How Cabin Crew Calculate Per Diem

Per diem is one of the easiest pay lines to miscalculate because it runs by the hour, not by the duty. Most crew use the same method. This is how to run the numbers and check payroll got it right.

Step 1: Find your away-from-base window

Per diem usually starts when you leave your home base (report time or actual departure, depending on your airline) and ends when you return. That includes layover rest, standby away from base, and positioning, not just block time.

Pull the exact timestamps from your roster or crew portal. A two-day trip with 28 hours away from base pays very differently from a single 14-hour turn.

Step 2: Apply the correct regional rate

Most airlines pay different per diem rates by country or region. A layover in Dubai may accrue at a higher hourly rate than a domestic night stop. Check which rate applies to each leg of the trip, some contracts switch rate at the layover city, not the departure airport.

Step 3: Multiply hours times rate

Basic formula: accrued hours away from base x hourly per diem rate = gross per diem. Some airlines round to the nearest 15 minutes; others use decimal hours to two places.

Example: 26.5 hours away at £1.20/hour = £31.80 before any taxable split.

Step 4: Split taxable vs non-taxable

Tax authorities approve a maximum non-taxable reimbursement rate for meals and incidentals. Anything your airline pays above that approved figure becomes taxable income on your payslip. The split is airline- and jurisdiction-specific, your payslip may show two lines or one combined figure.

Step 5: Don't confuse per diem with overnight allowance

Overnight allowance is a fixed payment per night away, separate from hourly per diem on many contracts. Some airlines bundle both into a single "away from base" rate. If you're calculating manually, confirm which components your airline pays. See our crew per diem guide for the full breakdown.

Common mistakes to catch

Missed hours after a delay extension, wrong timezone at trip start/end, regional rate not updated after a reroute, and duties that start at a outstation (per diem may already be running before you "see" the trip on your payslip).

Let your roster do the maths

Manual calculation works for a single trip; it's painful across a full month. Layvr reads your imported roster, totals hours away from base per duty, and estimates per diem alongside duty pay, so you can compare against payroll before the month closes. See the pay calculator