ASA Quality of life ??

[ATR-DRIVR]

ekuflyer,
if you don't like ASA then i would suggest you apply elsewhere. Reserve is at ANY airline and in some cases can last a couple of years. The industry right now does not make for alot of attrition, hence the slowdown in progression. Few have been lucky enough to have had either little or no reserve.

Medeco is dead on in several areas....

1. WEAR YOUR F^^^ING HAT AND IRON YOUR SHIRT.
If you want to be treated of and thought of as a professional,
that is a minimum. That is for ALL pilots.
2. It is tough starting in this business, especially now. Be positive and go with the flow.
3.If you don't like it, PLEASE say goodbye and let someone else take your position. There are plenty of guys on furlough or guys wanting to get started in the business that would be happy just to be in the air again.

 

[sleepy]

I would not expect the hiring at ASA to be much for at least two years (when I estimate that our contract will be completed). Until then the growth will be at Comair. But then Comair will be starting contract talks around that time, so their growth will end. Ahhh, it is a crazy cycle, the trick is to get on with the right airline at the right time. Maybe you should try Skywest, their future looks pretty bright.

 

[Ty Webb]

If you have 500 hours of 121 PIC time I would be looking at AirTran before ASA or Comair. . . . the FO pay at AirTran is pretty much the Capt pay at either of those companies, and it just goes up from there.

No commuter clause, but plenty of sick time if you need it!

As for the guy that equates a hat with professionalism . . . give me a break- you must be going bald. Jet Blue doesn't even have hats, period.

 

[rogerroger]

1. WEAR YOUR F^^^ING HAT AND IRON YOUR SHIRT.
If you want to be treated of and thought of as a professional,
that is a minimum. That is for ALL pilots

I'll dress like a professional when they start paying me like a profesional!!

 

[Mayday911]

That is a laim excuse not to wear your hat....you took the job knowing what you would earn and you also knew that the company required pilots to wear hats. Just follow the dang rules.

Mayday

 

[PROFLYER]

Sleepy,

I don't quite agree with you statement on ASA vs. Comair growth. Sure, Comair is growing like crazy right now, but are you aware that next year they're only getting 7 airplanes? ASA will get 15 jets in 04, then that's it for the DCI firm orders! While it's certainly possible for our growth to pick up down the road, pilot negotiations aren't the only factor involved. If that was the case, CHQ wouldn't be growing like crazy right now (while they send out strike ballots).

As far as ASA QOL, it's all about where in the cycle you get hired. We've got people here who've never sat a day of reserve, and others who have done nothing but reserve. It sucks, but that's the airline business. By the way, I'm guessing you're an ATL RJ FO. If you're that sick of reserve, there are RJ FO's in DFW who have been here well under a year who can hold decent lines. However that will change for them when all the EMB pilots transition over.

When it comes to uniforms, I agree that we should all present a professional image. I just don't like when I come to work, and get lectured by a certain CP because my name plate is not properly spaced with my wings. It takes a lot more than knowing how to wear your uniform to be a professional pilot. I just think we've got bigger things to worry about than a pilot who has cuffs on his uniform pants (which, by the way, will earn you a free lecture in DFW). Overall, ASA is a pretty darn good place to work. Just like everywhere else, there is always things that could be better.

 

[Medeco]

If you have 500 hours of 121 PIC time I would be looking at AirTran before ASA or Comair. . . . the FO pay at AirTran is pretty much the Capt pay


They won't even interview you with that, they just raised the minimums, it is still about who yah know these days.

As for the guy that equates a hat with professionalism . . . give me a break- you must be going bald. Jet Blue doesn't even have hats, period.

As for the Hat, my point is our company is required to wear it therefore you should, we have alot of people, mostly the young guns who are anti this and that and it looks bad for us as a whole.

I flew with a 26 yr old captain who wore a backpack on his back in uniform and watched as passengers laughed as we walked by.

As for the statement of acting as a professional when we are treated as. I agree they dont treat us as professionals, but why should they if we don't carry ourselves as one regardless to how they treat us.

Our dissagreements with scheduling is the main problem I see, but when you think that through, they cant please everyone and never will because we all have different views of how things should be. That said, it still could improve alot.

I just see alot of grumbling and moaning at ASA when you could approach people with solutions in a positive tone and eventually those people will respect you.

 

[rjcap]

I just see alot of grumbling and moaning at ASA when you could approach people with solutions in a positive tone and eventually those people will respect you.

The problem with ASA is that it is based in ATL. This area of the country is just dismal when you need to hire ground support people.

The difference between ASA in DFW and ATL is like night and day. DFW is a well run operation.

 

[FL000]

The problem with ASA is that it is based in ATL. This area of the country is just dismal when you need to hire ground support people.

The difference between ASA in DFW and ATL is like night and day. DFW is a well run operation.

RJ,
I agree with everything you wrote except the generalization about hiring in "this part of the country." We don't have these problems in AGS, CSG, MGM, CHA, MCN, ABY, VLD, BQK, etc., etc.

