Alaska News?

[Z_Pilot]

If they really honestly want us back yesterday, then why are they not hiring more instructors *now*? Why do they continue with a recall rate of 6/mo? Why has management not approached the MEC to work out an agreement for increased training? No, I am NOT advocating that we contract training out, but, I am sure a "win-win" situation can be found. There are several 737 sims out there.

 

[Baze]

Because people making these decisions (GH & BJ) are not pilots and they are too busy trying to save a few dollars. Of course, we're royally screwed with our current "staffing model." It's going to be very tough to run our Summer schedule with our current pilot staff, even with the usual premium trip & VSA #$%@s stepping in to save the day. We're definitely short on the FO side of the house.

 

[GuppyWN]

44? That's it? Almost sounds like they are just being stubborn.

Gup

 

[Baze]

Who knows? I think they were being stubborn and wanted to see if they could fly their current schedule with the pilots we have on the property. Maybe they were banking on a bigger turn-out with #^$%s picking up premium and VSA trips. Now, with the increased block hours, they're going to have a tough time with the schedule. I'm sure all lines will be built to 85 hours and all reserves will be breaking guarantee.

I hope there's another bid to bring more folks back by Summer, but they are going to need to put out the bid very soon for that to happen. The pilots coming back from now on will have to go through the entire training syllabus and not the abbreviated version. They will be well outside the 24 months since their last recurrent training.

Unfortunately, the most likely scenario is to try and get through the Summer with the current staffing numbers and start more recalls next Fall to gear up for 2012 and beyond! I hope I'm dead wrong on this.

 

[AK737FO]

Z -
They have interviewed / hired more instructors who now have to go through the whole process of becoming an instructor (just to replace the one's they let go unnecessarily - but that's another issue...). They can only handle 6 furloughs a month right now, even though they want it to be more. They have approached the MEC for help, and that issue is currently being worked on. They have approached Boeing for sim time. So you are on track - they are doing all the things you mentioned - but it still takes time. Granted, it could have been done better to begin with and I hope that they learn from the mess that they have made and choose a different path the next time this industry goes into a furlough frenzy.

The dust up to get 18 more ASAP comes from marketing releasing the "Spring" schedule - which showed us seriously short. So we are not even talking about what in the world we are going to do for next summer yet!

My money is on a bid coming out in the next two weeks, then a second bid out by March. I have no intel on that - just my gut feeling.

Happy New Year All - lets look forward to a great 2011 with all our people back on board!

 

[Baze]

AK737FO,

Thanks for the info. It shouldn't have had to come down to marketing releasing the Spring block hours for the company to realize that we're going to be short. We are way short now. Just look at the FO reserves in SEA the last few days. They've been deadheading FOs, especially from ANC, to cover SEA trips. Scheduling has been patching together some strange trips just to get flights covered.

I hope they learn from all this, but I'm not going to be holding my breath.

 

[msmb]

"Management" gets paid the big bucks to run this airline. Flt ops has been screaming for more than a year that they cut too deep. Someone needs to "retire" for this royal screw-up! Just my opinion ( reserve scum).

 

[Mookie]

"mgmnt" sees record load factors, record on time, record completion factors and high crew utilization. They see $$$$ at every turn. There is no way they are going to go back to the "good old days" of what we as pilots consider proper staffing. I hate to say it, but that's the new reality at this company as long as certain individuals are running crew planning.

Free M. Brisbane!!!!
Mookie

 

[Green Banana]

"mgmnt" sees record load factors, record on time, record completion factors and high crew utilization. They see $$$$ at every turn. There is no way they are going to go back to the "good old days" of what we as pilots consider proper staffing. I hate to say it, but that's the new reality at this company as long as certain individuals are running crew planning.

Free M. Brisbane!!!!
Mookie

Exactly on target. They are not short until you start to see canceled flights. Until that point they are just efficient.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

That's too bad. I am soon going to be forced to sign a 2 year employment contract elsewhere.

They do have a magic wand...it's called 1.3 billion dollars of unrestricted cash in the bank and quarter after quarter of record profitability.

I haven't looked for a while, but I thought you could only bypass recall up to one year if you're in an employment contract.