Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
Are you serious????? SOPA SMAC fan are you? I understand sterile cockpit procedures but do you really think the Feds would care if you added a few info things to a PA? Like, "We're #4 for T/O, it's an hour and a half to XXX, we should be on time, it's clear and 70 degrees, since it's late, we won't bother you with any PA's. F/A's please prepare the cabin for T/O. Use a little judgment and common sense.........
To each his own.
But, again, you can do whatever makes you happy.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Posts: 19,614
Ed,
Yes they can staff at that level or leaner. The reserves are not actually being USED more, or not much... but the LIMITATIONS on the company using a reserve guy have been reduced, as they can force a guy up to ALV+15 vs. him being able to quit at 70, which can be almost a 50% increase in POTENTIAL productivity. Therefore, they can do without as many reserves available, therefore they can reduce the "lists" on each cat. Which they have! Look at the 320 and 73, and despite increases in flying, the TOTAL dudes in cat there have dropped by 3-5%! Because this ability comes from merely not having to staff as fat for possible use, not from ACTUAL use, none of the "reserve ALV use" triggers you often hear guys hype as a built-in-protection for manning will ever come into play.
As such, my current technique is to try to bid weekends off and get whatever crappy trips I can, anything, so that I can drop them on the 20th PCS run with sufficient reserve coverage during the week. Then I try to pick up anything in open time that is better. If it doesn't work out, I just make less $$, maybe 40% what I expected, and hang out with the kids enjoying life, and eating ramen and sewing kids clothes out of old sheets to make up for it.
Yes they can staff at that level or leaner. The reserves are not actually being USED more, or not much... but the LIMITATIONS on the company using a reserve guy have been reduced, as they can force a guy up to ALV+15 vs. him being able to quit at 70, which can be almost a 50% increase in POTENTIAL productivity. Therefore, they can do without as many reserves available, therefore they can reduce the "lists" on each cat. Which they have! Look at the 320 and 73, and despite increases in flying, the TOTAL dudes in cat there have dropped by 3-5%! Because this ability comes from merely not having to staff as fat for possible use, not from ACTUAL use, none of the "reserve ALV use" triggers you often hear guys hype as a built-in-protection for manning will ever come into play.
As such, my current technique is to try to bid weekends off and get whatever crappy trips I can, anything, so that I can drop them on the 20th PCS run with sufficient reserve coverage during the week. Then I try to pick up anything in open time that is better. If it doesn't work out, I just make less $$, maybe 40% what I expected, and hang out with the kids enjoying life, and eating ramen and sewing kids clothes out of old sheets to make up for it.
The AE that was just awarded was mostly reinstatements for the ER. They are using us for the summer in our former positions and then sending us back to whatever we got trained in from our displacement from last summer, so it won't cost the company much at all.
I wish it weren't true but it is. I was optimistic when I asked the question to SD/network because someday I would like to quit commuting, but got an answer that none of us want, but it is also what they said in the Crew Resources newsletter a couple months ago. They are doing "just in time" training right now (their words), where they have just enough people to do the ER schedule for the summer, but will then need those people back in the 73N/320, etc for the fall/winter schedule.
I wish it weren't true but it is. I was optimistic when I asked the question to SD/network because someday I would like to quit commuting, but got an answer that none of us want, but it is also what they said in the Crew Resources newsletter a couple months ago. They are doing "just in time" training right now (their words), where they have just enough people to do the ER schedule for the summer, but will then need those people back in the 73N/320, etc for the fall/winter schedule.
Now they offer even MORE positions that won't even train until LATER in the fall that they will need to displace before they even hit the line? Definitely not buying what you're selling.
There are lots of guys moving off the top of the ER categories into NB CA seats and to "super premium WB" FO seats that are vacated by CA upgrades, and that schedule is going to continue to require CA's at the rate of 5.5 aircraft per month (at least 25 CA's per month) for the next two years.... NOT accounting for the additional 5 A330's coming in 2015 and the 5 A330's/10 A321's in 2016.
Crew planning is always going to take a more conservative public stance so they don't have to backtrack on estimates that get construed as promises.
Keep being a Debbie Downer though, it's good for your soul.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2014
Posts: 463
Ed,
Yes they can staff at that level or leaner. The reserves are not actually being USED more, or not much... but the LIMITATIONS on the company using a reserve guy have been reduced, as they can force a guy up to ALV+15 vs. him being able to quit at 70, which can be almost a 50% increase in POTENTIAL productivity. Therefore, they can do without as many reserves available, therefore they can reduce the "lists" on each cat. Which they have! Look at the 320 and 73, and despite increases in flying, the TOTAL dudes in cat there have dropped by 3-5%! Because this ability comes from merely not having to staff as fat for possible use, not from ACTUAL use, none of the "reserve ALV use" triggers you often hear guys hype as a built-in-protection for manning will ever come into play.
