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Plane Answers: The Frontline episode regional airlines don't want you to see
I've always been a big fan of PBS's Frontline. It's obvious that they study a subject before they report on it. And as any pilot knows, that can be a rarity in the often hyped television coverage of the airline industry. Frontline has tackled specific airline subjects in the past and I've always found them to be accurate and insightful. I'm looking forward to the episode tonight called "Flying Cheap" that may just expose the disparity in pay and working conditions at the regional airlines.
Major airlines have long used separate carriers as a firewall of deniability while playing them off each other to secure the lowest bid. They control the scheduling of these companies, but leave the maintenance and operational responsibility to the regional.
A few carriers, such as Delta and American wholly own and have control over their regionals, but they still contract with other small airlines to some extent.
After the response from last week's Plane Answers about the NTSB reaction to the Colgan 3407 accident in Buffalo, it will be interesting to see if this PBS Frontline episode spurs enough public interest to cause some changes. PBS has provided an eleven minute excerpt below of the show that may give you an idea of what direction the program is taking tonight.
From the Frontline press release:
In "Flying Cheap," FRONTLINE investigates the deadly airline crash of Continental 3407 in Buffalo, NY, and what the crash reveals about dramatic changes in the airline industry. The rise of the regionals and arrival of low-cost carriers have been a huge boon to consumers, and the industry insists that the skies remain safe. But many insiders are worried that now, 30 years after airline deregulation, the aviation system is being stretched beyond its capacity to deliver service that is both cheap and safe.
Frontline examines the rise of low-cost regional carriers-who now account for more than half of all domestic US flights-and asks: Is the aviation system being stretched beyond its capacity to deliver cheap, safe service? Watch on air and online beginning Tuesday, February 9 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).
In the eleven minute excerpt from tonights program, there's a gem of a quote from Roger Cohen of the Regional Airline Association, the group that lobbies on behalf of these smaller carriers involved in code sharing.
When confronted with the low pay and how it represents an untenable economic position for the junior pilots, Roger, who looks like he recently came back from an extended Caribbean vacation, defends regional pilot pay with this:
"I just checked the web this morning-you can get a hotel room near the Newark airport for $50 a night." He proudly claims.
Roger doesn't realize that, at $21,000, this would represent between 20% of a line-holder and 50% of a reserve pilot's potential take-home pay. At these rates, even a crash pad looks too expensive and the crew lounge becomes far more tempting.
I had to run some numbers. On a typical one hour and fifteen minute flight, a Dash 8 burns $2,900 worth of fuel. A copilot in his fifth year at Colgan earns $29 an hour, or $36.25 on that flight. (Source: Airlinepilotcentral.com) Maybe it's time to rethink that pay scale. Management doesn't realize that if they gave this pilot the tools (and incentive) to fly just 1% more efficiently, they could nearly double that copilot's salary.
But that just touches on pay. Be sure to watch the excerpt below to catch a VP of operations at a regional that comes up with an innovative way to falsify records in order to get a pilot to fly past his FAA mandated sixteen hour duty day:
While not every regional airline pilot earns these kind of wages or flies with this kind of pressure, tonight's episode just might highlight a few companies that have been driving the pay and working conditions lower for much of the industry. Every pilot I know will be watching. But maybe passengers should take a look at this, as well.
UPDATE:
PBS has posted the entire Frontline episode, "Flying Cheap" online to view here.
Do you have a question about something related to the pointy end of an airplane? Ask Kent and maybe he'll use it for the next Plane Answer's Plane Answers. Check out his other blog, Cockpit Chronicles and travel along with him at work. Twitter @veryjr
Filed under: Airlines, Plane Answers
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)
Ron Feb 10th 2010 9:43AM
It WILL take more accidents to convince me that there is an inherent safety issue. It is thoroughly investigated.
Would making a CEO risk going to jail mean that pilots would never crash, ever? No. It would mean no one would be a CEO unless their pay was REALLY REALLY high to justify the risk.
