Skip to main content

Airline pilot scheduling: how does it work?

Many group members ask: what kind of schedule am I to expect once I get my dream airline pilot job? Well, here is some background information on that question. 
A pilot's schedule depends greatly on (1) seniority and (2) whether they are a commuter or not. 
The primary consideration for anything in an airline pilot's life is seniority. A pilot who is at the top of the seniority list can generally get whatever they want in terms of schedule, while a junior pilot will have little ability to gain desireable days off (weekends, holidays, family events, etc). 
At most major US or EU airlines, a large portion of the pilot group based in a particular city does not actually live in that city. For instance, a pilot may live in Minneapolis, MN, but be based in Houston, TX, or live in London, England, but be based in Madrid, Spain. Given some of the undesirable locations that airlines locate hubs, it is little wonder that upwards of 50% of pilots in some hubs choose to commute.
Pilots who commute generally will want to do multi-day trips, where they can arrive for work on one day, spend several days flying, and then commute home at the end of that trip. On the other hand, a pilot who lives in his base will often prefer to do day trips or turns, where they can spend every night at home. But again, seniorty will dictate whether a pilot will be able to get the type of trips desired. A junior pilot would be very unlikely to be scheduled for day trips that would allow him/her to be home every night.
Commuting for such trip purposes is called "jump-seating". It's always free of charge and available with many airlines, regardless of what airline a pilot works for. 
Pilots who work in Asia on contracts have a more flexible option of commuting: if a contract pilot's domicile is, let's say, Tel Aviv, Israel, and he wants to remain a resident at this domicile, pilot has an option to select such contract that will allow him retain Israeli residency. For example, many Chinese companies offer a month on / month off contract, with guaranteed business class commute to and from pilot's country of residence. Naturally, such contract will be offered with a 30% reduction in estimated annual pay, but is it a great option if a pilot does not want to live abroad full time. A good example is Air China Express, that offers commuter contracts at $180,000 per yet. 
To find out more, please sign up to visit our free seminar in Tel Aviv on August 4th.
Registration available here:
air-ferry.com/seminars

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Working as a pilot with Israeli passport? Challenge accepted.

Being an airline pilot may be a childhood dream for some of us. A dream that requires dedication, perseverance, and, sometimes, utter bullheadedness to achieve. But, the good news are: once flight training and initial internship phases are over, we can chose from many options of pilot employment. The salaries are high and rising. The employment conditions are great and getting even better. American and European passport holders have airline jobs-galore to chose from in the US and the EU; citizens of China and SE Asia have no issues getting employment in their regions; Middle Eastern countries have a major deficit of pilots as well. And Israelis... well, Israelis have a very different ballgame to play. Let’s talk about that. Israeli pilots will face a number of unique challenges, unique to Israeli citizens only. Airline pilot employment options in Israel are very limited: this small country does not have a lot of land, so all the airlines are focusing on flying internatio...
Post a Comment
Read more
Extraordinary demand for pilots in projected to dominate the aviation employment market until 2035, and possibly further.  As global economies expand and airlines take delivery of tens of thousands of new commercial jetliners over the next 20 years, there is extraordinary demand for people to fly and maintain these airplanes. To meet this tremendous growth, the 2016 Boeing Pilot and Technician Outlook forecasts that between now and 2035, the aviation industry will need to sup ply more than two million new aviation personnel—617,000 commercial airline pilots, 679,000 maintenance technicians, and 814,000 cabin crew. Meeting this demand will require innovative solutions — focused on educational outreach and career pipeline programs — to inspire the next generation of pilots, technicians, and cabin crew. New technologies, devices, and training methods will be needed to meet a wide range of learning styles. The growing diversity of aviation personnel will also require instructor...
Post a Comment
Read more