you worth what they pay you here ? My guess is no....you are worth much more. This industry has gone SO far down hill and it's very sad. I truly love my job but dislike where my job has gone so I will be leaving in the next 1-2 years. New contract or not.....
How can this industry tell me that in 1994 I was worth so much more then in 2006/2007. We should all be paid double since what happened on 9/11. We are the first line of defense against terrorists in the air if we don't have any FAMs onboard and look at the way we are treated. We are told in letters/CBS messages from the company how great we are but their actions speak louder than words.
My fellow employees here at USAirways are my family, not this management and I will stay in touch with those I have formed bounds with over the years when I leave. You can do the same but leave all this craziness behind and go get paid what your worth where you can feed your self, afford to put gas in your car and not live paycheck to paycheck. Just my two cents...Good Luck !

 

[Informed1]

There are a lot of variables concerning the original poster we do not know.

1) Can you support just yourself or a family on your $1600 per month ? (That's $19,200 per year-ugh !)
2) What is your rent per month?
3) What did the other job pay that you had?
4) As the price of everything goes up a lot and perhaps w/ the new contract your salary will go up a little, will it be worth it ?
5) Does your salary enable you to do other things or just "live" with the bare necessities ?
6) Look at yourself 5 or 10 years down the road....realistically, things are not going to get all that better even w/ a new contract. We may fly to more places and get a few more days vacation. DH will be paid at 100% pay and credit but how much better can it actually get?
7) While you may not be able to fly for free at your other job, is the salary higher where you can just buy a ticket and know you'll have a seat instead of trying to j/s, passride, etc?


You hit the nail on the head with your questions and the reason I am struggling with this. I am living on the $1600.00 per month, but there is absolutely nothing extra. No more going out to dinner, no more descretionary spending. My spouse makes good money (as a flight attendant at another airline...but it is what it is). So even though $1600.00 does not pay our mortgage in PHL, the gap is filled by the other paycheck. The other job, which I can go back to, pays $1600 per WEEK. The reality is I'm stuck on the money issue, I know I will never be rich as a flight attendant but the other job does not allow me to wake up and eat dinner in a different place every day. It also does not allow me to work with so many different people (sometimes a bad thing, but for the most part a good). I dream of what this could be as a block holder. It seems like a totally different life and even with pay cuts the block holders still make a decent income. It is the career reserve that makes the future so hard. Okay, i'm rambling now...thank you to everyone for your feedback.

 

[Harry Callahan]

1600.00 per week vs 1600.00 per month.....no need of the question imo.

 

[FlightChic]

1600.00 per week vs 1600.00 per month.....no need of the question imo.

Informed, if I were you I wouldn't walk away from this place, I would run! You'll be better off being away from US Airways. It is a lot of fun and much easier and less stressful than working in the real world, but there is no future here.

 

[songbirdstew]

There are a lot of variables concerning the original poster we do not know.

1) Can you support just yourself or a family on your $1600 per month ? (That's $19,200 per year-ugh !)
2) What is your rent per month?
3) What did the other job pay that you had?
4) As the price of everything goes up a lot and perhaps w/ the new contract your salary will go up a little, will it be worth it ?
5) Does your salary enable you to do other things or just "live" with the bare necessities ?
6) Look at yourself 5 or 10 years down the road....realistically, things are not going to get all that better even w/ a new contract. We may fly to more places and get a few more days vacation. DH will be paid at 100% pay and credit but how much better can it actually get?
7) While you may not be able to fly for free at your other job, is the salary higher where you can just buy a ticket and know you'll have a seat instead of trying to j/s, passride, etc?
You hit the nail on the head with your questions and the reason I am struggling with this. I am living on the $1600.00 per month, but there is absolutely nothing extra. No more going out to dinner, no more descretionary spending. My spouse makes good money (as a flight attendant at another airline...but it is what it is). So even though $1600.00 does not pay our mortgage in PHL, the gap is filled by the other paycheck. The other job, which I can go back to, pays $1600 per WEEK. The reality is I'm stuck on the money issue, I know I will never be rich as a flight attendant but the other job does not allow me to wake up and eat dinner in a different place every day. It also does not allow me to work with so many different people (sometimes a bad thing, but for the most part a good). I dream of what this could be as a block holder. It seems like a totally different life and even with pay cuts the block holders still make a decent income. It is the career reserve that makes the future so hard. Okay, i'm rambling now...thank you to everyone for your feedback.

If your wife lost her job, would you be able to pay your mortgage on what you make here ? As you state above, the other paycheck fills in so that answer is no. Go back and read what you wrote above and you will know the answer. Run away from here to the job that is secure but perhaps not as much fun. I know what you mean about not having the same flexibility with another job vs. this one. I dread when I make my career move in 1-2 years working with the same people day in and day out. However the security of knowing that iwll have a job at the end of the day will make it worth it. I have been here 21 years and out of that time only two of those years did I not worry about if I would have a job in 6 months the way this company is run. When I bought my first house, I wondered if I was doing the right thing, when I needed a new car, I wondered if I could really afford it. I worried, worried, worried and it's because of being in this industry. I've had some of the best times of my life here but the stress has been like a vortex...everytime you think your heads above water and you're swimming to shore, something else happens and it's you're sucked back in, it's drained so many of us.....
Think of it this way...you can always come back and reapply after you retire and then fly off into the sunset. Until then, I would go get that other job and live vicariously through your F/A wife knowing that you can take care of your family if she loses her job. Now I've started rambling !!! Good luck !

 

[FlightChic]

Aside from some that commute, I never hear block holders complain about not making their bills. :down:

That's true. Of course, I often hear BHs complain about being tired because they are flying 130 hours a month. Yikes!

