$aving money

[chperplt]

Since the topic of the last year and a half has been of furlough and concessions, I thought I would put out a question.

I've seen loads of people complain about giving back to the company (rightfully so), but I haven't seen any alternatives thrown out there.

What types of things would you recommend your company do to save money, other than contract concessions? What can you do as a line pilot to help the bottom line?

 

[350DRIVER]

I don't think that it is "all" about the pilots complaining about giving back since they have but little choice when there airline is loosing alot of money. I think what is much more important to consider is how much money the executives are making present day and the few concessions that they are making versus what the pilots are giving up. ex> AA - I do not think the AA vote would have went through if the facts were known about those "magic" 45 before the vote was taken. I think it is a much deeper issue than just the "complaints" from the pilots, these executives should be giving up much much more than they are (in my opinion) since they are making one he!! of alot more money than the pilots....

I think as a line pilot there is very little one can do except put pressure on these executives some how and some way to stop all these large bonuses and stock options until ALL furloughed guys are off the streets and the airline returns to profitability..

I just don't see how "fair" this is to continue to allow pilots to loose potential retirement packages and see these executives have "hidden" packages for retirement...

just my worthless $.02

happy easter to all

3 5 0

 

[KingAirKiddo]

Limit APU usage, single engine taxi when possible, slow down a bit and fly at planned mach (and be prepared for the browbeating from the ORD controllers), run as on time as safety will permit, pay attention to ramp procedures and offer suggestions when you see wasteful practices, limit non-essential use of company resources (such as printing bid packages on company computers), take your own snacks and bottles of water on flights and save the "complimentary" ones for the passengers, etc.

Anyone else?

 

[stillaboo]

Limit APU usage . . . pay attention to ramp procedures and offer suggestions when you see wasteful practices

1) Limit APU and use GPU (and conditioned air hook-up if possible), or limit APU by just running with bat ties closed and essential items at the gate, or turn off the aircraft completely?

Anyone know if turbines work like cars, where it's often better to keep the car running than to turn it off and back on (not sure if this is just a fuel efficiency thing, or a total engine wear thing)?

2) Ramp procedures? Can you be specific? Just curious.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

save money?

the airlines have "professionals" that have studied this for years.....

all that is left is to cut the "fatter" salaries..get em' OFF the payroll ASAP..read...PILOTS
labor costs money and is readily avaliable when needed again (they will all flock back)

sad but true.

 

[canadflyau]

Nope it has nothing to do with Pilot salaries, example... United pilots could have flown for free for the past year and the company still would have continued to lose money. These airlines have yet to adapt to post deregulation, and still operate a flawed business plan that has them relying on umpteen safety nets below them..

What do most companies do during the "good times" of a cyclical track... They save money like crazy.. nope not the airlines, they spend it like crazy.. Here I'll take AA as an example... How many airlines did they buy up and merely dismantle!!! Reno... oh yeah they were really a serious threat so buy them up and dismantle... TWA, buy them up and dismantle... They have yet to buy an airline up and become more viable, they just dismantle and find themselves a small percentage larger, hardly sound investments... Then comes economic downturn... OH NO, we don't have adequate cash reserves!! Lets start funneling money off to the side for our salaries and pensions in case things really hit the fan...

POOR MANAGEMENT.... YES THE GUYS THAT FORM THE BUSINESS PLAN AND MAKE THE BUSINESS DECISIONS have put their individual companies in this state, not pilots or labors salary.. Labor costs are basically a fixed expense for so many years that you use to plan with.. It is to their advantage that they can now exactly how much labor will cost them for 4-6years, heck fuel costs are harder than labor costs, so that's why they hedge.

There has been no accountability of the folks in charge, making piss poor decisions, failing to adjust ticket pricing (you know all those stupid rules from regulation days... oh yeah the ones that SWA, JBLU, Frontier don't have.) Instead in our industry, unlike any other sector, they fail to plan and run to the gov for aid... and that was long before skyrocketing insurance costs.. That is their plan.. I want some new thinking running my airlines... Maybe that is those other airlines secret success, b/c now we find ourselves needing radical changes.. Gosh we need fewer fleet types, we need more streamlined operations (utilize planes for more than 8hrs a day) and all b/c they failed to plan.. Isn't that how you manage your personal lives, I do.. I try to plan for a rainy day and not get caught with my pants down, I guess airlines are exempt from thinking like this...

Man this fires me up,
canadflyau

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I agree with what you are saying

but...

You cant change an entire business plan ovenight, but you can sure change a payroll overnight, hence that is what they do.

I dont like it any better than the next guy, just the facts...