New CS Rumors

[flagshipper]

The latest I have heard on the road is that not only are they only hiring into 8 "super" bases but effective June 1st all current employees will be locked into their current base and can only move into one of these 8 bases.

Also a new duty day policy limiting the planned duty day to 12.5 hours and 14 hours as an absolute max will supposedly be instituted soon.

One Step Forward.. 3 Steps Back....

You pick a hooker based on her zip code but not a pilot.......

 

[dime line]

The latest I have heard on the road is that not only are they only hiring into 8 "super" bases but effective June 1st all current employees will be locked into their current base and can only move into one of these 8 bases.

Also a new duty day policy limiting the planned duty day to 12.5 hours and 14 hours as an absolute max will supposedly be instituted soon.

One Step Forward.. 3 Steps Back....

You pick a hooker based on her zip code but not a pilot.......

That sux......But its comming! This is just the beginning. Ask yourself, better yet ask management, what sense a basing system really has?

 

[jonjuan]

That sux......But its comming! This is just the beginning. Ask yourself, better yet ask management, what sense a basing system really has?

It's cheaper.

 

[On Your Six]

The latest I have heard on the road is that not only are they only hiring into 8 "super" bases but effective June 1st all current employees will be locked into their current base and can only move into one of these 8 bases.

Also a new duty day policy limiting the planned duty day to 12.5 hours and 14 hours as an absolute max will supposedly be instituted soon.

One Step Forward.. 3 Steps Back....

You pick a hooker based on her zip code but not a pilot.......

Just makes Netjets look that much more appealing with its 100 domiciles. People on the fence between the two operators will now have an easier choice to make unless they plan to live in a CS superbase for the rest of their lives. You can't be the flexibility of 100 pilot domiciles at Netjets - that's unbelievable compared to others in the industry....

 

[fischman]

It's cheaper.

How is it cheaper?

 

[jonjuan]

How is it cheaper?

Why else would they be reducing bases? What about Flex or Flops apparently reducing bases. It's cheaper. I don't agree, but it is what it is.

 

[CA1900]

Keep in mind, though, that NetJets tried that. Not only did it not make any difference (since they were airlining people to their planes in any case), but the tickets I flew on from PBI were double the price of the ones out of MCO, TPA, or any number of other cities that later became crew bases. Just seemed like a dumb idea when Netjets tried it; not sure why it'd work any better for you guys, unless they're planning on ferrying the planes to these cities empty on a regular basis.

 

[shanes123]

its not cheaper..Baboo at flops had alot of pretty colored charts and graphs all drawn up (bet he was the smartest kid in kindergarten) when they started eliminating bases at FLOPS..well after a year the million dollars on airline tickets they were gonna save never jived with his color coded graph and once again FLOPS management idiots had to back peddle a explanation for there stupidity. no one ever got there bases back either though..

 

[DO-82 driver]

Now that the threat of Unionizing under Teamsters is all but gone I guessing management teams at various places are thinking there is no real reason to be the pilots' best friend anymore.

Let's see what management thinks of their pilot forces now.

 

[Chewbacca]

By not having crews airline to an aircraft, they have increased the productivity of the airplane signifigantly and have also cut the charter costs signifigantly.

So by increasing the pilots at "super bases" they will have more and more crews and airplanes swapping at those domiciles. This in turn will save mucho $$.

I tell ya, I have not airlined much in the last year, and its AWESOME.

But hey, you guys have the big picture though, right? If companies listend to pilots, we would all make 1000000 a year, and never work.

 

[flagshipper]

By not having crews airline to an aircraft, they have increased the productivity of the airplane signifigantly and have also cut the charter costs signifigantly.

So by increasing the pilots at "super bases" they will have more and more crews and airplanes swapping at those domiciles. This in turn will save mucho $$.

I tell ya, I have not airlined much in the last year, and its AWESOME.

But hey, you guys have the big picture though, right? If companies listend to pilots, we would all make 1000000 a year, and never work.

There are several flaws I see with this concept, besides severely limiting our candidate pool and lowering pilot morale overall and adding wind to the union sail.:

1. Positioning always cost more than airline tickets. With an XL costing about 2k an hour just in gas you do the math.

2. We are in a seniority system now. Before the company could pick and choose who upgraded to what fleet and even out the bases sort of but now they have little to no control over this. There are some very large bases with some huge differences in CA/FO ratios and dispersion across the fleets. SAT is a decent size base but is 80 percent FOs.

