AirTran Interviews

[Wesb737fo]

8v8tr,
So your saying you would be happy with a staple and no furlough clause at SWA...good pay and great security.

No...he said stable job...not staple job

 

[Britpilot]

A month ago all of them would have told you how much their job sucked and how much they hated their company. Today all you hear is "oh my God I just love what we have here at Airtran" or "we didn't want this 'merger', we wanted to stand alone."
Gup

You wouldn't hear that from me or most of our seniority list except from a few Captains maybe.

 

[Just thinking]

(Today all you hear is "oh my God I just love what we have here at Airtran" or "we didn't want this 'merger', we wanted to stand alone." ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

What you hear today is the frustrations of a pilot group that have worked extremely hard at making a company a better place to be and to make a company a successful operation IN SPITE OF management's complete incompetence.

Here is an example of a 4 DAY TRIP WORTH ^%$@#&

MO 08 119 ATL-TPA 1219 1336 0117 0040
MO 08 1423 TPA-IND 1416 1631 0215 0035
MO 08 1097 IND-MCO 1706 1918 0212 0040
MO 08 1609 MCO-DCA 1958 2201 0203 0747 0747 1042 DCA 1340
D-END: 2216L (NR 1000) REPT: 1156L Holiday Inn Eisenhower (703)960-3400
TU 09 189 DCA-ATL 1241 1439 0158 0041
TU 09 316 ATL-CLT 1520 1626 0106 0055
TU 09 496 CLT-BWI 1721 1840 0119 0125
TU 09 497 BWI-CLT 2005 2133 0128 0551 0551 0952 CLT 3207
D-END: 2148L (NR 900) REPT: 0555L Hilton Executive Park (704)527-8000
TH 11 311 CLT-ATL 0640 0753 0113 0102
TH 11 982 ATL-PIT 0855 1031 0136 0035
TH 11 983 PIT-ATL 1106 1248 0142 0040
TH 11 201 ATL-CAK 1328 1458 0130 0035
TH 11 204 CAK-ATL 1533 1723 0150 0751 0751 1143
D-END: 1738L T.A.F.B.: 7804 TRIP RIG: 0049
Total: 2129 0000 2218 3217

How's that for some efficient scheduling?????? Over 32 hours in CLT. This is the crap that this pilot group has been dealing with for year after year. Our IT department in MCO is disgusted with what they have to deal with..... they have to call technical support to be talked through the steps to repair problems because our MGMT team is too cheap to send them to a course to fix it. Our crew planners have to manually process THOUSANDS of trip swap requests because MGMT is spiteful and does not want automated program to work as it was designed. Take the time to ask FLICA what they think of our astute management. Our FA's will have their bids posted for the next month in a matter of hours from final submission..... the pilots will be held till that last possible moment several days later.
They embrace draconian methods and threaten instead of encourage. The pilot group is looked at as a liability instead of an asset.

Anybody who wanted to stand alone and did not want to merge may have been looking at the unrealized POTENTIAL that Airtran possessed. We did not lack an able body work force that possessed the skills and aptitude to succeed on a myriad of tasks.

What we did lack was a management team with any ability to see past their greedy self interest. We have a MGMT team with NO leadership skills. We have a MGMT team that is mired in past practices and poor foresight. We have a MGMT team that could care less about anyone that is on property and have demonstrated that time and time again.

I am sorely disappointed in the performance of this management team. I am extremely proud of this pilot group. They have risen above adversity and when dealing with poor management and poor union leadership they continued to perform admirably, taking care of the customers and taking care of the airline.

If and when GK speaks to the Airtran pilot group, I am certain that there will be a thunderous standing ovation that will go on for 10 minutes when he walks in the room. We want to succeed. We want to be part of something that is successful. Many of us had the same hopes and expectations that the old salts of SWA had when they started.
They were blessed with Herb and a vision that supported them.

We look forward to work WITH you in furthering the success of SWA.

 

[vixin]

Thats bad. The 4 day I just got off paid 31TFP at 114 per trip. Time to make those trips more efficient.

 

[GuppyWN]

That's why they have over 12 pilots per jet, and get 4-5 fewer days off per month than we do.

