Golden Falcon
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2006
- Posts
- 659
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General Lee is looking forward to the left seat of the Valu-Junk SWA offloaded..ahhhhh the mighty Delta...
That's not exactly true. I am waiting for the 737, and that includes new 737-900ERs coming later this year. I could have held 717 Capt on the last bid, but no thanks, I prefer fewer legs per day.
So Golden, have you been kicked out of Bahrain yet? Lots of Expats getting bumped out. Your airline also isn't doing well, and is a distant number 4 in the Gulf. Oh well. Good luck with that.
Bye Bye---General Lee
Ok, what? Wait one second. This jumpseater was miserable? Why doesn't he bid off to another fleet? It's called VARIETY. We had a bid in April that had new categories in DTW (73N or 737-7/8/9), not to mention a new plane with the 717, Capt and FO seats. He could have EASILY bid off the 7ER or any widebody. (New plane or new category in base (DTW 737) means no seat hold)
Also, if he doesn't like the INTL trips, the 7ER also does a lot of domestic, from one day turns to 4 day domestic trips (ATL doesn't do 5 day domestics like MSP/DTW/SEA). So, he doesn't have to be tired. Also, there are plenty of 3 day Europe trips and 4 day South America trips, not all 12 day trips that may affect family life with small kids.
Red, it's obvious that he was BS'ing you, if it happened at all. Nobody has to fly INTL, and even if he supposedly did, he had a free card to bid the 717 or DTW 737 on the last bid if HE HAD TO GET OFF THE FLEET....(ask Bill Lumberg or Scoot if that is true)
Variety Red, in fleets, routes, and trip types. That's GOOD Red.
Bye Bye---General Lee
Ok, what? Wait one second. This jumpseater was miserable? Why doesn't he bid off to another fleet? It's called VARIETY. We had a bid in April that had new categories in DTW (73N or 737-7/8/9), not to mention a new plane with the 717, Capt and FO seats. He could have EASILY bid off the 7ER or any widebody. (New plane or new category in base (DTW 737) means no seat hold)
.....
Bye Bye---General Lee
Perhaps he didn't have the seniority to bid off of his international position. I spoke with a Delta 767 internaional guy who said he was too junior to get anything else. Perhaps Redflyer's JSer was in the same position. Even if he was just "BSing me" as you put it, my best friend is an American guy in the exact same boat. When he was recalled from furlough in 2007, he was assigned 757/767 International out of New York, that being the junior-most position in all of American's network. Eventually, he got 757/767 Internatiional out of Miami, and then a few years after recall, he got 757/767 Domestic out of Los Angeles. After 7 months on the bottom there, he got displaced again when American closed its San Francisco base and those more senior SFO guys went to LAX. Displaced where? Back to 757/767 International out of New York or Miami again. Finally, for the month of May 2013, he had enough guys behind him to be was able to bid 737/S80 Domestic. More than 5-1/2 years after being recalled (other than his short stint in LAX), he was able to hold narrow body domestic.
See where I'm going here? While you may love international (and good for you), it's not the be-all, end-all that you make it out to be. I'm sure some really senior guys love it too, especially if they can get those choice schedules where you work very little. But not enough guys love it. The grunt work of international flying (lots of crossings) is done by junior guys, because no one with the seniority wants to do it. Even for a little extra pay, and even if they "get" to fly a wide-body, General.
I'm happy that you like International, General. Seriously I am. It's great when most folks get the flying that they want. And like you said, "VARIETY is great" --but it doesn't mean squat if you don't have the seniority to exercise it, and you're stuck flying 757/767 International, because not enough other guys want to do it.
Bubba
Dude
Has anyone ever told you to seek help ?You are mentally not right .
Perhaps he didn't have the seniority to bid off of his international position. I spoke with a Delta 767 internaional guy who said he was too junior to get anything else. Perhaps Redflyer's JSer was in the same position. Even if he was just "BSing me" as you put it, my best friend is an American guy in the exact same boat. When he was recalled from furlough in 2007, he was assigned 757/767 International out of New York, that being the junior-most position in all of American's network. Eventually, he got 757/767 Internatiional out of Miami, and then a few years after recall, he got 757/767 Domestic out of Los Angeles. After 7 months on the bottom there, he got displaced again when American closed its San Francisco base and those more senior SFO guys went to LAX. Displaced where? Back to 757/767 International out of New York or Miami again. Finally, for the month of May 2013, he had enough guys behind him to be was able to bid 737/S80 Domestic. More than 5-1/2 years after being recalled (other than his short stint in LAX), he was able to hold narrow body domestic.
