ASA Reserve Crisis???

[777forever]

Seems like just the 70 with staffing problems. ATL and IAD 200 is decently staffed

 

[Max Q]

Like I said before, if they offer 200% for all opentime pickups and voluntary extensions, all this whining and fatigue talk will go away quickly like it did last summer.

That excuse is horse sh(beep)t. There are those who want to fly 5 and 6 days in a row and those that don't.

 

[gator_hater]

We probably have enough reserves but when it comes to their efficient use scheduling leaves a little to be desired. Last week I joined a trip that had been broken up for a lineholder to attend training. He left after the first leg home but could easily have done the next round trip that was back in Atl by 1400. This happens all the time and enough of it adds up to reserve shortages.

 

[COOPERVANE]

I just did a DH to an outstation that was almost 3 hours late. When we got there, there was a crew waiting to take the plane we DH'd on to IAD.

There was ANOTHER plane sitting there for 3 hours. The waiting crew called dispatch to try and take the one sitting there and they refused. No reason......just refused.

Soooo they called 2 RESERVE CREWS (or rerouted lineholders) to cover the now very late trips back in ATL and IAD.

This is the level of efficiency that will necessitate 30% reserve coverage. Congrats Pappagiorgio.

 

[johnpeace]

This is the level of efficiency that will necessitate 30% reserve coverage. Congrats Pappagiorgio.

It's true. The scheduling games we see, 4 day trips with a day of sitting somewhere and 20-30% reserve coverage is there for the simple reason that it gives scheduling the flexibility they need to cover crew planning's astounding ineptitude.

If it weren't for all of that, the incompetence of crew planning would be apparent to everyone in the GO.

I think we should make replacement of the crew planning management one of our top priorities in JCBA negotiations. Demand that they retire that guy and find someone half competent to replace him.

 

[centralpilot]

I just did a DH to an outstation that was almost 3 hours late. When we got there, there was a crew waiting to take the plane we DH'd on to IAD.

There was ANOTHER plane sitting there for 3 hours. The waiting crew called dispatch to try and take the one sitting there and they refused. No reason......just refused.

Soooo they called 2 RESERVE CREWS (or rerouted lineholders) to cover the now very late trips back in ATL and IAD.

This is the level of efficiency that will necessitate 30% reserve coverage. Congrats Pappagiorgio.

You don't see the big picture

 

[COOPERVANE]

It's true. The scheduling games we see, 4 day trips with a day of sitting somewhere and 20-30% reserve coverage is there for the simple reason that it gives scheduling the flexibility they need to cover crew planning's astounding ineptitude.

If it weren't for all of that, the incompetence of crew planning would be apparent to everyone in the GO.

I think we should make replacement of the crew planning management one of our top priorities in JCBA negotiations. Demand that they retire that guy and find someone half competent to replace him.

You hit the nail on the head.

 

[sunlitpath]

Adjust your own schedule, if it doesn't suit you. It will force their hand.

 

[sunlitpath]

Sick, fatigue, sick, fatigue, sick, fatigue, etc. Don't sacrifice your health while ALPA sacricifices your life at the altar of free lunch during recurrent ground. ALPA is a scam.

 

[Redan]

Right now the ATL 200 captain reserve list shows zero availability. As long as I've been here Crew Planning and Scheduling have fought for the flexibility to be, frankly, lazy. They were quite opposed to the concept of having the online reserve list, or any transparency for that matter during contract negotiations. When I speak to my captain's rep regarding the abysmal reserve conditions, he tells me our pilot group is too expensive, and asks what I would be willing to give up to achieve the reserve improvements I mention. Yet company can afford to deadhead me 10 times in 10 recent reserve days, as well as pay for umpteen hotel rooms in IAD, MEM, DTW, and have countless crew in hotels for 18+ hours as scheduled on their line trips. The arguments tendered by company justifying this (and regrettably now our elected representatives) are specious and now wearing quite thin. The unbelievable loss of control during the recent snowpocalypse demonstrated how truly antiquated and detached our Skeds and Crew Planning really are. While recognizing the challenges related to the type flying awarded to us by DL, it is now quite obvious to us all that we aren't working with the brightest bulbs on the tree management-wise, and that we will probably have to force their hand to increase efficiency (and thus our QOL). This means upgrading our trip/duty rigs for example, and personally, I won't vote for any contract which doesn't have pay protection in place for reserves. These items cause short term pain for company but produce long term gains in efficiency.

