Thanks to the no-one-left-behind clause in their contract, Alaska Airlines pilots are getting a pay jump. On September 1, pilots get an 11.2% pay increase as Alaska keeps up with other major US airlines.
Captain Dave Mets, Alaska’s vice president of flight operations called the pay jump “another huge investment.” Mets announced to the airline’s pilots, “This fantastic news combined with our aircraft order book, future growth plans and industry leading financial strength and stability further solidifies your careers and your family’s long-term security.”
A Very Competitive Pay Jump
The Air Lines Pilots Association (ALPA) announced that they are pleased by the pay increase. Will McQuillen, the captain and the chair of ALPA’s Alaska unit called it a “very competitive” salary increase compared to other airlines.
Alaska Airlines was the first major airline to reach a deal with its pilot union last year. According to that three-year contract, pilots get boosted pay of up to 23%. To give you an idea, top-of-the-scale captain gets paid $306 per hour to fly.
By September 1 this year, instead of increasing to $318.24 per hour, it jumps to $340.25 per hour. This new wage ensures that senior captains get the same average as their peers flying Airbus A321neos and Boeing 731 Maxs from American, United, Delta, JetBlue, and Southwest.
Airlines Ratifying Contracts to Retain Pilots
Southwest is the only major airline that hasn’t ratified a new pilot contract. In January, JetBlue finalized a two-year contract extension that brings pilot pay to increase by 21.5% over 18 months. For Delta, the airline agreed to a pilot contract that gives pilots’ a 34% wage increase by 2026 in March.
In July, United Airlines’ pilot pay was set to to increase by 40% over four years based on their new contract. And just this month, similar to United, American agreed to boost its pilots’ pay by 40% over four years.
The pay hikes came at a time when pilots have the strongest bargaining power in negotiations. McQuillen said that “It is 100% a market that is very different than the one when I started this career in 1995.”