The problem lies solely on the 50 square miles whose physical center is KATL.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

FL000
LOL Can u say the 'south'?? maybe about 200 miles from ATL?

 

[Ty Webb]

FL000
LOL Can u say the 'south'?? maybe about 200 miles from ATL?

It's not just the South, Chief. We have great people working places much further south than ATL that do a great job- Gulfport,Mississippi is one of our best statins. Pensacola is pretty good, too. Ever operate into PHL, EWR, LGA, etc?

For a number of reasons, the work force in ATL is very sub-par, and not just for ASA . . . . . .

 

[rjcap]

I agree with everything you wrote except the generalization about hiring in "this part of the country." We don't have these problems in AGS, CSG, MGM, CHA, MCN, ABY, VLD, BQK, etc., etc.

FL000,

I stand corrected. You are 100% correct in that the problem is centered here in good ole ATL.

I hate this f--kin town.

Anybody notice some of the new people parking us lately in ATL ? I think they went to the local junior high schools and handed out uniforms and parking batons.

 

[46Driver]

I gotta agree with Ty. The gate agents working for Air Tran in PCola are superb. They go out of their way to help jumpseaters, meanwhile a number of the gate agents for Delta in PCola are downright a$$holes.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

Ty, I was referencing in general terms. We do have great people in some of the out-stations, and here in ATL also. It is unfortunate that it is just a handful! I would imagine it is the same way at the south half of C too. I hate it when I see a gate agents yelling at, demeaning or just plain disrespectful of the people who are paying their salary!!!! Seems alot of them just want to come in, get their check and do as little as possible to earn it. Sad, very sad.

RJCap,
I know what u mean. I had no idea what a guy was doing with his wands last nite. I stopped and waited for him to come up with something other than the latest (c)rap dance. Sick of it.

 

[sleepy]

Sleepy,

I don't quite agree with you statement on ASA vs. Comair growth. Sure, Comair is growing like crazy right now, but are you aware that next year they're only getting 7 airplanes? ASA will get 15 jets in 04, then that's it for the DCI firm orders! While it's certainly possible for our growth to pick up down the road, pilot negotiations aren't the only factor involved. If that was the case, CHQ wouldn't be growing like crazy right now (while they send out strike ballots).

As far as ASA QOL, it's all about where in the cycle you get hired. We've got people here who've never sat a day of reserve, and others who have done nothing but reserve. It sucks, but that's the airline business. By the way, I'm guessing you're an ATL RJ FO. If you're that sick of reserve, there are RJ FO's in DFW who have been here well under a year who can hold decent lines. However that will change for them when all the EMB pilots transition over.

When it comes to uniforms, I agree that we should all present a professional image. I just don't like when I come to work, and get lectured by a certain CP because my name plate is not properly spaced with my wings. It takes a lot more than knowing how to wear your uniform to be a professional pilot. I just think we've got bigger things to worry about than a pilot who has cuffs on his uniform pants (which, by the way, will earn you a free lecture in DFW). Overall, ASA is a pretty darn good place to work. Just like everywhere else, there is always things that could be better.

I could be wrong about why we are not getting many new aircraft (our order ends next year per skip), why Comair is going to take over 70 of our flights out of ATL (I'm sure it's just the DCI master plan at work), or why we never seem to get any new bases. But I think it is mostly due to our being in contract talks (I hope there is a reason, and that we will grow again someday).

I have never spent a day on reserve at ASA, but many of those hired after me have never held a line. I guess reserve sucks at ASA, but I don't know, and I don't understand your comment. I'm pretty happy with life at ASA, but it could always be better.

I wear the hat. It is part of the uniform, and the company is well within their rights to require it.

 

[ProLine4]

I can't stand it when a normal, on-time flight is delayed by some of the clowns working the ATL ramp. There are some really great people working there, but their efforts are destroyed by their fellow co-workers that could care less. This is a huge problem with EV and mainline DL.

RJ,
I agree with everything you wrote except the generalization about hiring in "this part of the country." We don't have these problems in AGS, CSG, MGM, CHA, MCN, ABY, VLD, BQK, etc., etc.

The problem lies solely on the 50 square miles whose physical center is KATL.

 

[sleepy]

I can't stand it when a normal, on-time flight is delayed by some of the clowns working the ATL ramp. There are some really great people working there, but their efforts are destroyed by their fellow co-workers that could care less. This is a huge problem with EV and mainline DL.

Has anyone ever seen any human being move slower than an ATL ramper walking out of his shead to park your aircraft? My 86 year old grandma moves faster!

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

If they were walking any slower, they'd be backing up.

 

[ATR-DRIVR]

I think things are going to be pretty slow for a while....you know delta is spreading out the flying to everyone else except us....
lease's on the atr's are supposedly up....I believe end of 04. might be wrong...probably am!

 

[CF34-3B1]

I think things are going to be pretty slow for a while....you know delta is spreading out the flying to everyone else except us....
lease's on the atr's are supposedly up....I believe end of 04. might be wrong...probably am!

I hear SkyWest is gonna fly them at EMB120 rates.......