A new low for flops

[windycty]

In the fbo last night at lax a flops pilot was trying to pay for fuel. For some reason the company card wasn't working. The company forced the pilot to pay for the fuel with his OWN credit card. He was speechless. He also said that the company would not be paying him back for it until after christmas. I felt bad for the guy.

 

[208starcheck]

A simple "UNABLE" is all I would say. If I had to, I would lie and say my card was already maxed because of Christmas. Then ask the CP for his CC number.

 

[Wankel7]

Wow, how much was the charge for? That really does suck...I would have been unable too. But that was some real team spirit for him to do that.

 

[Hobbes]

When they want to pay my credit card off (by offering industry standard pay and benefits which will allow ME to pay it off) then we can talk about team spirit. Until then they can shove it. If they can't pay for the fuel that just means I get to sit around and do nothing until they can.

 

[On Your Six]

In the fbo last night at lax a flops pilot was trying to pay for fuel. For some reason the company card wasn't working. The company forced the pilot to pay for the fuel with his OWN credit card. He was speechless. He also said that the company would not be paying him back for it until after christmas. I felt bad for the guy.

Imagine the airline points for that purchase!

Seriously, that could not be more lame. FLOPS should be renamed BITES. I feel for the pilots there who have to put up with that $hit...

 

[windycty]

I am not sure exactly how much it was but he looked as if someone had kicked him in the stomach. Listening to his phone call with the company made me feel badly for how the flops guys are treated.

 

[dime line]

all he had to say was no. can't afford to max out my card....

 

[realityman]

Gotta agree. No freaking way would I pay for ANYTHING like that for the company! I do feel badly for that pilot though. Imagine how beat down he must be to agree to something like that.

Honestly, I hope this story turns out to be untrue. If it really is true, those guys are in deeper trouble than anyone ever thought.

 

[theskyking]

One word. Hell no!!!

 

[Freedom]

Hell No is Right...

The only requirement at Flight Options is that a Pilot hold a personal credit card for possible expenses incurred on the road, such as expensing a rental car with a company that Options cannot direct bill with.

Nowhere in ANY Flight Options manual does it state that a Pilot must have a Credit Card with X dollars as a credit limit. They can't demand that, its the Pilots' credit, not the company's.

So my answer would be this: I would be more than happy to put $500 dollars worth of Fuel on my Credit Card, but that is all I can afford from my credit limit. $500 dollars, what's that, 100 gallons or 670 lbs? See how far that gets you in a Jet.

Remember, its your Credit Card, not theirs. It is not their decision as to what one is comfortable doing with it.

If they don't like it, they can authorize the use of the Company's Amex for more than just Hotels. They trust us with Multimillion Dollar airplanes, but won't to appropriately use a Company Credit Card???

Options Management plain and simple: SUCKS.

Stand United Shoulder to Shoulder and DEMAND a Contract, or this will be your life going forward.

Freedom is not Free.

 

[SilverSurfer]

In the fbo last night at lax a flops pilot was trying to pay for fuel. For some reason the company card wasn't working. The company forced the pilot to pay for the fuel with his OWN credit card. He was speechless. He also said that the company would not be paying him back for it until after christmas. I felt bad for the guy.

All this pilot should have said is NO. We are not responsible for financing the company

 

[NJA bound]

Flame, no one would pay with their own card

 

[WabiSabi]

When I was @ FLOPS, I met a coworker that had a $500 limit on a personal credit card and it was dedicated to company expenses for this very reason. He was at some Canadian airport that only took MC or Visa and the company had to call in a credit card number to pay for the fuel.

 

[gutshotdraw]

Flame, no one would pay with their own card

Can't say if the story is true or not but there have been many times over the years where pilots have put fuel expenses on their own cards to get their employer out of a jam so it wouldn't really surprise me. Ask the Polar, Tower, Kiwi, second Pan Am, National, Kitty Hawk, etc. guys if it ever happened at their company. Of course, what do all those airlines have in common? That's right. Crap companies operating on the brink of financial disaster with their employees shouldering the burden. FLOPS certainly meets that criteria so maybe some poor sap was made to feel his job was on the line if he didn't man up with a personal credit card. Obviously, many of us would rather tell the company where to go and get fitted for the Hope Depot apron but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

 

[clickclickboom]

I was at some obscure northern canadian airport and they did not accept multiserve. I had to put $2400 on my credit card. Flops paid me within 5 days with a direct deposit..

