gloopy

I have a lot of respect for ALPA's EF&A department WRT many things, but they are not infallible either. While I bet they have some very accurate cost numbers on some static things, I believe those numbers do not nearly take into consideration the multitude of unintended consequences. Sure they can show how outsourcing to DCI carrier #8 compares to DCi carriers #1 though 7 and how they all compare to mainline. However I do not believe that ALPA's EF&A department, and certainlly not the company's esteemed and accredited geniuses come anywhere close to calculating the full ramifications and unintended consequences of their outsourcing schemes.

When DCI #3 cancells a flight because they don't have a flight attendant even though DCI carriers #4, 6 and 8 do, does that make EF&A's initial analysys? I doubt it. When DCI #2 needs a tire but doesn't have one, but DCI #4 right next door has spares but its a different type of aircraft, does EF&A calculate that? You mentioned the lost customer issue which is valid, but the unintended cost creep of numbers that may look solid under EF&A's microscope, but based on a low ball bid that even a cut throat underbidder can't honor because they bid below costs to get the work and then the operation gets trashed, suddenly the numbers move. Many DCI carriers go through the binge and purge cycle of crisis hiring only to furlough only to recall only to have no idea how to plan and there is a cost to that and I don't think ALPA's EF&A has a clue because no one does until it happens. DCI litigation and injunctions were never in the initial cost out either, but they are very much real. And what about the cost when a megalomanic in charge of a large portion of DCI doesn't get his way one day and pulls an IndyAir with a Billion dollars in the bank? Even if its not successful, how much revenue will it bleed us before its put down? EF&A numbers have been proven comically invalid on all those glorious 50 seaters that the business travel supposedly was in love with and overnight became massive liabilities but the company had long term binding agreements with ACMI carriers to fly them.

Can someone do simple math like mainline would cost X$ to fly the EMB170 and RAH will cost Y$ to fly it. The deal is inked, the bonuses fly, and all the sudden we are subsidizing a competitor who best case is only a nominal negative pressure on yields in certain markets, and worst case a lot more than that some day. Ditto for all the outsourcing schemes we're in bed with.

I bet Boeing's EF&A geniuses got pats on the back from all their white papers about how glorious their cost saving outsourcing for the 787 was going to be. Real numbers, real dollars! Whoops.

Sorry but I will never be convinced that an airline that outsources half its flights is correct in doing so. I think its a pee poor business practice and the company and ALPA need to both come up with a better formula to predict its disasterous costs and inintended consequences. Not just operationally either. Watch as outsourcing present and future negatively effects our section 6 dynamics in the not too distant future. Even if we get a "big raise" it may be less than what we would have gotten had we not outsourced, and/or we may be asked or even severely pressured to outsource more to get a sizeable fraction of the restoration we are owed, which will, of course, create even more negative pressure years down the road. And I very much doubt ALPA's EF&A takes that fully into account. They haven't so far, that's for sure.

JobHopper

I'm running 10.6.5 and it works fine. Make sure you've installed all the updates (use Software Update under the Apple icon) .

It was confusing figuring out the menu page to get the correct module working. Select the menu item on the top far right that is "highlighted"; it's not really highlighted, it just looks different. Hope this helps.

boog123

Does the pilot to pilot swap board allow p/u at other bases? ie can a NYC 7er guy pick up a trip from an ATL 7er guy?

Amish Pilot

Thanks will give it a try
Current 10.6.3 right out of the box, I will check the update. Thanks again.

hoserpilot

Wow, our buddy passes really really suck. Just tried to get a friend to Pdx from Pbi and back at the end of the month and got a real shock. Flights are wide open. Buddy pass round trip price is $374.94. On Delta.com a guaranteed seat $370.80 incl. taxes. Tell me again why we have buddy passes??

forgot to bid

I'm not following you, what is this 'buddy pass' thing?

Are you referring to our 'friend to enemy passes?'

johnso29

I've never found good buddy passes. They've always been worthless IMO.

dragon

Are these the "Strand a Buddy" passes? I tell folks that I'll only do them for international flights where there is at least a shot at a BE seat. Domestically, you are better off to buy the seat and have a guaranteed ride as opposed to flying after everyone and their relatives (to include the dog).

upndsky

I've not heard of Crossover or what it does. I'm running Leopard (10.5.8) and have no problems running the CQ.

The course is built on Flash. Make sure you're running the latest version of Flash. It's a free download from Adobe and it will update whatever version your running or install it if you don't have it. I'm willing to bet that will fix your problem.

forgot to bid

All kidding aside I found buddy pass worked well and all of them were on short notice, short range (as in we're the only ones who serve that route and prices are high) and the passengers were flexible.

The best I ever had was a friend who needed to pick up a truck in SDF and drive back. The one way ticket may at that time been around $600 or so. $49 for the buddy pass. Everything else has been miserable for me and I think I talk people out of using buddy passes.