I received this today. It's by a UAL captain, but it surely applies to USAirways management and the industry in general.
The US Aviation Message Boards doesn't really have a forum that covers topics of general interest to all carriers. It's a pity. The "Water Cooler" is "everything BUT aviation."
So, I post this here even though it is "universal" in its nature, simply because it needs to be read:
United Airlines Captain retirement letter:
Well , The good news is, Today I officially Retire from United Airlines and
I was hired last week for a Service Advisor job in the automotive division
of Sears (which is the first real job I had while going to college and loved
it and it's what I want to do in my old age)--pay is good and it includes
full medical, dental, 401k & profit sharing---should be more than enough even
without the retirement money---may still consider the same line of work at a
regular dealership at some point, covering my six for now---- I'll be home
every night---no more check rides--no FEDS or commuters on my jump seat
taking up my office space---no more 25% PENALTY for being legitimately
sick---no more scum bag hotels---no more old b*#$hy flight attendants-- -no
more 14 hour duty days with 10 hour layovers---no more drafting my butt
downline to fly the remains of somebody else's trip because they can't staff
the airline correctly--- no more zero/zero approaches into blinding
thunderstorms or blizzards--no more strip searches at the security
checkpoints by high school drop-outs ( my I.D. means nothing )--no more
subway sandwiches at the airport served by Somalis that can never get my
order right. Can't sit down and have a hot meal between legs at a nice
restaurant cause there's not enough time---no more missed recitals,
birthdays or holidays---no more 3:30 am (body clock) wakeup calls on the
east coast--no more number 20 for take off behind 18 little regional jets at
LaGuardia--- no more company bus rides from the employee lot in machines,
where either the rear door doesn't work or the A.C. or heat is out of
order---no more "fear and intimidation style management" to live under( the
head honcho of the Sears store actually gave me the second and final
interview (not normal) " he actually wanted to meet me" and said I should
consider a position in management with my credentials and philosophies about
how I believe people should be treated and that he was really happy to see
someone like me consider a position with his company ..he told me I would be
an asset to any organization, unlike my current employer, that has always
"behind the scenes" regarded me and my peers as liabilities and prima
donnas..go figure ! I'm not unique.
Most Pilots at this point still fit the same mold. Unfortunately that mold
is slowly and methodically being reshaped by corporate robber barons into
something they can shackle to a Yoke and, who they hope, will never question
the methods to their madness.
The more I re-read this e-mail, the more I wonder why it has taken me so
long to come to this decision to hang up flying---oh yeh, it's cause I
couldn't touch my retirement money till now, penalty free....I'm finally
ready for the simpler life with considerably less stress.
It use to be that the Airline rewarded us for all these little
inconveniences we take for granted and the time we spend away from home and
family that was part of our daily lives in this profession. We made good
money, had considerable time off and the benefits were to brag about. That is
no longer the case. My Plumber makes more a year now than I do. His labor
rate alone is $95.00/hr when he set my kitchen sink last May and he's a high
school drop out. His yearly salary is based on a 160 hour work month (40 a
week) --My $93.00/hr and annual salary is based on an 80 hour month (hard
time in the air) which doesn't include all the on duty and time I am away
from home.
I suspect the New Airline Pilot of the future will probably be one of those
kids you remember in high school that got out of classes on a 2:30pm work
permit to go learn a trade because they weren't particularly bright. Of
course he'll have to be on some kind of Government program to pay for his
training. There's no way he'll be able to come up with the $100,000.00 in
flight training costs to get his licences, and you'll never see another
Military Pilot leave the armed forces for an Air Carrier position where it
will take almost his entire career to reach the salary he left behind at his
Military job. I would not recommend this profession anymore to anyone I
really cared about. My guess is the Airline industry will have to lower
their Standards as well as their requirements as the airplanes get more
automated (the FAA will agree) if they're gonna get any applicants. Let the
buyer beware when he takes his next airplane ride in the future.
I have absolutely no regrets about getting out while the getting is good. I
use to love my job and the adventure that every trip brought. It's just no
fun going to work anymore. It's all about quality of life ---unfortunately,
you don't figure that out till you're on the back side of the clock in most
careers and in the Big Scheme of things, approaching your own ultimate
demise. Life is really too short to devote one extra minute of your time to
a company as well as a profession that is not everything you had hoped for,
I'm baffled trying to think of another industry that has so brutally passed
on the increased costs of doing business to their employees rather than
their customers. Even my garbage man is charging a surcharge for fuel to me
rather than rape his employees.
I'm out - a - here.......CS
ps: I will forward a short movie to some of you of my United Uniform going
up in smoke so no terrorist can ever use it. My Eastern Airlines uniform and
my Navy uniform still hang proudly in my closet.....