3. By placing FOs in the 8 super bases it will be years or even decades before you would really realize any benefits of 8 bases with upgrades taking longer and longer.

4. Until recently, we were all hired with an understanding we could change between the 25 bases as desired. That is a huge QOL issue being stripped away without even a formal notice as of yet. Just because you raise the pay a little doesn't mean you can butt rape everyone.

I have found what commonly occurs on off tour day is that the crew (capt hpn based, fo gso based) fly the plane empty from mdw to hpn then the FO has to get on an airline anyway. or maybe vice versa but you are dropping 3k (plus operating cost)to get one guy home then still having to buy an airline ticket.

 

[Coool Hand Luke]

By not having crews airline to an aircraft, they have increased the productivity of the airplane signifigantly and have also cut the charter costs signifigantly.

So by increasing the pilots at "super bases" they will have more and more crews and airplanes swapping at those domiciles. This in turn will save mucho $$.

I tell ya, I have not airlined much in the last year, and its AWESOME.

But hey, you guys have the big picture though, right? If companies listend to pilots, we would all make 1000000 a year, and never work.

Yea Richard, whatever you say.

 

[Diesel]

By not having crews airline to an aircraft, they have increased the productivity of the airplane signifigantly and have also cut the charter costs signifigantly.

So by increasing the pilots at "super bases" they will have more and more crews and airplanes swapping at those domiciles. This in turn will save mucho $$.

I tell ya, I have not airlined much in the last year, and its AWESOME.

But hey, you guys have the big picture though, right? If companies listend to pilots, we would all make 1000000 a year, and never work.

We might not have the big picture but we've seen this before and every time its been quickly backed out of by managment.

Lets ask ourselves which is cheaper. Airlining a crew from both sides of the country to an airplane, or moving said airplane back to a "super base".

Hmmmmmmm.

While you airlining might be inconvenient for you it really saves the company a bunch of money.

But hey I'm sure CS can do it better than everyone else.

 

[RCR5]

That sux......But its comming! This is just the beginning. Ask yourself, better yet ask management, what sense a basing system really has?

Would you please elaborate on this comment? I realize it is just an opinion, but I am curious. Thank you.

 

[RNObased]

Why else would they be reducing bases? What about Flex or Flops apparently reducing bases. It's cheaper. I don't agree, but it is what it is.

Jonjuan,
This opionion comes from what?? Lost of research or something you heard in a bar??

The facts are that it isn't cheaper, but you run with your half baked opionion.

 

[Sparse]

4. Until recently, we were all hired with an understanding we could change between the 25 bases as desired. That is a huge QOL issue being stripped away without even a formal notice as of yet. Just because you raise the pay a little doesn't mean you can butt rape everyone.

Qol? How many guys actually change bases? It matters not a dime to me. It only matterred when I was hired.

I have found what commonly occurs on off tour day is that the crew (capt hpn based, fo gso based) fly the plane empty from mdw to hpn then the FO has to get on an airline anyway. or maybe vice versa but you are dropping 3k (plus operating cost)to get one guy home then still having to buy an airline ticket.

In your example, the aircraft is now in HPN, a rumored super base. Now it can be theoretically crewed with a new captain and fo from HPN.

I don't agree with what they are doing but I don't have all of the facts.

 

[Fozzy]

No contract, no security.

According to our favorite village idiot, this is CS management "being able to react". To what, you will never know.

Sorry to hear it guys, but this is what you really get for riding on someones coat tails.

 

[SKYLAWYER]

Right now this is an uncomfirmed rumour. My ACP says he thinks it will happen, but one call to another level above him said they were bouncing the idea back and forth. CS is a company that sometimes thinks out loud. If it is turned into an official policy then we can all get out out pitchforks and form a mob. Until then we may be arguing a point that the company is purely looking at. The company should have the right to analyze an idea to see what affect it wil have financially. If it doesn't work then I'm sure they will abondon it. Sometimes I question if I work at the same place as some of the people who post on flightinfo. Our last group of callouts didnt work and were changed when the pilots showed how stupid it was. Our original hotel reserve call in rule also went out the window when guys showed that it didn't work and affected our QOL. CSM has listened at times, the question I have is how many of you posting about how much it sucks have dropped an email to the chief pilot? Let me guess you discussed it with your ACP? The same ACP who knew about the senority system 30seconds before the email went out.