See where I'm going here? While you may love international (and good for you), it's not the be-all, end-all that you make it out to be. I'm sure some really senior guys love it too, especially if they can get those choice schedules where you work very little. But not enough guys love it. The grunt work of international flying (lots of crossings) is done by junior guys, because no one with the seniority wants to do it. Even for a little extra pay, and even if they "get" to fly a wide-body, General.
I'm happy that you like International, General. Seriously I am. It's great when most folks get the flying that they want. And like you said, "VARIETY is great" --but it doesn't mean squat if you don't have the seniority to exercise it, and you're stuck flying 757/767 International, because not enough other guys want to do it.
Bubba
[Rant]
Regarding all this domestic vs Intl; who gives a sh!t! Go to work, layover, have some beverages, go home. Its all subjective anyway.
[/Rant]
Nope. He likes to stick his head in without acknowledging his own plight. His airline is kicking out expats, dumping planes, and at the same time falling more behind in the Gulf. He shouldn't put down any US carrier. It's more likely you don't understand what is going on in other places around the World because you are focused on INTRA Texas.
Bye Bye---General Lee
First of all, The world revolves around Texas.
That's true, but don't slam INTL flying if your airline doesn't offer it (long haul). So what if you did it 20 years ago in a C130, that's not the same. If your airline does have a choice, and you try both, then you can slam it if you didn't like it. Otherwise, you have zero experience and no credibility in the subject.
Bye Bye---General Lee
I did it for nine months for a legacy. I never looked forward going on a trip. The other guys on my trips, with few exceptions, would much rather stay domestic. (money, seniority, etc)
To each their own for certain. For me, I love the company I work for, the people I work with and the flying I do. Last year I averaged 3.1 legs a day. The turns can be busy but because of the type of people SWA hires it becomes more a social half hour with the FA's, ops agents, passengers, etc. The overnights, like international, some are better than others but on the norm very social. The hotel lounges get us and we treat them well. Better than well. Often times we are pulling tables together so it turns almost into a party.
General your imagination of how International flying is no different than how it may have been in the sixties and what the general public believes it can be like today. We all know people from other airlines and a twenty year Delta flight attendant friend says it is very rare for crews to hang out because everyone is so tired being on the backside of the clock. They just want to go home. Yes they will go out for a few hours maybe now and then but it is never a "Catch me if you can" moment. The pilots and FA's rarely hang together on an overnight. The average age of International crews is "old and tired." Its a lonely job. And loners are typically the ones that don't have a problem with that type of life.
If you think you would be happier being a Delta International pilot then maybe you would be. I can tell you that you would not be happy at SWA. A pilot at SWA who is a loner fits in like the square peg in a round hole. They tend not to be very comfortable standing out in what is not the norm around SWA.
Good luck with your imaginary job.
Walk up fare for today
LGA-ORD 12:15pm DL5943
First class three free checked bags
$403..........and it's an rj
What business traveler walks up and buys a ticket? Hello? Isn't there an app for that?
It's tiresome when people make the same point over and over and over and over.
I did it for nine months for a legacy. I never looked forward going on a trip. The other guys on my trips, with few exceptions, would much rather stay domestic. (money, seniority, etc)
To each their own for certain. For me, I love the company I work for, the people I work with and the flying I do. Last year I averaged 3.1 legs a day. The turns can be busy but because of the type of people SWA hires it becomes more a social half hour with the FA's, ops agents, passengers, etc. The overnights, like international, some are better than others but on the norm very social. The hotel lounges get us and we treat them well. Better than well. Often times we are pulling tables together so it turns almost into a party.
General your imagination of how International flying is no different than how it may have been in the sixties and what the general public believes it can be like today. We all know people from other airlines and a twenty year Delta flight attendant friend says it is very rare for crews to hang out because everyone is so tired being on the backside of the clock. They just want to go home. Yes they will go out for a few hours maybe now and then but it is never a "Catch me if you can" moment. The pilots and FA's rarely hang together on an overnight. The average age of International crews is "old and tired." Its a lonely job. And loners are typically the ones that don't have a problem with that type of life.