Gup

 

[OldManPilot]

Guppy,

Since the WN/AAI announcement I have been calculating our trips using WN TFP figures. I have found our trips to be very poorly planned. No big suprise. Almost every trip I fly falls under a WN duty rig. Tells me right there is way to much sit time and not enough work. I for one look forward to better scheduling (and the loss of some of our horrible schedulers). I am a commuter and when I fly in for work I would rather work hard and be productive then some of the low time trips we currently fly.

As far as the comments on this thread about stapling us. If WN were taking only the pilots and non of the aircraft perhaps a staple would be considered. We are bringing over 130+ aircraft with us. How is it remotely fair to staple all of our pilots and then upgrade 750 WN guys to captain to replace our guys who would be moved back to F/O's? How could that be anywhere near considered fair and equitable?

 

[RedDogC130]

Thats bad. The 4 day I just got off paid 31TFP at 114 per trip. Time to make those trips more efficient.

I have one next month pays 34.5tfp for a 4 day...haven't seen that kind of 4 day in awhile.

 

[dicko]

I have one next month pays 34.5tfp for a 4 day...haven't seen that kind of 4 day in awhile.

How many hours of flying does that equate to ? I'm assuming that it is predicted somewhere for a forward looking rest and duty calculation.

Still trying to get my tiny mind around the TFP concept.

Can you give an idea of length of overnights etc .. ?

Thanks.

 

[RedDogC130]

A bunch 29.something. Forgot the minutes....my pay rate is 101.99 tfp on 4th year rate

 

[Cometman]

are you all paid block or better

 

[Mongolikecandy]

are you all paid block or better

Yes... on a per leg basis.

 

[RedDogC130]

The trip actually sched blocks 29+25 duty 40+45 TFP 34.40 at 101.99 TFP on 4th year pay (119.27 per sched block hour in this case)
overnights SFO/BDL/LBB(of course...I really have not seen this place in 2 years)
ground time 15+15, 12+30, 13+50
legs - day1 (2) day2 (4) day 3/4 (3)
plane changes on 3 of last 4 days.
flying with me...priceless

 

[dicko]

The trip actually sched blocks 29+25 duty 40+45 TFP 34.40 at 101.99 TFP on 4th year pay (119.27 per sched block hour in this case)
overnights SFO/BDL/LBB(of course...I really have not seen this place in 2 years)
ground time 15+15, 12+30, 13+50
legs - day1 (2) day2 (4) day 3/4 (3)
plane changes on 3 of last 4 days.
flying with me...priceless

Thanks. It looks like a productive trip with enough rest/beer.

It's a real shame that SWA isn't importing some of AirTran management.
It would only take a week for them to turn an efficient airline into a .... :bawling:

 

[Kharma Police]

Well. I still "try" to be professional and polite. You're right though, this whole Airtran PURCHASE has made me a little pissy.

A month ago all of them would have told you how much their job sucked and how much they hated their company. Today all you hear is "oh my God I just love what we have here at Airtran" or "we didn't want this 'merger', we wanted to stand alone."

If we would all just be honest with each other it'd sure be nice now wouldn't it?

Rant off. Silence mode re-engaged. Thanks for the reminder.

Gup

If it were not for my fellow employees that I genuinely enjoy working with then this would be as miserable as AA. I have always been impressed by the professionalism and positive attitude of my co-workers in the face of a management that views its employees as a liability not an asset. I am looking forward to working for a company with the opposite view.

Put another way, I believe in AirTran like I believe in my country, I just can't stand the people running both.

 

[ParrotheadGTI]

Update: Looks like November will definitely be the last of the newhire classes... only 7 true "newhires"

 

[dicko]

If it were not for my fellow employees that I genuinely enjoy working with then this would be as miserable as AA. I have always been impressed by the professionalism and positive attitude of my co-workers in the face of a management that views its employees as a liability not an asset. I am looking forward to working for a company with the opposite view.
.

The truth.

 

[Ty Webb]

As far as the comments on this thread about stapling us. If WN were taking only the pilots and non of the aircraft perhaps a staple would be considered. We are bringing over 130+ aircraft with us. How is it remotely fair to staple all of our pilots and then upgrade 750 WN guys to captain to replace our guys who would be moved back to F/O's? How could that be anywhere near considered fair and equitable?

