NWA CEO Steenland letter to employees

[Poahi]

If pilot absenteeism is a huge part of the problem, why doesn't Steenland address a solution in his letter?

 

[jetflier]

Executive bonuses, $400mil, is based on delivering the performance presented during the CH11 exit strategy, and NWA is not hitting these numbers. So, to save their bonu$e$, the executive management team is using all their leverage to find a way to shift the poor performance of the airline to anyone else and protect their performance based bonu$e$.

 

[Lear70]

Good luck with that... I predict that pilot absenteeism will only INCREASE the longer the Company stays away from the table... not as a direct result of course, but simply an indirect result of being flown to the point of fatigue and having to take time off for personal medical issues.

Unfit to fly for mental fatigue is just as grounding an issue as being physically fatigued and, with the schedules I've seen from some DC-9 guys, I'd be fatigued as HELL if I had to fly those pairings.

Good luck guys & gals!

 

[jetflier]

The NWA July parings actually have 7 leg days on some schedules.

 

[RJAA]

What's going to happen when the B787s are ready to be delivered...I really don't get the warm fuzzy...

 

[Lear70]

The NWA July parings actually have 7 leg days on some schedules.

I think the answer to that is KISS MY DUMB A*S!

7 leg days. Not even Mesa does that... WTF?

 

[xjhawk]

oh well, we do at XJ

I think the answer to that is KISS MY DUMB A*S!

7 leg days. Not even Mesa does that... WTF?

just yesterday I did seven legs, i think our longest break was 48 minutes in a 13-14 hour day. It was day four so having a box lunch to grab and eat was impossible, so I just went to grab food and shove it down my throat. I do not like to take my food in the Saab since we stay low and have short legs, its not pleasant to eat in those situations. I hate it, yes I do, what can i do about it? Nothing. When it happens again, I might just take my time to eat then go to the plane, and not care about the on time departure. and about sick calls, its not always just disgruntaled pilots that call in sick when their schedule is poor. Its being fatigued all the time that makes your immune system break down......and are we suppose to go to work sick to cover their shortage of pilots?

 

[XJohXJ]

I have a trip with 9 legs on day 3 after a 10 hr. overnight. The first 2 days are 6 and 7 legs.

Needless to say, there aren't sufficient meal breaks.

7 leg days for 8 hours of block over 14 hours of duty (and typically after short rest) are common at XJ.

9 legs is just absurd.

 

[BoilerUP]

I have 7 legs this coming week on the last day. 12 hours duty, 7:25 scheduled block, longest break is 46 minutes.

Ugh...

 

[doh]

What exactly does "pilot absenteeism" mean? Is it a combination of sick calls, timing out and refusing to pick up high time? Or just sick calls? The term seems vague to me. NWA guys, do you know?

 

[skybert]

I feel for the pilots,flight attendants and mechs but I've given up on NW until they get a real leader

 

[densoo]

These absenteeism increases primarily involved a minority of NWA narrow-body pilots.

Are junior pilots leading the way in this?

 

[big_al]

the WSJ jumped all over the "pilot absenteeism" and I assume all other pro-management media outlets will as well

 

[big_al]

just noticed this in the WSJ: "A spokesman said he couldn't comment on the absentee numbers the chief executive cited."

what does that mean?? are they fabricated?

 

[Oh-ryan]

PS.

Please continue to do more of your shopping at thrift stores, dumpsters and in your neighbor's trash. Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Doug