If you think you would be happier being a Delta International pilot then maybe you would be. I can tell you that you would not be happy at SWA. A pilot at SWA who is a loner fits in like the square peg in a round hole. They tend not to be very comfortable standing out in what is not the norm around SWA.
Good luck with your imaginary job.
Bubba,
You and Red don't understand. Anyone still holding INTL (smallest ETOPS widebody is the 76ER) could have bid 717 FO on this last bid. There were bottom DC9 FOs that were displaced onto it, but an AE (entitlement bid) trumps that. He could have bid off for free (getting rid of any seat hold) because it was a new plane. Also, anytime an existing plane goes to a new base (DTW 737), anyone can bid that too. So, if he somehow hated multiple crossings (which normally is pretty senior anyway and he could have only bid domestic if he wanted to) he could have had at least the 717 FO.
Bye Bye---General Lee
Of course international flying is going higher on the seniority list, follow the money! When the larger aircraft fly international routes and get compensated at a higher rate for the flying they, do senior folks will always flock to it. But, when all flying is done at the same rate of pay, many will opt out of the back side of the clock multiple time zone flying. Feel free to take a look at UPS and see where the senior boys are flying. All aircraft on that seniority list are paid the same. The most senior guys are flying whatever equipment will allow them to stay away from the backside of the clock and keep them domestic even though they are missing out on a hefty premium on per diem.Yes, a reserve could get some INTL flying, but anything going over the pond on the open board is grabbed quickly, at almost every base on the 7ER. The INTL flying pays more, and per diem is higher also.
INTL flying can have more time at home, btw. DL does have 7 day trips worth up to 40 hours (no 30/7 rule for INTL) and up to 12 day trips to Asia (fly intra Asia once over there, like Narita to Guam, next day back one leg to Narita, then Seoul the next day, etc) worth up to 80 hours. Sounds rough, but doing a 7 day trip worth up to 40 hours means more days overall at home in a month, and doing a 12 day trip at the beginning of one month and one at the end of the next month means you could have 35 days off in a row between trips. Talk about time with the family. I saw a few 12 day trips on the 76ER that had 99 hour layovers in Palau, and island South of Guam, at a very nice resort that has downed Japanese Zeros in the bay you can snorkel around. Over 4 days off on a tropical island in the middle of a 12 day trip. That's more like a vacation, and many people bring spouses or kids on those if the loads look good (Air Mike-now United-- also goes there as a back up if needed to get out). Or, you could bid one day turns or 2 days trips too. Variety and choice are great things.
Regardless, both airlines are great!/QUOTE]
You are missing the point! I can guarantee you UPS has the same variety of pairings, but when you equalize the pay factor, senior folks are opting to stay in North America and skip the international hassle that includes back side of the clock flying and multiple time zones.
DL does have 7 day trips worth up to 40 hours (no 30/7 rule for INTL) and up to 12 day trips to Asia (fly intra Asia once over there, like Narita to Guam, next day back one leg to Narita, then Seoul the next day, etc) worth up to 80 hours.
Bye Bye---General Lee
HowardBorden;2395813 You are missing the point! I can guarantee you UPS has the same variety of pairings said:Then why is the int'l flying extremely senior at FDX? Been here 24 years and can't hold an international line (not counting Canada/Mex).
YMMV but long haul seems to be more popular here than CONUS. And we have a lot of domestic day flying here.
So it's two 7 day trips, 14 days, to get 80 hours or go away for 12 straight days to get 80 hours? F that, 3 on 4 off is about as good as it gets. Crap, I don't even like 4 day trips, I still love my wife and kids and enjoy seeing them. Our F/A's don't even have 4 days in their bids.
Fine. Maybe now he can bid off to the 717, now that it's the new least desireable position.
Yes, I won't deny that but you are again missing the point. At FedEx there is a $36 an hour premium flying the larger equipment. That alone coupled with trip density skews the results. As I said before, it's all about the money! That is why I used the UPS example. When all equipment is paid at the same rate, many will opt out of long haul international flying. I'm not trying to say long haul international sucks, I'm simply saying that when you remove the higher pay from the equation many will opt for front side of the clock domestic flying. If SWA had lengthy multi-day pairings that paid more and offered me more time at home, I would swallow my aversion to week long pairings and flock to where the money is.Then why is the int'l flying extremely senior at FDX? Been here 24 years and can't hold an international line (not counting Canada/Mex).
YMMV but long haul seems to be more popular here than CONUS. And we have a lot of domestic day flying here.