As such, my current technique is to try to bid weekends off and get whatever crappy trips I can, anything, so that I can drop them on the 20th PCS run with sufficient reserve coverage during the week. Then I try to pick up anything in open time that is better. If it doesn't work out, I just make less $$, maybe 40% what I expected, and hang out with the kids enjoying life, and eating ramen and sewing kids clothes out of old sheets to make up for it.
Yes they can staff at that level or leaner. The reserves are not actually being USED more, or not much... but the LIMITATIONS on the company using a reserve guy have been reduced, as they can force a guy up to ALV+15 vs. him being able to quit at 70, which can be almost a 50% increase in POTENTIAL productivity. Therefore, they can do without as many reserves available, therefore they can reduce the "lists" on each cat. Which they have! Look at the 320 and 73, and despite increases in flying, the TOTAL dudes in cat there have dropped by 3-5%! Because this ability comes from merely not having to staff as fat for possible use, not from ACTUAL use, none of the "reserve ALV use" triggers you often hear guys hype as a built-in-protection for manning will ever come into play.
As such, my current technique is to try to bid weekends off and get whatever crappy trips I can, anything, so that I can drop them on the 20th PCS run with sufficient reserve coverage during the week. Then I try to pick up anything in open time that is better. If it doesn't work out, I just make less $$, maybe 40% what I expected, and hang out with the kids enjoying life, and eating ramen and sewing kids clothes out of old sheets to make up for it.
It's frustrating knowing we just gave more work rule concessions during the last contract after having already lost so much the previous decade. Is the pay we received really worth being forced to work more days or giving up flexibility to tailor our schedule based upon what our family might need. I certainly hope we reverse that trend during this next contract.
But, you can't do "...whatever makes you happy." The Vol 1 explains exactly what to say during the Before Takeoff PA.
"Notify the flight attendants to finalize preparations for takeoff with the following PA, “FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”"
I've been commuting for years on many different airlines and we are the ONLY airline to have pilots adding a bunch of extra stuff to this required PA. In my opinion, it is in violation of sterile cockpit and it is DEFINITELY in violation of our Vol 1 procedures. Leave the weather, ETA and other info for the gate or above 10,000 feet. For the record, I'm a South guy.
"Notify the flight attendants to finalize preparations for takeoff with the following PA, “FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”"
I've been commuting for years on many different airlines and we are the ONLY airline to have pilots adding a bunch of extra stuff to this required PA. In my opinion, it is in violation of sterile cockpit and it is DEFINITELY in violation of our Vol 1 procedures. Leave the weather, ETA and other info for the gate or above 10,000 feet. For the record, I'm a South guy.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Position: window seat
Posts: 12,544
Sorry to change the subject, but I just got an Alpa comm email and reading the headline on my IPhone, I read "JetBlue Election Update, all about the Money...".
Someone needs to proof read these headlines better, lest someone not like myself, might accuse ALPA of chasing revenues at the expense of representing its current dues paying membership.
Opening the email reveals that it is two different headers but out of context I laughed at the thought crossing my mind initially.
Peace
Someone needs to proof read these headlines better, lest someone not like myself, might accuse ALPA of chasing revenues at the expense of representing its current dues paying membership.
Opening the email reveals that it is two different headers but out of context I laughed at the thought crossing my mind initially.
Peace
So what did we decide?
“FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”
can be...
“FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WE'RE NUMBER THREE FOR TAKEOFF, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”
what about...
"“FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, “FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WE'RE NUMBER THREE FOR TAKEOFF, EXPECT AN ON TIME ARRIVAL, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”
That on time arrival was something I did for a while because FAs would call and ask if we're going to be on time. I felt like heading it off at the pass, so to me I'm talking to the FAs and giving them information.
But maybe not.
Now the FAA guys I've dealt with, I do not honestly think they'd care about a small deviation from the standard. I think a 1 minute well rehearsed listen-to-myself diatribe while taxing could be ranked right up there with not putting your O2 mask on though.
“FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”
can be...
“FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WE'RE NUMBER THREE FOR TAKEOFF, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”
what about...
"“FLIGHT ATTENDANTS, “FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WE'RE NUMBER THREE FOR TAKEOFF, EXPECT AN ON TIME ARRIVAL, PLEASE PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”PREPARE THE CABIN FOR DEPARTURE.”
That on time arrival was something I did for a while because FAs would call and ask if we're going to be on time. I felt like heading it off at the pass, so to me I'm talking to the FAs and giving them information.
But maybe not.
Now the FAA guys I've dealt with, I do not honestly think they'd care about a small deviation from the standard. I think a 1 minute well rehearsed listen-to-myself diatribe while taxing could be ranked right up there with not putting your O2 mask on though.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Position: window seat
Posts: 12,544
This Delta's way of opposing the pre clearance facility? Just don't clear customs, ha!
Delta Passengers Disembark International Flight at JFK, Skip Passport Control | Frequent Business Traveler
Delta Passengers Disembark International Flight at JFK, Skip Passport Control | Frequent Business Traveler
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