They have lower qualified people than major carriers do. It only makes sense that a plane carrying hundreds of people is more important than a plane with less than 30. Everybody starts somewhere. It's always someone's first day, or first decade. Should we demand compulsory military service for all commercial pilots so that they get "experience"? Then we'd complain that there wasn't enough experience in that type of airplane. Or have a myriad of other complaints.
People do try to save money on plane tickets (but probably not $20 considering other factors). Then again, the regional ticket is often MORE expensive than driving several hundred miles to a hub and taking Southwest. And it's business travelers not that concerned over price on the regionals often times. So, that doesn't entirely hold true.
Even if you guaranteed every pilot $100,000, that would not eliminate pilot error or people flying tired or sick.
And if more expensive pilots are mandated, does anyone honestly think that there wouldn't be more pressure to fly in worse and worse weather or do other unsafe things based on making money?
The pilots die too in a bad crash. I doubt they want to. This accident was pilot error. Whether it was caused by fatigue, inexperience, or whatever, it's still up to pilots to fly the correctly. No amount of regulation changes that fact. It sounds like their whole lives need to revolve around making good decisions to fly. If they're not capable of that, then they shouldn't be in it. That means getting enough rest. In my opinion, this falls on the pilots to be responsible, and not really on the carrier. The "carrier" doesn't fly the plane. No safeguard or better pay or whatever expect grounding all planes or making them fly themselves takes a pilot out of the cockpit.
EHK Feb 10th 2010 11:00AM
Ron: some of what you say is true, but I went through a period of frequent flying around a US for a job I had. You just have to talk to the crews on regionals to hear from them how crazy their work situation really is. Surely you can agree that scheduling can improved so people can rest, people can be put on salary not wages which will allow more training time and planes can stay put on the ground when they aren't ready to fly. I have had more than a few trips take off in bad weather in a turboprop and in fact I have asked to get off planes twice since I didn't think it was safe to fly in the weather conditions. My brother, also a frequent flyer, once heard a sound during the boarding that was not normal and got the AA pilot to come back and listen. After some checking, the flight was cancelled. I would rather be delayed than dead.
The FAA is not capable of doing more for safety due to budget and counterpressure as reported in Frontline. If they grounded Colgan, don't you think those safety standards would be met/fixed real fast? The FAA is too conflicted to be an effective regulator and not all regionals are the same. I did not find this Frontline leftist at all - in fact the interviewer asked the questions and let people answer without cutting them off. If one is a savvy consumer and an experienced passenger, you can draw your own inferences from the answers given.
Jim Feb 10th 2010 11:34AM
Ron:
The regional pilot is expected to guarantee the safety of his passengers with his life, but is paid very little. The major airline CEO refuses to guarantee the safety of his code-sharing passengers UNLESS HE IS PAID VERY BIG BUCKS. His life is never at stake. What's wrong with this picture?
sam Feb 10th 2010 6:32AM
I have to say my impression of the Frontline group are much different than that of Mr. Wien. I find their shows very left wing biased, and and very untrustworthy
mark turner Feb 10th 2010 6:43AM
Even Abu the Terrorist is afraid to fly after seeing this.
Steve Feb 10th 2010 8:21AM
Flying is an option, so if you want to see the airlines go belly up, just get in your car the next time you drive to Florida etc.. Actually, with the type of internal controls over the physical safety checks, I really don't trust the airlines at all. Their priority is money first safety last. They feel that if the pilot is willing to fly then the plane must be safe. They lay it all on the pilot as a rationalization. Does the public really think that the airline executives are wrestling with their conscience. They are just thinking about their own stomach and what tie to wear that day. That's how far their vision reaches. Who cares about them and their business? I feel like such a sheep at the airport as well as a sitting duck waiting for some subhuman to commit a terrorist act. At the security check in, I have no confidence in the people working there. They look like the same level of marginally skilled workers you'd see at Burger King yet, your life depends on them.
walkerhds Feb 10th 2010 8:53AM
"That is why we never fly on Delta Northwest Airways. Too much outsourseing and friction against their employees with their lockouts and outsoursed employee mechaics. We always fly AirTran Airlines. Its great."
this is the second time you posted this Judy. Do you read the articles, or are you just a 'bot that crawls the web looking for airline stories? This time it's about regional carriers, the next it's about blankets on American being sold for $8. Neither of these stories has one thing to do with Delta/Northwest. If you want to look like an idiot, please keep demonstrating your reading/comprehension skills like this.
