CAL LAX Base Rumor, AGAIN!

[ATRCA]

It is there, entitled Yet ANOTHER LA Base Rumor. It is a 4 page thread from 3 days ago.

Yup, you're right, ignore my last..............

 

[densoo]

Can you guys get released from DH? If you can, what a deal that will be. Bid CLE and these pairings, stay home get paid for 3 days, work one.

Yes, they can.

 

[densoo]

airline mergers are a think of the past in my opinion, that is why i believe that we will not merge with United as long as the pilots and the company can come to an agreement on the joint venture that benefits BOTH sides. there is a reason that alliances have been in the media so much the past few months. route structure is what the customer wants - if someone can buy a CAL ticket that involves a CAL and UAL flight, they don't care as long as they can get where they want to go. the alliance that can take people the most places will be the most successful. mergers are no longer necessary to do that, and I think that is the reason that our management team opted out of the merger with UAL - they realized that they didn't have to. at least that is what i am hoping!

I don't think mergers have anything to do with logic. Lawyers make money on divorces, not marriages; they make money on chaos, not harmony. When things are too settled, look for the financiers to mash a couple of companies together saying it is necessary for synergies, stockholder value, the good of the country, whatever. Their job becomes faux necessary which means they get more money. "What a mess this is. You need someone like me to clean it up." "But you created the mess!" "Well, then, who better than me to know how to clean it up? And it will cost you extra."

These people know one thing--where the money is and how to get it. If they see UAL as a lost concern and CAL having money, why not merge them to squeeze the cash out of CAL, dump the cash into their bonuses, then say "oh well, we certainly tried to save these companies. I guess BK is the only option now. Taxpayers, you take it." Thousands of lives destroyed, two companies gutted, so a few dozen people get another $50M each.

 

[Captain X]

Heard from a friend......

Bid in April released......LA base opening and recalls.

Heard a similar rumor today with the addition that the CPOs have been told to start picking people to conduct pilot interviews in the fall.:nuts:

 

[lookin4better]

Heard a similar rumor today with the addition that the CPOs have been told to start picking people to conduct pilot interviews in the fall.:nuts:

I realize the word rumor is involved.... but were you kidding you heard this? (understanding its still rumor)

 

[nimtz]

Heard a similar rumor today with the addition that the CPOs have been told to start picking people to conduct pilot interviews in the fall.:nuts:

Makes sense since within Flight Ops at CAL the only place with adequate staffing is at the management level. Although to be fair 777 chiefs have been pressed into flying the occasional 737 turn when 'extraordinary circumstances' occur (ie no d@mn 73 guys took the JM call!!!)...

 

[densoo]

Heard from a friend......

Bid in April released......LA base opening and recalls.

Believe it when you see it, but this is from a buddy I played golf with today with friends in the training department.

I heard they were going to let CLE fly it through the summer to see if it is profitable. If it is, then they may look at opening a base. If not, then they retreat from the market and everything goes back to normal. Cheaper than setting up a base and then having to close it down again, with a large expense being moves paid by the company when a base closes. Cheaper to pay a load of DH to see if it works out.

 

[Smarta$$]

I don't think mergers have anything to do with logic. Lawyers make money on divorces, not marriages; they make money on chaos, not harmony. When things are too settled, look for the financiers to mash a couple of companies together saying it is necessary for synergies, stockholder value, the good of the country, whatever. Their job becomes faux necessary which means they get more money. "What a mess this is. You need someone like me to clean it up." "But you created the mess!" "Well, then, who better than me to know how to clean it up? And it will cost you extra."

These people know one thing--where the money is and how to get it. If they see UAL as a lost concern and CAL having money, why not merge them to squeeze the cash out of CAL, dump the cash into their bonuses, then say "oh well, we certainly tried to save these companies. I guess BK is the only option now. Taxpayers, you take it." Thousands of lives destroyed, two companies gutted, so a few dozen people get another $50M each.

That is just the American way. Sad, but true.

 

[Captain X]

I realize the word rumor is involved.... but were you kidding you heard this? (understanding its still rumor)

Negative on the kidding.

Heard it from two people. One who supposedly heard it directly from a EWR ACP and another who supposedly heard it from an admin person in pilot hiring.

But you're correct. It is still just a rumor at this juncture.

 

[captain]

I had a chief pilot once tell me to my face "don't worry, there wont be any furlough..." that was straight from the horses mouth, no rumor.

 

[CapnVegetto]

I'm hearing the same thing. April bid will have new hires on it, to begin in the fall. Believe it when you see it, though. But I'm hearing this from multiple sources. Sure would be nice.

 

[lookin4better]

It seems to make sense....but come April will tell what happens.

 

[mamba20]

My god guys. Knock this crap off! Believe it when they are on line! Not before then. You know, maybe your right now that it think of it. I did see Feris at 31 Flavors last night.

 

[tmac3333]

I agree with Mamba. Why on earth would we hire after the summer flying? If they were going to recall and/or hire, they would be doing it now, so that the bodies would be available by May for the summer flying, not in the fall so they can sit next winter.

 

[Ex737Driver]

..........Why on earth would we hire after the summer flying? If they were going to recall and/or hire, they would be doing it now, so that the bodies would be available by May for the summer flying, not in the fall so they can sit next winter.

Simple. 2+1 even for furloughs and they are back on the line in less than a month.

