Hello this is my first post on this forum, I know most of this forum is related to bush flying. I have a question relating to pay??
Im starting my commercial rating and im researchin pay scales among other things. One thing I noticed is a lot of airlines pay an extra fee called "per diem", this may sound like a stupid question but what is "per diem"and how should it be paid?
Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks

From Dictionary.com:
1. by the day; for each day.
2. a daily allowance, usually for living expenses while traveling in connection with one's work or being employed at a distance from one's home: a per diem for lawmakers while the legislature is in session.
3. paid by the day.

Living expenses while you are on the road while on the job, ie: hotel and meals.

MTV

Rate usually varies by zip code, at least it did for military.

sdoggO,

The major airlines pay pilots a per diem of around $2.00 per hour for every hour that you are on duty. Duty time is typically from one hour before your trip begins until :15 after the trip sequence ends.

So a three day trip departing at noon on Wed. and ending at noon on Friday would have 49:15 X $2.00 per hour per diem....as an example or in other words....$98.50.

Hotel rooms and transportation are normally arranged for and paid for by the airline. The per-deim is for meals or whatever.

Nice thing about per deim is that it is tax free if associated with an overnight and a pilot may claim actual and reasonable expenses if those expenses exceed the airline reimbursement rate.

Among the regional and new entry airlines.....or for new hire pilots who are at very low pay scales....per diem can be a boost to their income.

The airlines aren't what they used to be and salaries among the major airlines are only about 60% of the prior generations purchasing power. Regional and most new entry carriers pay only a fraction of even that.

More than you ever wanted to know. Guess retired airline pilots shouldn't be allowed on this site!!

happy flying.

Bob

o

r for new hire pilots who are at very low pay scales....per diem can be a boost to their income.

every buck counts!

Tell you what, while laying over in crap cities on short layovers and eating on the cheap that per diem would really add up to a nice bonus at the end of the month that could buy lots of avgas and make the hangar payment.

Of course on long big-city layovers with a good crew you'd blow all that nice per diem on eats, drinks, and fun. After all it's free money anyway!

AAARRGGGHHHH!!!! To much like Flightinfo.com....starting to feel sick....must get back to backcountry topics............
(sorry, couldn't get the puking emoticon to paste over from another site)

thanks a lot for all the help guys, still considering what kind of carreer ill be prusuing