 

[sunlitpath]

Right now the ATL 200 captain reserve list shows zero availability. As long as I've been here Crew Planning and Scheduling have fought for the flexibility to be, frankly, lazy. They were quite opposed to the concept of having the online reserve list, or any transparency for that matter during contract negotiations. When I speak to my captain's rep regarding the abysmal reserve conditions, he tells me our pilot group is too expensive, and asks what I would be willing to give up to achieve the reserve improvements I mention. Yet company can afford to deadhead me 10 times in 10 recent reserve days, as well as pay for umpteen hotel rooms in IAD, MEM, DTW, and have countless crew in hotels for 18+ hours as scheduled on their line trips. The arguments tendered by company justifying this (and regrettably now our elected representatives) are specious and now wearing quite thin. The unbelievable loss of control during the recent snowpocalypse demonstrated how truly antiquated and detached our Skeds and Crew Planning really are. While recognizing the challenges related to the type flying awarded to us by DL, it is now quite obvious to us all that we aren't working with the brightest bulbs on the tree management-wise, and that we will probably have to force their hand to increase efficiency (and thus our QOL). This means upgrading our trip/duty rigs for example, and personally, I won't vote for any contract which doesn't have pay protection in place for reserves. These items cause short term pain for company but produce long term gains in efficiency.

Very Nice. Just like the smack down that Green Bay just dealt the stupid ass Steelers!

 

[johnpeace]

This is a rare intelligent thread on FI, what a surprise.

 

[Jack Mehoff]

Mesa Sucks. There, went a head and took care of that to make this a real FI thread.

 

[cybourg10]

XJT has many CNXs in the past few days do to lack of crews. We have almost 60 CNXs today so far. The staffing problem is getting ridiculous on both sides it seems.

Nice post Redan. Everyone here is flying 90 hrs/month, I don't know what more the XJT/ASA pilot groups can do.

 

[JumpersAway]

God TDY'd to Dulles for 6 days. Sat, did nothing but four days of ready reserve. Got a call and assigned a trip- just a quick deadhead down to CAE to pick up an airplane and ferry it to IAD. Got down there, and suprise- no airplane in IAD to pick up. Apparently, it was in Chicago, and had been stuck there for 12+ hours. Crew scheduling hasn't got a clue where their airplanes are, or where their pilots are. It's embarassing (for the company)- I refuse to care!

 

[Max Q]

Two leg days, 18 hour layovers, and 1:45 turns all month long.

 

[Plainsman]

Wed, TH snowstorm in ATL. Lets see how they will handle this one.

 

[COOPERVANE]

Wed, TH snowstorm in ATL. Lets see how they will handle this one.

Thats easy. Move EVERYBODY'S off days and triple res coverage. Then, tell all lineholders with canceled trips to come into work anyway. Make everyone sit on hold for an hour with CS. Insinuate that you wont get paid unless you drive through the ice and snow just to sit in the crew room. Put out an update that says "thanks for all you do".......Done!

 

[crj567]

Honestly, I was hoping all the SKYW guys were wrong about BH.

Looks like they were correct. He just drives stuff into the ground, but he just has enough class to put a big ass smiley-face sticker on the tailgate before he leaves the driveway.

It is really a shame. I thought things were going to go better. We thought we finally had mgmt. who looked like they gave a rat. The only thing they really give a rat about is getting ALPA to go along with stripping away every last vestige of QOL, one little bit at a time.

(BTW-BH and CT have done a simply SPECTACULAR job at getting our ALPA guys to knuckle-under in grand style.)

-Oh well.

 

[dojetdriver]

XJT has many CNXs in the past few days do to lack of crews. We have almost 60 CNXs today so far. The staffing problem is getting ridiculous on both sides it seems.

Nice post Redan. Everyone here is flying 90 hrs/month, I don't know what more the XJT/ASA pilot groups can do.

You must not be ORD based ;-)

In July, I had three days off rolled, 23 duty periods/days "worked", didn't even break 75 hours in the logbook.

Every month since then, I've worked almost every day on reserve and haven't come close to breaking guaranty.

Of course, YMMV.