grimmreaper

I just looked at the flikr pics, and people are complaining? Are the rooms singled up or doubled up? Do the rooms have TV, internet, etc? Thanks.
gr

NoDeskJob

You are correct. First year pay at JB lags the big 3. Then again, AA was about the same as JB until a couple weeks ago.

Where you can make some good coin with JB is by selling back PTO, ESPECIALLY as you get into the later years.

TristarJS30

People aren't complaining about the hotel itself... it's the location and policy of not allowing guests (wives,children,girlfriends,etc). It's on airport property and only within walking distance to the school house and a rental car parking lot. The only food available (unless you rent or have a car) will be jetblue provided. Sharing a fridge and microwave with the Rampers, Gate Agents, Flight Attendants, and other pilots will cause numerous problems.

The old hotels were within walking distance to numerous restaurants and gas station/convenience (beer) stores and didn't care if the wife came to visit for a few days. Each room had a full kitchen and you could store groceries and cook at your leisure, eat fairly healthy, and not worry about someone stealing your food.

Staying at the lodge may be great for the rah-rah teamwork deal that inflight and gate agents go for while they are there for a couple weeks, but, as pilots there nearly two months it's insane to think it's a good idea.

Std Deviation

Which encourages me to fly sick does it not? I can either call in or suck it up with a wicked cold because I know the time is worth more if I don't call in. Psychologically, that's what I'm thinking anyway. I can shed Rhinovirus all over the cockpit if it means 50% more later.

NoDeskJob

The system is DEF not perfect. I was just pointing out to the other poster, it's always about more than just the rates.

Hopefully when they/we get a contract, it can separate sick time from PTO/Vaca time.

aewanabe

He went to SWA. And as another poster pointed out, first year at AA is pretty darned good now.

WARich

Please don't fly sick, it only get's other's sick and then they end up canceling the trip because they know it's right. Always been my pet peeve in my flying career is when your fellow pilot shows up sick. Well guess who always ends up sick at the end of the trip?

NYBlue

Just had recurrent and checked out the Lodge, and ate over there too. They are in a "soft opening" right now, where they have opened the lodge to be tested, and they are also allowing people to come over and eat. I have to say it is a HUGE improvement over other places I have stayed around MCO - with the one caveat that my spouse doesn't like coming to hotels/lodges or whatever - so whether in a hotel or lodge, the spouse issue isn't a problem for me.

The food at the Lodge is a big improvement over Denny's, Sonny's or the OSC cafeteria, by a large margin. It was decently priced and a good variety. Definitely not slop. They also have a 24 hour hotel style store with sandwiches, fruit, drinks and snacks. There is also a bar that serves until midnight. Residents get a $26 food credit that easily covers all meals.

I asked to check out the rooms and they showed me around. The are all single occupancy (about 200 rooms) and have closet, shower, queen bed, TV, internet, desk, etc. Pretty much a standard room. It is true that there is no refrigerator in the room. Each floor has a free coffee bar and microwave, refrigerator area.

Outside there is a pool, firepit area, basketball court and softball field, along with all the equipment to use them - and bikes too. All for free.

All in all, it looks great, and I do look forward to staying there (if they have recurrent training there - I'm not sure). However, if I were staying there for 6 weeks, I would probably want to have access to wheels (either from a classmate or to rent a car), because there are no shuttles to neighboring areas - other than the airport. I guess the cheap way to get out would be to take a shuttle to the airport and then another hotel shuttle to the hotel/restaurant area.

Std Deviation

Totally agree;however, look at it the way an economist would (based on incentives and cost): second year pay is a vast increase, then another 50% on top of that. My guess is first year guys are dragging in sick out of necessity. Which is wrong.

JustAnotherPLT

And in my opinion should not change. Vaca separate, sure, but premium buy back is huge.

Listen, this isn't the regionals where 20 year olds are flying around sick with a running yellow snot nose. It wouldn't matter what system we have, people will abuse it. I'm guilty of calling out sick at my former airline and no, I wasn't sick. My previous airline had seperate PTO and Vaca with no premium buy back. We have something that's really good here and I hope to god we can keep it.

With that said, when someone is sick, I expect they call in sick. When I'm sick, I call sick. The worst feeling is being at work miserable. It doesn't matter the system, people will abuse it. So let's keep this nice thing we have going.

In conclusion, I disgree that our premium system is encouraging more than normal abuse of the system. Doesn't matter what's in place, you'll see someone sick at work. Sadly at this point in the game it doesn't matter what is in place, you're not going to change an old dog.