Janny09 Feb 10th 2010 9:33AM
Frontline is one of the few programs that offers intelligent people facts not fiction. I have flown all over the world, on every kind of plane existing at that time. I have talked to people who own aircraft part manufacturing plants and small businesses who also made parts. What they had to say, frightened me badly. To save money, Airlines use the 737's (Southwest) which are forty years old and every airline company is scrounging 24/7 for airplane parts. We are flying in buckets of bolts, people and it is only a miracle that planes aren't falling out of the sky these days. When we read about pilots being intoxicated or asleep in the cockpits, it is even more frightening. Before 9/11 I used to sit in my aisle seat and look straight down the aisle and into the cockpit! The door was wide open people! That used to scare me! I don't fly anymore, I think there has to be a big major accident for Congressional investigation and changes. It makes common sense to realize that airline companies are going broke and using damaged parts and their fingers crossed when the plane takes off. Roll the dice they say and let's see if we can get from point A to point B. Passengers are only collateral.
k6185 Feb 10th 2010 10:10AM
ATTN. ''Janny09 " Yes , there are some old "737's " in service, however "SOUTHWEST '' uses the " 737 ' model " 700 ", which is next to the newest version in service . Believe they are between 1-5 years old. They are no longer in production as the new model " 800" is coming on line.
Ed Feb 10th 2010 10:10AM
The problem is we Americans are the biggest hypocrites when it comes to this issue. We want instant gratification at the lowest cost. If we demanded that Americans be hired for menial jobs like picking up tomatoes or lettuce, or do landscaping, at a fair hourly-rate, lots of people would be out of the unemployment ranks. However, nobody wants to pay a dollar more for that head of lettuce or a fair wage to hire a landscaper or painter.
That's why illegal immigration has no end - they do the job at a ridiculous low rate and with a wink-and-a-nod we hire them. And then we complain because they tax are public system and emergency rooms.
The same goes with airlines. The American public frown on government subsidies to keep the airline industry safe and sound (unlike European carriers that receive million of dollars in government support, delivering a good service and employees are well-paid), yet they bitch and complain when the airlines do not deliver a good product. God forbids you charge me 25 bucks for my luggage! 6 dollars for a turkey sandwich?
We keep Wal-Mart afloat because we want cheap prices. The result? You have in their ranks a mass of discontented employees hardly making any money so you can get your Great Value products at rock-bottom prices.
I'll love to see mercenary airlines like Colgan, Trans States or Chautauqua go under, but the pressure from the American public to keep air service to every podunk in this great land keeps that from happening. We want cheap airfares?
Well, the regional carriers are the answer, like it or not.
bobbiexr Feb 10th 2010 10:20AM
What about those two nitwits who were on their laptos while flying the comercial airliner and MISSED the airport?
Lon Horiuchi V Feb 10th 2010 1:07PM
I've wondered whether the "heated" discussion they reported having is more accurately described as "flaming" and whether being on their own "laptops" is more accurately described as "each-others' laptops".
dstack9781 Feb 10th 2010 10:27AM
I would be very concerned about a pilot flying the plane I'm on earning less than what I received for unemployment....
ken Feb 10th 2010 11:09AM
My daughter flew 1 year with a German airline, and she also was one of those who worked long days but got little pay. It was. be there early, get things ready, take care of passengers, and then they rolled back the plan and the pay started. Then too, the pay stopped once the plane got to the gate. It is true, people could put in 18 hour days and only be paid for 8 or less.