 

[PITbull]

I'm looking for very objective opinions from current east flight attendants. My story, a very short one that I am not going to fluff because we all know what it is really like, is this;

I was furloughed for 3 years. I could not wait to return to the line and got recalled in June 2006. I have been flying since and have found out that this job has definetly changed and is in no way the same as it used to be. The only resemblance to the old US is the paint job and interior of the aircraft. Prior to returning I had a pretty good job that I was lucky enough to find while furloughed. The job is in a growing field that yields job security and a good pay check. I gave it up because US Airways, its people, and aviation in general "was in my blood". We all know once that happens you never get rid of it. So I came back. I have been on reserve, and will be for years to come. My lifestyle changed from one where I have total control of everything, to waiting by the phone for scheduling and collecting, if lucky, $1600.00 a month. My dilema is this, should I quit now and go back to that job or does anyone think there is a future here? I understand that it is MY decision. But I am not able to be objective about it because my emmotions are involved here. I spent my whole life wanting to be a flight attendant for US! Now I need to decide if the rest of that life will be worse with US or better. Does anyone have any insight? And please, I am asking for objective advice not criticism.

I miss the folks I worked with, but in no way do I regret the decision to leave the airline industry after 25 years. Not for MANY folks who have decided to leave... is it not in the blood as some kind of toxic chemical addiction you can't do without. With fuel prices heading closer to $90-100 a barrel, management in the industry will use every excuse in the world to keep labor wages lower than most industries threshold for survival. Be smart.

If anything...everyone in the industry enduring the current climate of the industry should be taking advantage of any opportunity for reeducation and sacrificing the time no matter what. First priority... make a commitment....SECURE THY SELF!!!

 

[USCREW]

What it used to be is irrelevant, what is the hourly rate now? Way too many people here focus on pay rates that are never coming back. Forget what it used to be and make the most out of what it is now and will be in the future.

It depends on your seniority....My hourly rate is $37.97 base pay. We'll never see $50.00 again, I'm sure.

 

[PITbull]

It depends on your seniority....My hourly rate is $37.97 base pay. We'll never see $50.00 again, I'm sure.

It's more like $37.57 last time I was on campus. And it's not going to change until way after amendable date of Jan 2013. I've been gone almost 2 years, and the real issues of wages and benefits aren't even closely being discussed, let alone negotiated. The company will drag their feet until way beyond amendable date. And all of you who plan to stay need to prepare for a possible strike. The company will never budge without a damn big FIGHT on their hands.

Do you guys have the balls??? Does your leadership????? If you are inclined to hesitate....don't stick around...there is no sound financial future for the individual worker...UNLESS YOU ARE A TOP EXECUTIVE.

 

[avion]

i love it when i work baggage service and take a tye 22 and take it behind me and wiggle my arse back and forth and go though the airport termnial to bring that bag to another company and ignore everyone else and the folks i work with everyday at the airport and cant stop laughing ....wiggle wiggle put your face up in the air.. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO you are better than the rest... WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo. i just cant imagine what you airline folks inflight are on the same shuttle bus... WE Customer service folks who by the way are in the same union CWA/AFA i would put you to shame

 

[john john]

And it's not going to change until way after amendable date of Jan 2013. I've been gone almost 2 years, and the real issues of wages and benefits aren't even closely being discussed, let alone negotiated. The company will drag their feet until way beyond amendable date. And all of you who plan to stay need to prepare for a possible strike. The company will never budge without a damn big FIGHT on their hands.
Do you guys have the balls??? Does your leadership????? If you are inclined to hesitate....don't stick around...there is no sound financial future for the individual worker...UNLESS YOU ARE A TOP EXECUTIVE.

This message for one of the great union leaders in the airline industry is what every union member should be asking there self. Sorry Tempe and the west weren’t around to experience PITbull

 

[flybynite]

I'm looking for very objective opinions from current east flight attendants. My story, a very short one that I am not going to fluff because we all know what it is really like, is this;

I was furloughed for 3 years. I could not wait to return to the line and got recalled in June 2006. I have been flying since and have found out that this job has definetly changed and is in no way the same as it used to be. The only resemblance to the old US is the paint job and interior of the aircraft. Prior to returning I had a pretty good job that I was lucky enough to find while furloughed. The job is in a growing field that yields job security and a good pay check. I gave it up because US Airways, its people, and aviation in general "was in my blood". We all know once that happens you never get rid of it. So I came back. I have been on reserve, and will be for years to come. My lifestyle changed from one where I have total control of everything, to waiting by the phone for scheduling and collecting, if lucky, $1600.00 a month. My dilema is this, should I quit now and go back to that job or does anyone think there is a future here? I understand that it is MY decision. But I am not able to be objective about it because my emmotions are involved here. I spent my whole life wanting to be a flight attendant for US! Now I need to decide if the rest of that life will be worse with US or better. Does anyone have any insight? And please, I am asking for objective advice not criticism.

If you can go back to your old job...do it. And never look back. Do not get it in your head that things are going to get better. It's not.

If you want to be a flight attendant....go work for Southwest. They are the best paying in the industry and they treat you like a human being.

We have had a lot of people that have gone to work for them and they are happy as clams. I think they are hiring.

Good luck to you!!

 

[USCREW]

If you can go back to your old job...do it. And never look back. Do not get it in your head that things are going to get better. It's not.

If you want to be a flight attendant....go work for Southwest. They are the best paying in the industry and they treat you like a human being.

We have had a lot of people that have gone to work for them and they are happy as clams. I think they are hiring.

Good luck to you!!

I also know of people who hated it and quit! One is Robert B. (ex-supervisor in PHL, you know--the one who skates with the Ice Capades)? Anyway, you could still go to an open-house for a better feel...