You're trying to inject reason into an emotional argument. Let the arbitrators do it. In the end, no one will be completely happy, but we'll have a stronger, more profitable and growing company.

 

[texman]

Rpt 0855
1166 LAS 0955 BNA 1321 700 326 48 440
1166 BNA 1409 BWI 1606 700 157 35 216
1166 BWI 1641 MHT 1754 700 113 1238 150
Rls 1824 636 929 806 26 806 1209

Rpt 0605
1083 MHT 0632 PHL 0753 700 121 27 160
1083 PHL 0820 PIT 0932 700 112 27 140
1083 PIT 0959 LAS 1438 700 439 0 540
Rls 1508 712 903 840 840 1260


Total: 1348 1832 1646 26 1646 2469

Here is a typical high paying two day productive trip. This is straight time that paid 16.46 X 101.99tfp. 13.48 hours of block flying. 18.32 of duty. 12 hours of rest. Away from home 30 hours. Hope this helps

 

[texman]

This was my friends trip, and he said the only problem is PHL, delays. He did it again the other day. His trip had rigs. He made a killing.

 

[texman]

This trip was based off 3 years one day service. 4th year pay. My friend is at 6th year 116.60tfp X 16.46.

 

[texman]

You're trying to inject reason into an emotional argument. Let the arbitrators do it. In the end, no one will be completely happy, but we'll have a stronger, more profitable and growing company.

True DAT!

 

[CaptainKiwi]

You're trying to inject reason into an emotional argument. Let the arbitrators do it. In the end, no one will be completely happy, but we'll have a stronger, more profitable and growing company.

You are consistantly wishing this will goto arbitration... Do you throw in the towel this quickly all the time? Give the unions a chance to work this out.

 

[RedDogC130]

This was my friends trip, and he said the only problem is PHL, delays. He did it again the other day. His trip had rigs. He made a killing.

I rarely have a delay in PHL in the AM...knock on wood, I have rarely had any real delay in PHL...and if we do, our new terminal has good food.

 

[texman]

I rarely have a delay in PHL in the AM...knock on wood, I have rarely had any real delay in PHL...and if we do, our new terminal has good food.

Wait till Newark.

 

[Quiet Flight]

We are bringing over 130+ aircraft with us...How could that be anywhere near considered fair and equitable?

I'll probably regret this...

You do not bring 130+ aircraft with you. You bring your contract and your seniority list. That's it. You do not bring ATL, CAK, EYW, International flying, or a different fleet type. Just contract and seniority list. Parts of which will assuredly be altered/changed/discarded, etc...

SWAPA brings the same, CBA and seniority list. Those are the only two things either pilot groups "owns" and/or "brings". These are also the only "assets" to be considered as SLI moves forward.

Your company "brings" those other things. This is akin to a SWA pilot saying "we bring Boise!". It just ain't true.

 

[RedDogC130]

And 500 jets

 

[GuppyWN]

Your company "brings" those other things. This is akin to a SWA pilot saying "we bring Boise!". It just ain't true.

Don't be hatin' on Boise! It's my favorite overnight.

Gup

 

[Kharma Police]

I'll probably regret this...

You do not bring 130+ aircraft with you. You bring your contract and your seniority list. That's it. You do not bring ATL, CAK, EYW, International flying, or a different fleet type. Just contract and seniority list. Parts of which will assuredly be altered/changed/discarded, etc...

SWAPA brings the same, CBA and seniority list. Those are the only two things either pilot groups "owns" and/or "brings". These are also the only "assets" to be considered as SLI moves forward.

Your company "brings" those other things. This is akin to a SWA pilot saying "we bring Boise!". It just ain't true.

Interesting (and very amusing) rationalization, somehow I don't think the arbitrator will see things like you do.

 

[27 driver]

You are consistantly wishing this will goto arbitration... Do you throw in the towel this quickly all the time? Give the unions a chance to work this out.

I think he along with many others believes that it will end up in arbitration so why waste the time and create the hard feelings of a nasty negotiation when in the end it will be decided by an arbitrator. Not throwing in the towel but simply speeding the process along. In the end if an arbitrator decides our fate you really can't blame your union for a perceived bad integration.

 

[FlyWolf]

So, any word about the Nov class? any news from the training dept? Or is the Oct 18th class is the last one?

Thanks