Tammy Feb 10th 2010 2:14PM
My husband flew for the regionals back in the 90s and has been with a major for the last 14 years. When he heard that some of the pilots were flying with 400-500 hours, he was appalled. He had to have at least 1500 hours to get hired at a regional back in the day. He said there is no way he would have felt safe to fly the types of airplanes they are flying with those hours. Our 15-year-old son told his dad he wants to be a pilot and my husband has convinced him to move in a different direction. Sadly, I believe this is true of most pilots today. The profession has changed so much over the years. Pilots are no longer respected as professionals, but seen as taxi drivers and paid accordingly. As the Frontline article noted, people want to think their pilots are all like Sullenberger (who landed the plane on the Hudson), but pilots with that kind of experience are expensive, and the bottom line is, the vast majority of people believe a cheap ticket is worth the risk.
Zoe Feb 11th 2010 9:16AM
The number of hours needed for hiring pilots is a matter of supply and demand. It has always fluctuated.
pete Feb 10th 2010 12:23PM
> PBS's Frontline. It's obvious that they study a subject before they report on it.<
As far as that statement goes, it is the truth.
It should be continued to inform readers that after the "study" part is done, they cherry pick what they air in order to make the biggest splash and garner the highest ratings, no matter how misleading or harmful it may be.
In the 1970's I drove a moving man. They did a story on how some drivers are dishonest. The whole program was about ONE driver and how he did things, but was spun to a point that made it seem that every mover you came across was an outright theif.
The crew I worked with lost so much business after that program that we ended up closing the doors.
Oh, by the way, we were paid $4.00 per hour whether we worked 2 hours or 22 hours, and our boss AWAYS told us how long we had to do each job.
snoel Feb 10th 2010 11:31AM
Railroads firewall too. One company owns the trains and a different one owns the track.
Bob Feb 10th 2010 11:49AM
There are several factors that come into play when operating any type of aviation business model. From the start, safety should always be the number one consideration.
When the mainline carriers seek operating partnerships with Regionals, they look for lowest cost of operation. When a mainline carrier shares revenue with a Regional, that is the signal for the Regionals to provide the lowest cost of operation when quoting to gain a partneship.
Let us talk airline culture for a moment. We have witnessed some of the poorest customer service over the past 36 months with the mainline carriers. Management does not see anything wrong with holding a full plane of passengers and crew on the ramp for 2-8 hours. I hope you get the picture here.
When it comes to piloting aircraft, all pilots start at the bottom and work their way up. As you build flight time and gain experience, a pilot earns their way to bigger and faster aircraft. Even the internet will not change this.
Back to culture......Airline crew operating manuals should state that all crew members shall be fit to fly the aircraft. This is also covered in the Federal Aviation Regulations.
AND......airline management should not find fault when a crew member calls off sick. There should be no grounds for employment release when a crew member is sick.
Perhaps the management at the Regionals requires some review and/or regulatory process. There should be no pressure applied to any flightcrew member to operate an aircraft if they are not up to the task.
If the airline industry does not begin to take stronger ownership of their operating guidelines and procedures, perhaps we need the regulatory process to help out.
Do you remember the days of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB)? Do you remember when Congress had enough of the complaints from the public? Do you remember when the CAB created the CAB Consumer Advocate Office so that the flying public had a place to go and get action?
Perhaps we need to revisit this area with a more modern process if the airlines are not willing to step up to the plate.
Have you ever heard the crew cockpit discussion when an aircraft is on final approach during poor weather conditions with low clouds, poor visibility and precipitation falling?
It should be all business with no cross talk about the new dog etc. Cockpit and crew resource management is all about consistent, ongoing training.
Finally, the Second In Command (SIC) of a Regional aircraft should be earning more than the closer employed at a fast food business. Yes, this will increase airfares by some number.
my98xlclassic Feb 10th 2010 11:57AM
It's pbs. 1/10th of the story will be accurate.