Avantair

[RoughAir]

In my humble and uniformed opinion, I think there will always be a NE base for Avantair.

Maybe HPN, EWR, TEB or something like that.

 

[Dilligaff]

It's my understanding that CDW will still be a pilot base and a limited mx base. Only the office functions will move to PIE.

I think Avantair has great potential, but they need more experienced and qualified managers to run the place.

Buckeye,

I've flown the witch in question. She was pleasant to us. However, I've spoken to others who have flown her and they had a very different experience.

Dilligaff

 

[Autoparts2]

Upgrades

Once agian I ask the ?

How long for upgrades to the left seat?
Will they hire into the left seat?
How does one live on $25,000 and have a good attitude?
What is the perdium?
Do you keep your airline miles?
4 or 5 Star hotels on the road?

All info is good....It seems hard to get info on this place.

Thanks

 

[Noodles]

Once agian I ask the ?

How long for upgrades to the left seat?
Will they hire into the left seat?
How does one live on $25,000 and have a good attitude?
What is the perdium?
Do you keep your airline miles?
4 or 5 Star hotels on the road?

All info is good....It seems hard to get info on this place.

Thanks

1) Depends on how much they like you. Upgrades are not seniority based since there is no seniority system.
2) Yes, but I don't remember what the mins were, and I've heard that it came down from upon high to not hire anymore captains.
3) Ramen noodles
4) $1.58/hr
5) Yes
6) Depends on who books the hotel, the rate, and what is available where you are.

If you have specific questions, PM me and I'll try and answer.


Noodz

 

[Heavy Set]

Any new rumors about jet aircraft? Someone mentioned the Hawker Horizon at one point but I have heard nothing recently...

 

[Noodles]

Etiquette school is part of the commitment to "elite levels of service". It is pretty much a given that the aircraft is the best in the category. Providing service above and beyond the other fractionals will provide career opportunites certainly out weighing the two days.

You know, that's got to be one of the funniest things I've read on here in a long time! I don't think that witch could teach anyone anything about etiquette since she seems to be sorely lacking herself. As for "elite levels of service," this company will never reach that with the current people in charge. It'll always be just a Mickey Mouse operation.

If you want to provide service above and beyond, get a bigger plane, and hire some flight attendants to be back there and pour drinks and kiss up.

 

[Buckeye70]

Dilligaf: I heartily agree. The company has great potential, but we need to get the right people in the right positions. The revolving CP position is an example. I thought DV was great. Has anyone heard the real reason DV was axed? I also think TC is a good guy, but SHEESH....how many have we had since you've been here? I quit counting. I think the process of putting some managers in place was determined by who was standing closest to the decision maker at the time.

Noodles: I had the thought of sitting in etiquette class and presenting her with situations based on her behavior and asking how she would handle it. what do you think? lol

 

[RoughAir]

I hear the two Premiers are coming back. Temporary basis?

Seems like the company has been paying astronomical amounts to charter jets for the Avanti backup. The Premier cabin is larger than the Citations and Lears that have been chartered. The owners who get to ride in a Lear, etc complain about the "cabin" size. King Airs are too slow and not desired by the owners.

I also understand that a company has been contracted to manage the "spares" for the Avanti. What that means I'm not sure, if parts are an issue with the factory, why hire someone else to manage the parts network? They have set up an office in the PIE hangar.

 

[Noodles]

Noodles: I had the thought of sitting in etiquette class and presenting her with situations based on her behavior and asking how she would handle it. what do you think? lol

I think that would be absolutely perfect! I'd love to hear the answers she gives. That's going to be the biggest waste of time sitting through all that crap.

 

[cornfed]

I always swore I would never get involved in this forum, but I can't take the events that are taking place at Avantair. I remember last year when we had the "union scare" and we got the letter saying about all the changes that were going to take place and now they are almost all but gone. Maybe it is time we the pilots of Avantair got a union, and sent a message to SS that we want to be respected.
I agree with Noodles that employee morale is in the toilet and something needs to change. This company is being run poorly right now and it upsets me. This company could be so great but they need to be good to the people that are here! If you want to give above and beyond service, do it to the employees that are here, and they will pass it on to the owners. A pilot who is run to death with 15 minute turn times, no sleep from non stop calls from scheduling, and being treated like a 3 year old from management will never put off a good image to our owners.
I dont want anyone to get the wrong idea about me on this board. I think Avantair is poised to be one of the best fractionals with one of the most unique planes in the marketplace, and I intend to stay at Avantair. I have been through so much already and I am not about to give up because I hope that the company will get it together or that a union will get involved to prove we as pilots are serious!

 

[Jolimon]

If that "above and beyond" service leads to extra revenue, then they shouldn't mind paying us while we are in company training. They need to start focusing a little on taking care of the employees as well or they will spend big $$ training new employees every year when everyone leaves.

P.S.
Has anyone else flown that witch? She doesn't practice what she preaches.

Buckeye, you are accomplishing nothing but showing your ignorance at this point. The woman in questions has a significant amount of experience in customer service training. I have flown her personally and had a great experience. Perhaps if you stopped complaining for a while you might learn something. They do pay us during etiquette training. No one is forcing you to stay here.

 

[Jolimon]

You know, that's got to be one of the funniest things I've read on here in a long time! I don't think that witch could teach anyone anything about etiquette since she seems to be sorely lacking herself. As for "elite levels of service," this company will never reach that with the current people in charge. It'll always be just a Mickey Mouse operation.

If you want to provide service above and beyond, get a bigger plane, and hire some flight attendants to be back there and pour drinks and kiss up.

Noodles I suppose if you were in charge it would be perfect!

 

[Noodles]

It cetainly wouldn't be perfect, but it couldn't be much worse. If you can keep the people that are higher up from interfering with the pilots, things would certainly be better. I, too, have flown the witch in question, and all I can say is, what a piece of work. You've got to be the only person here who had a good experience with her, because everybody else I've heard from thinks she's a total a$$.

 

[hyper]

It's been said earlier, as long as the same management is in charge, you'll continue to be well underpaid and overworked. I once had the "hang around and see if it improves" attitude but bailed after the endless stream of "keep 'em around with promises" tactics. It's so obvious. It's a great group of pilots that work there, but management will promise you the world and devise bonus pay tactics to keep you from leaving. When all it really takes is some appreciation and decent pay. I could never figure out how the number crunchers (Lord knows who that is because as in all other positions that's been turned over too) could justify $18k-20k in training costs per person instead of working to keep what they have. Not to mention, with the Avanti everytime someone splits, they're almost always replaced with someone new to the equipment so there is a safety issue as well.

I guess any pay adjustments will get lost in repainting the a/c in red, handing out Vespas to owners and etiquette classes. Let's see, teach my pilots yessir, nosir or concentrate on keeping folks with time in the a/c. I'll bet the owners would prefer a safer ship over Vespas......just a guess though.

 

[planejockey]

I am not sure if this is a correct statement but a guy that was passing though an FBO that I was hanging out in told me that Avantair is hiring with very low mins. I was wondering if anyone working for them knows if that is the case.

 

[Dilligaff]

Planejockey,

The last I heard from TC, the chief pilot, the hiring mins are 2000tt and 500me. That was last week, so who knows what the mins are today.

Dilligaff