 

[SkyMiles]

The CS website says they are ONLY hiring for "the 8 bases".

 

[SKYLAWYER]

The CS website says they are ONLY hiring for "the 8 bases".

Yes they are currently only recruting for 8 bases. I am talking about the unconfirmed rumours that those of us here won't be able to leave our current bases. It could be true but the way to prevent that from happening is not by posting it on this forum. I also don't believe its one of those things that a union could save us from. NJ was union when they were reduced to a small number of bases also. Hopefully CS will realise it does not save money, and pushes away good candidates. Only that will get it to change, or 400 pilots filling the inbox of the chief pilot. Action usually solves much more than words do.

 

[flagshipper]

The first thing I did last wednesday was send an email to our cp when I heard it and he directed me to my acp who confirmed the rumor. The only thing my acp said would change would be the effective date. The base lock may not start until July or August so if you are at CS and want to move better hurry up.

 

[SKYLAWYER]

The first thing I did last wednesday was send an email to our cp when I heard it and he directed me to my acp who confirmed the rumor. The only thing my acp said would change would be the effective date. The base lock may not start until July or August so if you are at CS and want to move better hurry up.

Great job flagshipper. The more emails the better. It's not the best situation but I hear 300+ pilots complaining about this change and would have to guess that only 20 emails have been sent. Even if the cp referred you to your acp he would have heard the message. If he had to refer almost every pilot in the company he would get the point. I believe that some ACP's absorb the message of the pilot group and do not pass it on to those who matter. Some that believe that because they spoke to their ACP that mgmt here's their complaints may be very surprised to find out the truth.

 

[Flex-ible]

Depending on how it's run, it could be cheaper. I know Flex has a deal with American because of its volume out of DFW. It is also more convenient for dispatchers and schedulers to caluculate the most efficient way to get crews to planes. It will also improve first and last day efficiency because the based airports offer direct flights to most of the country; connections take time and reduce crew availability on day one.

With that said, my last one way ticket out of FLL to a small city in the eastern time zone was over 800 bucks! So much for saving money

 

[bailout]

Yep the super bases...... I live in one and have not ever started in my base and only ended in it once in 2 1/2 years.

 

[Guitar Guy]

I also don't believe its one of those things that a union could save us from. NJ was union when they were reduced to a small number of bases also.

To be fair, it should be noted that the reduction to 5 domiciles was voted on by the union membership and only affected pilots hired post-ratification. Management at NetJets could not have imposed the basing change without a vote by the union membership.

Hopefully CS will realise it does not save money, and pushes away good candidates.

I truly hope that is the case. Best of luck to you folks over there.

 

[SKYLAWYER]

Yep the super bases...... I live in one and have not ever started in my base and only ended in it once in 2 1/2 years.

I live in one and have airlined only twice this year so far.

 

[flagshipper]

I live in one and have airlined only twice this year so far.

Yeah I live in one and have started and ended in base maybe 3 times over the past year

 

[blueridge71]

I've ended in my base once and a cross town base about a half dozen times.

A few tours back, the company repositioned my plane over five hundred miles to avoid buying an airline ticket and paying me a day of OT. Cost for that leg was probably a couple of thousand dollars.

 

[7777]

Here is a question for you CS guys.

Your domicile is White Plains. You leave your car there on day 1. Your plane ends up in Kennedy or LaGuardia on day 7. Does the company pay to get you to your car?

Or here is another scenario. Your domicile airport is OHare. Your plane is at Midway on day 1. Would they have you drive to Midway to get your aircraft or would they have you park your car at OHare and have you take a train, bus, taxi to Midway?

Thanks in advance to all who reply.

 

[SKYLAWYER]

Here is a question for you CS guys.

Your domicile is White Plains. You leave your car there on day 1. Your plane ends up in Kennedy or LaGuardia on day 7. Does the company pay to get you to your car?

Or here is another scenario. Your domicile airport is OHare. Your plane is at Midway on day 1. Would they have you drive to Midway to get your aircraft or would they have you park your car at OHare and have you take a train, bus, taxi to Midway?

Thanks in advance to all who reply.

They pay for you to get to your car and to any other base besides your base of origin. In scenario one its always a car service that handles this for the company. White plains to New Jersey (besides newark) will get you a rental car. In scenario 2 you park at ohare and they get you to where they need you via taxi or rental car.