The US Aviation Message Boards doesn't really have a forum that covers topics of general interest to all carriers. It's a pity. The "Water Cooler" is "everything BUT aviation."
So, I post this here even though it is "universal" in its nature, simply because it needs to be read:
United Airlines Captain retirement letter:
Well , The good news is, Today I officially Retire from United Airlines and
I was hired last week for a Service Advisor job in the automotive division
of Sears (which is the first real job I had while going to college and loved
it and it's what I want to do in my old age)--pay is good and it includes
full medical, dental, 401k & profit sharing---should be more than enough even
without the retirement money---may still consider the same line of work at a
regular dealership at some point, covering my six for now---- I'll be home
every night---no more check rides--no FEDS or commuters on my jump seat
taking up my office space---no more 25% PENALTY for being legitimately
sick---no more scum bag hotels---no more old b*#$hy flight attendants-- -no
more 14 hour duty days with 10 hour layovers---no more drafting my butt
downline to fly the remains of somebody else's trip because they can't staff
the airline correctly--- no more zero/zero approaches into blinding
thunderstorms or blizzards--no more strip searches at the security
checkpoints by high school drop-outs ( my I.D. means nothing )--no more
subway sandwiches at the airport served by Somalis that can never get my
order right. Can't sit down and have a hot meal between legs at a nice
restaurant cause there's not enough time---no more missed recitals,
birthdays or holidays---no more 3:30 am (body clock) wakeup calls on the
east coast--no more number 20 for take off behind 18 little regional jets at
LaGuardia--- no more company bus rides from the employee lot in machines,
where either the rear door doesn't work or the A.C. or heat is out of
order---no more "fear and intimidation style management" to live under( the
head honcho of the Sears store actually gave me the second and final
interview (not normal) " he actually wanted to meet me" and said I should
consider a position in management with my credentials and philosophies about
how I believe people should be treated and that he was really happy to see
someone like me consider a position with his company ..he told me I would be
an asset to any organization, unlike my current employer, that has always
"behind the scenes" regarded me and my peers as liabilities and prima
donnas..go figure ! I'm not unique.
Most Pilots at this point still fit the same mold. Unfortunately that mold
is slowly and methodically being reshaped by corporate robber barons into
something they can shackle to a Yoke and, who they hope, will never question
the methods to their madness.
The more I re-read this e-mail, the more I wonder why it has taken me so
long to come to this decision to hang up flying---oh yeh, it's cause I
couldn't touch my retirement money till now, penalty free....I'm finally
ready for the simpler life with considerably less stress.
It use to be that the Airline rewarded us for all these little
inconveniences we take for granted and the time we spend away from home and
family that was part of our daily lives in this profession. We made good
money, had considerable time off and the benefits were to brag about. That is
no longer the case. My Plumber makes more a year now than I do. His labor
rate alone is $95.00/hr when he set my kitchen sink last May and he's a high
school drop out. His yearly salary is based on a 160 hour work month (40 a
week) --My $93.00/hr and annual salary is based on an 80 hour month (hard
time in the air) which doesn't include all the on duty and time I am away
from home.
I suspect the New Airline Pilot of the future will probably be one of those
kids you remember in high school that got out of classes on a 2:30pm work
permit to go learn a trade because they weren't particularly bright. Of
course he'll have to be on some kind of Government program to pay for his
training. There's no way he'll be able to come up with the $100,000.00 in
flight training costs to get his licences, and you'll never see another
Military Pilot leave the armed forces for an Air Carrier position where it
will take almost his entire career to reach the salary he left behind at his
Military job. I would not recommend this profession anymore to anyone I
really cared about. My guess is the Airline industry will have to lower
their Standards as well as their requirements as the airplanes get more
automated (the FAA will agree) if they're gonna get any applicants. Let the
buyer beware when he takes his next airplane ride in the future.
I have absolutely no regrets about getting out while the getting is good. I
use to love my job and the adventure that every trip brought. It's just no
fun going to work anymore. It's all about quality of life ---unfortunately,
you don't figure that out till you're on the back side of the clock in most
careers and in the Big Scheme of things, approaching your own ultimate
demise. Life is really too short to devote one extra minute of your time to
a company as well as a profession that is not everything you had hoped for,
I'm baffled trying to think of another industry that has so brutally passed
on the increased costs of doing business to their employees rather than
their customers. Even my garbage man is charging a surcharge for fuel to me
rather than rape his employees.
I'm out - a - here.......CS
ps: I will forward a short movie to some of you of my United Uniform going
up in smoke so no terrorist can ever use it. My Eastern Airlines uniform and
my Navy uniform still hang proudly in my closet.....
