AirTran Folk

[-9Capt]

AIRTRAN

• 85 B717's
• 23 B737's (50 firm orders, 50 options)
• classes of approx 15-30 new hires every 3 weeks through the end of 2006
• The nations youngest all Boeing Fleet.
• Trip Rigs
• Duty Rigs (so no 5 hour sits)
• Fly to great places like LAS, LAX, SFO, Grand Bahamas, Cancun (November), but still fly to the same places that most regionals do too.
• Upgrade is currently about 3 years (its a crap shoot, will not always be that way, but as an FO you will still eventually make more than a captain at a regional).
• Scheduling supervisor came in and talked to us and was asked about JA's he said that he has only had to "JA" 2 people in all of 2005.
• 100% cancellation pay
• 100% deadhead pay
  
  RESERVE
• 70 hour guarantee
• 3.5 hours per day of reserve and anything you fly over the 3.5 hours per day is ABOVE guarantee!! (heck, a MSP turn out of MCO is nearly 7 hours!) I have a friend in the crashpad who flew 72 hours last month but got paid for 103 on RESERVE!!!
• Most new hires are only sitting reserve about 1-2 months right now.
• Max 12 hour duty day (scheduled).
• 2 hour call out.
• Contract states you can leave 4 hours early on last day of reserve and dont have to call scheduling.
  
  TRAINING
• Got paid 4 hours per day in training, expect to get 84 hours of pay in the first full month.
• The VP of flight ops calls you personally to offer you the job. Then comes into the class and went around the room and shook everyones hand to personally welcome you.
  
  COMMUTING
• Cheif Pilot commutes!! He walked in on day 3 to welcome us and said "hey, if you have tried a couple times to get to work and cant in time for your trip, call me, dont call in sick, save it for when its important, dont call scheduling, Ill call scheduling for you and pull you off your first round trip"
• 60-70% of the Airtran pilots commute.
• Not only can you ride the cockpit jumpseat but you can also ride the extra FA jumpseat if its open.
• For every month you dont call in sick they give you any of the following, your choice.
  1. $30 cash, on your check
  2. $40 towards the Airtran Store (uniforms, t shirts, airplane models)
  3. $50 towards your tuition payment.
• 10.5% B-plan

AF

All the above is true. However,

Management at this airline holds their pilots in very low regard. The company has made it clear that they have no intention to negotiate with the union and contract talks are going no where.

Willful contract violations are rampant. Recent arbitrations have all been lost. The company continually comes up with new and interesting ways to circumvent the contract. They have invented terms like "pairing integrity" in lieu of pay protecting on a "leg by leg basis" as the contract states, and they consider airport reserve to be a "flight assignment", again, a violation. These are just the recent stuff. We no longer operate under the same contract we voted on 5+ years ago.

Reserves have it the worst by far. Reserve availability periods are changed, reserve days removed (along with the pay credit). The company can make you sit reserve at outstations (almost never) but has to pay you 4 hrs to DH each way,provide a hotel and pay per diem 24/7.

Fanatic likes to quote the CEO and VP of flt ops. They are all bold faced liars. This is 60's-70's style management, you're no more important to them then the towbar that pushes your aircraft off the gate. They'll take every opportunity they can find to widdle away our contract, they've been doing exactly that for the last 5 years.

A lot of the newer guys weren't here to see the gradual dismantling of our contract, hence the optimism.

Oh, by the way, I like it here, seriously, I do.

 

[-9Capt]

How many days off guaranteed on reserve?

As a lineholder?

Thanks, and congrats to all the new-hires at Air Tran!

Reserves get 10-11 based on 30 or 31 day bid period, most have more like 12-14.

Lineholders get 12, most have 14-17, were in growth mode so days off have been low lately.

We have something called an LVI (line value index) which basically doesn't allow the company to schedule us to fly high time lines month after month without paying a substantial penalty to each pilot. The company has never needed to pay it. It's kind of unique.

 

[-9Capt]

It won't be long before Uppercrust/Einstein show up here. We have a decent conversation going, let's not let them ruin it.

 

[cl65capt]

I'll chime in here too for just a second. I get real sick of people comparing Airtran to a regional. Sure our type of flying is similar but by that standard then Southwest must be a regional too. The big difference here(at least for now) is our flying is not up for bid to the lowest bidder. We dont have to beg for our flying like some two bit crack ho looking to score some rock. Management doesnt come to us(not yet anyways) and tell us we need to take a pay cut or we wont get anymore flying. Most importantly were not tied to a bancrupt major like a boat anchor.

 

[Airtran717]

I havent been here long either and I love it here! As far as days off, I have never seen a reserve line I dont think with less than 12 and as a build up holder I never got less than 15-16 days off. Its pretty easy to swap trips out for more commutable ones as well and Atlanta is great to commute to and from. Lots of late flights.

 

[bestpilot]

Duuudes! The "A" on the tail be standing for

FREAKING A this ole Tranny is a great freaking place to be!

-9 Capn Duude is right abouts this thing. This ole Tranny's future is gonna in large part, be set by like if we, the Tranny pilots can gets a contract dat does 2 Things

A--Keeps us competitive
2--Has like concrete language and stuff so dat da peeps gots a good contract and are like WWAAAYYY Fired up and stuff to be comin in to work!!

Duuudes, if da Managers be treatin us pilots good, then these ole Tranny pilots will do EVERYTHING they can to be like showin ALL KINDS of lovvin to da company---

That's all we wants. But sometimes it's like, we be sayin to management---

Duuudes, you like never close your eyes anymore when you be kissin my lips, and like aint even no tenderness in dem fingertips--It's like they be done lost that lovvin feeling!!!!!


Cmon NOW, bring back dat lovvin feelin, give da Tranny pilots a nice ole contracts so that we all can stop the negotihatin and all da Trannies can get back to feelin that love again!!!!


Duuuudes, I came to da Cement Pond cause I beleieving dat this Tranny can be like da Best Ole L-C-C ever!!!!

YOU DOWN WITH L-C-C?

YEAH YOU KNOW ME!!!!



awwwwwwwwwww yeeeaaaahhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


(I hope dat be answerin your inquisition, dude)

 

[-9Capt]

Management doesnt come to us(not yet anyways) and tell us we need to take a pay cut or we wont get anymore flying. .

Have you listened to the BS Klaus is trying to sell during re-current?

 

[bestpilot]

Have you listened to the BS Klaus is trying to sell during re-current?

Duuude, we needs to get ole Klaus liquored up! Fill dat duuude with some quality brewskies (like Pabst), and ole Klaus will start feelin da love!!!

 

[Lear70]

Reserves get 10-11 based on 30 or 31 day bid period, most have more like 12-14.

Lineholders get 12, most have 14-17, were in growth mode so days off have been low lately.

We have something called an LVI (line value index) which basically doesn't allow the company to schedule us to fly high time lines month after month without paying a substantial penalty to each pilot. The company has never needed to pay it. It's kind of unique.

Cool!

Thanks for the info!

 

[cl65capt]

Have you listened to the BS Klaus is trying to sell during re-current?

Lucky for me I did my last recurrent in July and Klaus didnt show up.