Contract per diem vs GSA M&IE for airline crew
The difference between what your airline pays under your contract and the federal GSA M&IE allowance crews often use for tax worksheets—with a free compare tool.
Contract per diem (airline pay)
Contract per diem is what your employer pays while you are away from base—often per hour or per calendar day under your CBA. Rates differ by airline, seat (pilot vs cabin), domestic vs international, and sometimes by equipment or seniority band.
Our calculator lets you enter domestic and international rates and optional per-hour mode in Advanced options. Defaults are placeholders only; use your union booklet or payroll documentation.
GSA M&IE (worksheet benchmark)
GSA M&IE is the federal meals and incidental cap for a locality. Crew often use it to organize layover-by-layover amounts on tax worksheets. It does not change what appears on your W-2 from the airline.
Compare both in one trip
Choose Compare both on the crew calculator to see contract totals next to GSA M&IE for the same dates and cities. Your log stores both numbers for exports.
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Planning aid only · Not tax, payroll, or legal advice · GSA methodology