Alaska management verbally announces furloughs for

[dashtrash]

Just for reference, we have 1500 active pilots on the senioirty list (170 on furlough) flying about 135-140 airplanes over at Airtran. You guys either have a great contract or are overstaffed.

Or airtran is understaffed. Keep flying that overtime. Screw the guys on the street.

 

[Snapshot]

Or airtran is understaffed. Keep flying that overtime. Screw the guys on the street.

Exactly!

Company Building 90+ hour lines to cover the schedule and he thinks that is 'properly staffed'.
http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=116161&highlight=airtran+lines

Anyone who gets crew meals has a great contract in his eyes.

 

[maxblast72]

Or airtran is understaffed. Keep flying that overtime. Screw the guys on the street.

We staff our planes with about 11 pilots per airplane just like Southwest and Jetblue. I would imagine Southwest is one of your biggest competitors on the west coast. If your costs are out of line with theirs, I would put my money on their business model to win out over time. They have taken on bigger in the west coast (ie United, American/Aircal in SJC).

 

[Hamburger]

We staff our planes with about 11 pilots per airplane just like Southwest and Jetblue.

According to Airlinepilotcentral, Jetblue=14.12 pilots per plane.

Does Southwest build 90+ hour lines?

 

[Baze]

Forget about WN buy-out of / merger with ALK.

Looks like AirTran & ALK were made for each other. Sounds like both management teams operate the same way.

AirTran & ALK will merge, with around 350 pilots off the property, combined. After the seniority list integration debacle, etc., management will try to get a new, way sub-standard, contract signed or the 350 hostages will not be recalled.

Meanwhile, senior pilots will continue picking up overtime.

Good times...

 

[Going2Baja]

You're killin' me Baze.....Very funny and also possible. Starting your 5 days eh? You know if you do the 4am you can be sluggin' brew by 5 right? It's my last day off today and I'm off to find a Charger game to watch!

Baja.

 

[Baze]

Yeah, starting my 5-day. I'll sling my beer around 8:00 PM, which is fine with me.

Maybe I'll have an office job soon, so I won't have to worry about watching the clock when it comes to consuming adult beverages.

 

[mach none]

You're killin' me Baze.....Very funny and also possible. Starting your 5 days eh? You know if you do the 4am you can be sluggin' brew by 5 right? It's my last day off today and I'm off to find a Charger game to watch!

Baja.

Ya can't drink all day if you don't start early.

 

[Q400 Gear Bitch]

Ya can't drink all day if you don't start early.

I have that tatooed on my arm. Cheers brutha <clink> and good luck to y'all!

 

[Going2Baja]

Ya can't drink all day if you don't start early.

Once furloughed - You're correct!! :beer:

Baja.

 

[Snapshot]

Read the latest Bulletin yet?


The same day fuel fell below $100/bbl, we are informed that the only thing to be scared of more than the cost of fuel skyrocketing, is the cost of fuel dropping.

The Horror! We better step up those furloughs if were going to make it in this under $100/barrel world.

I wonder if employees who actually did grow up in households where the parents constantly lied to, stole from, and beat them buy into the "Alaska Family"?

 

[Baze]

Yes, saw the doom & gloom memo yesterday. The sky is falling.

But, maybe they'll spend another $130 million on a stock buy-back in the next couple of weeks. It will make the shareholders happy.

 

[kingair1]

So if I am furloughed I can sell our house and move our family of 5 up to mommy's house ! She said we can convert the top of her barn into a little house ! Can't wait to smell the morning horse crap when I wake up. It will be stronger then coffee ! OH WAIT, I can't sell my house because I just found our that carpenter ants ate through the corner of our house and left structural damage !! SWEET !!

 

[Singlecoil]

So if I am furloughed I can sell our house and move our family of 5 up to mommy's house ! She said we can convert the top of her barn into a little house ! Can't wait to smell the morning horse crap when I wake up. It will be stronger then coffee ! OH WAIT, I can't sell my house because I just found our that carpenter ants ate through the corner of our house and left structural damage !! SWEET !!

If you live in the Seattle area, I will come and help you fix it if that is possible. I just got done building a house (I am an FO and I am crazy-stupid) so I have a bunch of tools and a little skill.

 

[Baze]

Hey Kingair1,

Sorry to hear about the carpenter ant problem. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

I'm probably nowhere near as crafty as singlecoil, but I would be up for some manual labor.

 

[Going2Baja]

From GS on the 14th....

Not sure if this has been posted - But here it is.

