ABX information please.

[LarryinTN]

No catering. There aren't many trips that need it so it's never been a priority in negotiations. It was in our last Section 6 opener so perhaps it will move up the priority list in the future.

I can't think of any trip that need catering out of ILN. The ones that need it are the early morning departures outbase where food is not available at the hotel. The caffeteria in ILN can make sandwiches, etc. to carry along on the longer trips.

What kind of schedules at ASTAR get catering?

 

[UPSer]

No catering. There aren't many trips that need it so it's never been a priority in negotiations. It was in our last Section 6 opener so perhaps it will move up the priority list in the future.

I can't think of any trip that need catering out of ILN. The ones that need it are the early morning departures outbase where food is not available at the hotel. The caffeteria in ILN can make sandwiches, etc. to carry along on the longer trips.

What kind of schedules at ASTAR get catering?

I'm really not trying to rag on the ABX pilots, but they need to realize how bad they do have it in regards to catering and facilities in general, both at ILN and at the gateways. My buds there tell me that the company only furnishes them bottled water and that the company bitches if they take more than a couple of bottles each. There are no coolers on the planes, so on your long west coast flight your water will get warm.

Astar pilots better be proactive with their management to make sure that when you finally do move en masse to ILN, that they are not relying on ABX for such things as crew vans, parking lots and van service to and from and crew facilities (which is housed in the same building as the HazMat sort!)

My buds there tell me that their crew van service in particular, just horrible. They tell me that there are too few vans, most without any air conditioning and minimal heating, that they only drop off and pick up at the end of each parking row, which means hoofing it to your plane and back in the weather and having to wait for long periods of time for pick up when you arrive, also waiting out in the weather (unless you wait in the containers).

The bottom line is the Astar crews are going to be in for a rude awakening when they see the facilities and service that the ABX crews put up with in ILN. You guys have better be working on your own facilities and transport there because you don't want to depend on using ABX's.

Like I saw in an old Night Flyer: Returning the company to profitability, one bottle at a time!

 

[abxaviator]

OH MY GOD!!! WARM water, the horror! True our facilities are not the best, but I don't tend to hang around, especially out-base. At a previous major airline I worked for we did not get crew meals if we were scheduled for a lyover during the day of 1:15 or more; of course if delays reduced that to say 20 min. we still were'nt allowed crew meals. Besides, the meals were certainly nothing to brag about anyway.

The vans are few and some are on their last legs, but they are almost always waiting when we get out of the plane. Every once in a while I do have to wait 5-10 minutes (less than once a month). And they drop-off/pickup planeside, not at the end of the row.

I'm certainly not trying to say we have the best of everything, but the problem is some people will bitch about anything and everything. In the final analysis, with some pilots giving up 1/3 - 1/2 of their pay, working more days and losing pensions, I really don't need to worry about the temperature of the water I drink.

 

[hvydriver]

Wow. Maybe when we get there, you guys can get some help from us. (Maybe shame your management into being human.) Vans are heated, drop off at your aircraft. All flights scheduled for less than 11 hrs. rest are catered. As much water as you want, too. That's all in our CBA. It sounds like your management is really bad. Giving you grief over bottled water? Give me a break! I can't imagine what our reaction would be if we got dropped off at the end of the row and had to walk to an airplane on a ramp with tugs zipping around. Or inadequate water. Well, I can imagine. We'd just say no. Dasburg and Co. are pretty amenable to reasonable requests, and following our CBA. I can't imagine we'd be faced with treatment like that. It would get ugly quick if it did, though.

 

[hvydriver]

ABXAviator,

We must have posted at the same time. Disregard the van part of my post then. I'm glad to hear that's an "urban legend".

 

[UPSer]

In the final analysis, with some pilots giving up 1/3 - 1/2 of their pay, working more days and losing pensions, I really don't need to worry about the temperature of the water I drink.

And that's why you are drinking warm water, because you won't fight for making the company spend a FEW dollars and put on a cooler and bag of ice on each plane. But the company (Volmer) can spend the money to put a mirror in the crew room to see how professional you all look to your "customers".

Like I said in an earlier post, I'm not trying to insult the ABX pilots, for they run one of the most professional and standardized cockpits out there, but they really need to see the light and see just how cheap the company is and how much there are forced to do without because the company is just being cheap (and the things i'm talking about won't cost the company much money anyway). It's probably the fact that you've never had it to begin with so you don't miss it. But look around and talk to other pilots in your same area of the industry and see what you are missing. Heck, even the "bottom feeder" ACMI carries cater their flights.

PS, heard that an ABX captain interviewed down here last week, any idea who it is and if they made it through? PM me if you like with the name.

 

[goastar]

"PS, heard that an ABX captain interviewed down here last week"

Come on, a captain?? Why would you give up a good 6 figure to start back at the bottom. I could see an s/o or an f/o. Did he say why, other than the obvious of being an ACMI carrier now?

 

[abxaviator]

UPSer- I will go to the wall to fight for something I believe in; the point I was making is that catering (which I have had previously) and water temp are not issues I care about one bit. At the Miami Int'l base, the compnay was set to get catering, but the crews decided against it.

goastar- We do occassionally have a Capt leave for "greener pastures", though that happened more before the collapse of hiring.

 

[UPSer]

UPSer- I will go to the wall to fight for something I believe in; the point I was making is that catering (which I have had previously) and water temp are not issues I care about one bit. At the Miami Int'l base, the compnay was set to get catering, but the crews decided against it.

ABXaviator, If catering and facilities are not something very high up the totem pole for the pilot group then fair enough. I understand you have far more important issues pending than those two items. I was just surprised that they were not addressed in your new contract.

I was trying to give a heads up to the Astar pilots about what the conditions are like at ILN, but I have found out recently that Astar plans on having totally seperate facilities for their crews.

 

[LarryinTN]

UPSer,

Your sources are feeding you bad information.

Hvydriver,

Catering on flights with under 11hrs rest would be good. We have only a couple of trips with that short of a layover, though, and don't do more than 8 in 24 as you guys do with your 3-man crews.