 

[DontFeedTheBear]

I agree with Mamba. Why on earth would we hire after the summer flying? If they were going to recall and/or hire, they would be doing it now, so that the bodies would be available by May for the summer flying, not in the fall so they can sit next winter.

because historically, November is one of the biggest retirement months at CAL, and it also represents another change in the GATT rate. CAL is anticipating a large amount of retirements this fall.

Yogi

 

[captain]

I'll believe it when I call for a pushback in EWR

 

[nimtz]

because historically, November is one of the biggest retirement months at CAL, and it also represents another change in the GATT rate. CAL is anticipating a large amount of retirements this fall.

Yogi

CAL doesn't anticipate a M'f*cking thing when it comes to flight crew staffing. Don't buy this rumor...

 

[mamba20]

because historically, November is one of the biggest retirement months at CAL, and it also represents another change in the GATT rate. CAL is anticipating a large amount of retirements this fall.

Yogi

Not sure where you are getting your data from. CAL is expecting 4 retirements this whole year.

 

[Furloughed80]

That's close to the number they projected for 2009 as well, but we had about 60 pilots retire. The retirement projection on the system bids mean nothing.

 

[mamba20]

Exactly, they could run another bid tomorrow if they wanted and have recalls. Those recalled could be back on the line in a matter of weeks. Hopefully something like this happens.

 

[Dewey Oxberger]

I'll believe it when I call for a pushback in EWR

Actually, unless Fred's Newark Revenge Bid from last August is rectified, you'll be calling for push in IAH. Whatever the case, I hope you're back on the property ASAP!

 

[DontFeedTheBear]

Not sure where you are getting your data from. CAL is expecting 4 retirements this whole year.

If you really work at CAL, call Gary in Manpower Planning, he will tell you what I have said. That is where the info comes from... FWIW

Yogi

 

[densoo]

Pretty sweet if you live in so. cal.


Can you guys get released from DH? If you can, what a deal that will be. Bid CLE and these pairings, stay home get paid for 3 days, work one.

Read it and weep. March CLE flying....
weekday RSW turns, gone
weekday, FLL turns, gone
weekday, TPA turns, gone
SFO overnight turns, gone
LAX overnight turns, gone
Cherrypicked the good stuff. All that's left is average to below average.

 

[IAHERJ]

Now CLE has HNL 30 hour layovers and PUJ layovers along with CUN/TPA/MCO turns. There are many 25-28 hour 3 day trips. That's pretty productive, of course this is coming from someone who has been in IAH on the 757 for several years now and thinks any 4 day worth more than 20 hours is productive. EWR and IAH had to cover some CLE flying in order for CLE to do the SNA/LAX flying to HNL. Those trips are pretty productive but no turns.

 

[densoo]

The number of four and five day pairings in the CLE B-737 F/O Base is 48.1 percent of the total duty days in the BES. Over 75 percent of the duty days are three days or longer.....

With the line credit range set to the highest possible range allowed under the Furlough Mitigation LOA, minimum of 80 hours/maximum of 90 hours (excluding the first ten hours of deadhead), and the Company targeting a Line Production Average (LPA) of 85.5 hours per lineholder....

-- Bidders junior to the 40th percentile of LINEHOLDERS will not be able to avoid four and five day trips under virtually any circumstance.
-- Bidders junior to the 20th percentile of LINEHOLDERS will not be able to avoid three, four and five day trips under virtually any circumstance.

It will be an interesting spring.

 

[Ex737Driver]

Goona be a lot of cancellations to HNL and OGG when enough pilots call in sick and the only reserves that are qualified to do the flying are in CLE only.

 

[densoo]

Goona be a lot of cancellations to HNL and OGG when enough pilots call in sick and the only reserves that are qualified to do the flying are in CLE only.

some updates...

-- XJET is adding 45 crews to CLE. Have to wonder if this is to pick up CLE flying that CAL has shiifted to EWR/IAH due to half of CLE flying now to HNL/OGG

-- 737 IAH check airman and reserve pilots are getting ETOPs trained

-- Small number of IAH reserves will be deployed to LAX to sit reserve continuously and indefinitely to cover the HNL/OGG flights (expensive, but that's the only way to have an LAX base based out of CLE)

 

[mamba20]

some updates...

-- XJET is adding 45 crews to CLE. Have to wonder if this is to pick up CLE flying that CAL has shiifted to EWR/IAH due to half of CLE flying now to HNL/OGG

-- 737 IAH check airman and reserve pilots are getting ETOPs trained

-- Small number of IAH reserves will be deployed to LAX to sit reserve continuously and indefinitely to cover the HNL/OGG flights (expensive, but that's the only way to have an LAX base based out of CLE)

I don't believe this is legal per our contract. We are not required to sit reserve anywhere except our base.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

some updates...

-- XJET is adding 45 crews to CLE. Have to wonder if this is to pick up CLE flying that CAL has shiifted to EWR/IAH due to half of CLE flying now to HNL/OGG

-- 737 IAH check airman and reserve pilots are getting ETOPs trained

-- Small number of IAH reserves will be deployed to LAX to sit reserve continuously and indefinitely to cover the HNL/OGG flights (expensive, but that's the only way to have an LAX base based out of CLE)

I think the CLE xjet crews are to staff the UAX flying as XJT mgmt has not yet decided to open a new base. Apparently that would trigger a larger staffing need (more recalls/upgrades) due to the contracually required reserve coverage that a new base would call for.