"Based on our reading of the very cloudy crystal ball, we expect to
downsize the airline by 850-1000 employees, of which 150-190 will be pilots.
In addition to the extended leave and early out programs which have already
been announced, we are working with ALPA to explore other fiscally sound ways
to futher mitigate involuntary furloughs. "

 

[Fubijaakr]

Fiscally sound? You mean like cutting the lines back to 75 hours? No wait...they already did that.

 

[Baze]

Fiscally sound? You mean like cutting the lines back to 75 hours? No wait...they already did that.

If you take a look at the CBA, bid blocks can be further taken down to 65 hours. But, they would still have to have a credit of 75. That is, if the company is serious about mitigating furloughs.

I'm sure the company is not going to go for 65 hour bid blocks with 75 hours credit. They are too cheap. MEC will file a grievance and the company will go ahead and furlough pilots anyways.

 

[Fubijaakr]

Of course they won't. Look, they cut the schedule. They're not keeping extra employees around. Why? The benefits package required for full time employees adds another 55% or so to the salary they pay them. That's why its cheaper for them to run understaffed and pay VSA rates to cover extra flying.

So, for the reason they won't build blocks to 65 and pay 75 is the same reason they'll furlough 190 guys. Once the training is done and the bases are staffed, wanna bet the lines go back to 85?

 

[Going2Baja]

Once the training is done and the bases are staffed, wanna bet the lines go back to 85?

No way - I won't take that bet! You are 100% correct!!

Baja.

 

[Mookie]

no offense, guys, but if ya'll aren't up for the fight against angle lake, then maybe moving to the private sector is a better move. seriously...ya'll need to stop reading everything that those guys are saying and chill the ******************** out. i use the analogy of the Iraqi information minister when I think about GS....Saying that they are "slaying the infadels" while bombs are going off in the background. the more he talks, the more I laugh. I have on good authority that they have no clue what the numbers are going to be, so it's all conjecture, and ya'll are reacting as if the furlough letters are in hand.

chill out everyone...this is a marathon...not a sprint...and u don't want to burn bridges.

Mookie

 

[Going2Baja]

Mookie - Agreed. All I'm saying is that Mngmt will try to do anything they can get away with. But as part of the bottom 190, I think we all need an exit plan.

Baja.

 

[Baze]

Mookie, you're such a zen master. It must be all the outdoor activity you're involved in.

I like the idea of GS being our Comical Ali.

But, I agree with G2B. We all definitely need to have some irons in the fire.

 

[Mookie]

totally...have irons in the fire, but you guys have been sounding like the chicks on "The View" lately....

mgmnt is doing their job...appease investors and scare the employees... like it or not, and I'm not justifying their behavior, but as much as a bunch of fools as I think those guys are...i'd rather have them then Tilton, Parker, the bozo at Continental...etc. sure Herb would be great, but we don't have him...

Much love....

Mookie

 

[ApM]

I am lucky...I found my iron(s), skis and a snowboard. See you in all in 17 months. I still love my job here and will when I come back but for now......let it snow,let it snow,let it snow
Hollywood is headn' to Sundance

 

[Baze]

Dude, that was just low... really low...

totally...have irons in the fire, but you guys have been sounding like the chicks on "The View" lately....

mgmnt is doing their job...appease investors and scare the employees... like it or not, and I'm not justifying their behavior, but as much as a bunch of fools as I think those guys are...i'd rather have them then Tilton, Parker, the bozo at Continental...etc. sure Herb would be great, but we don't have him...

Much love....

Mookie

Compared to the CEOs you referred to, I'd rather have you running AAG.

Hey, ApM, have fun on your leave. Don't be a stranger, okay? Pick up that phone every once in a while.

Hopefully, in 17 months this place will be worth coming back to. Otherwise, I might have to come down there and apply for one of those lift operator positions.

 

[Fubijaakr]

Looks like I missed the mark. Lines built to 80-85 for October. Good thing we're getting rid of excess pilots...NOT!

 

[Baze]

Lines are built to 80-85 hours as a courtesy to the VSA crowd.

Just makes it easier for the Kool-Aid drinkers to pick up some overtime.

Looks like I missed the mark. Lines built to 80-85 for October. Good thing we're getting rid of excess pilots...NOT!

 

[Going2Baja]

Looks like I missed the mark. Lines built to 80-85 for October. Good thing we're getting rid of excess pilots...NOT!

Line avg. for LAX is 77.79. Only 5 lines over 81hrs.

Baja.

 

[turbodriver]

I'll join you shortly after. I hope those SEA guys learn to like the Arctic in the winter.

damm skippy!!