Of course that was 7 years ago when flops guys also used to stay in Ritz Carltons and spend 4 days on stby in cabo and sxm while the NJA guys were at the econolodge.. AHHHHH times change dont they..

 

[50Pesos]

One word. Hell no!!!

UHHH thats two!

 

[50Pesos]

One word. Hell no!!!

UHH thats two!

 

[pilotyip]

Some guys are in a lean forward mode, get the job done kinda guys. I guess they should all be banned from working in avaition.

 

[fischman]

I was at a $hithole in MN that did not take multiserv one day. I actually OFFERED to use my personal card to pay for the fuel to get the heck out of there. Of course, I don't work at FLOPS.

(Turns out I didn't need to do this anyway, but I would have.)

 

[Cavpilot]

Of course that was 7 years ago when flops guys also used to stay in Ritz Carltons and spend 4 days on stby in cabo and sxm while the NJA guys were at the econolodge.. AHHHHH times change dont they..

Econolodge? No, I don't think so. Hotels have been consistently good for the seven years I've been at EJA/NJA.

 

[WabiSabi]

Some guys are in a lean forward mode, get the job done kinda guys. I guess they should all be banned from working in avaition.

Spoken by someone that has zero understanding of working at FLOPS.

 

[buckeyes95]

I certainly hopr this is not true. If it is, the guy should've had the balls to tell FLOPS to shove it up there ass. No way I would be anything like fuel on my own CC.

 

[ozpilot]

I've done it once at Netjets. I was up in Alaska and the FBO didn't take Multi-Service. I used my AMEX card. Cleared it with the ACP first. The charge was almost $9000, The money was in my account by the time I got back to the 'lower 48' ...

 

[pilotyip]

true

Spoken by someone that has zero understanding of working at FLOPS.

But I do have a lot of expereince being between jobs, and anything I can do to help my company stay in business is always my first concern. But I guess there are so many jobs now that screw the company is the battle cry of our times

 

[old*art]

Before the company credit card at NJA you would not get hired if you could not get a $5000 credit card line. I heard of one guy who cosigned a house loan for a friend that went sour, screwed up his credit, and kept him from getting hired. One Sunday afternoon in the Carolinas I had to overwing self service a bird using my personal card - the pump would not take Multiserv - it was just part of it back then. Course I was not worried about it with Netjets. They apologize to us when the NJA card does not work hehe.

 

[CA1900]

But I do have a lot of expereince being between jobs, and anything I can do to help my company stay in business is always my first concern.

And you think loaning three months salary to a financially shaky company, at credit card interest rates, with nothing more than a verbal promise to repay, is a prudent move?

My job is to fly and take care of the plane, not finance its operation.

But I guess there are so many jobs now that screw the company is the battle cry of our times

When that company goes under, and you're repaying a $10,000 fuel bill yourself at 22.5% interest, you're going to feel mighty foolish.

The company's debts are isolated to the corporation; yours aren't. There's a big difference between going the extra mile, and risking your family's finances by taking out a $10,000 personal loan, because your employer can't cover a credit card payment.

 

[glasspilot]

Why couldn't the company use the phone to get a credit card to the FBO?

If there were no other option because of self serve requiring an actual card or something then I can almost see it. But if phoning in a number is an option and the company simply doesn't want to then I'd use my personal card to purchase an airline ticket / rental car out of there and quick.

The posts above about putting company expense on your personal credit are spot on. In fact, risking your families financial security by placing a questionable companies operating expense on your personal credit would raise questions about your sound judgement and decision making abilities. I think there may be a case to revoke your ATP.

 

[old*art]

On another note I know someone who is still trying to get $30,000 back from a 135 operator he let use his credit card balance. The operator is out of business now.

 

[surveypilot]

Be careful!

I am still trying to recover money owed to me from a former employer for doing this very thing. After months of not getting reimbursed, I left the company and then they went out of business shortly thereafter.

I blame myself for letting this happen, and trust me, it will not happen again.

 

[G100driver]

But I do have a lot of expereince being between jobs, and anything I can do to help my company stay in business is always my first concern. But I guess there are so many jobs now that screw the company is the battle cry of our times

Yip are you willing to "loan" your employer money to keep them afoat? How about work and not get paid for month? I gotta feed my family.

This is the potential when you are told to use your personal CC to cover expenses.

A little different than showing up to work with a smile on your face and a can do attitude.