Comair company culture?

[jtf]

What is the APU crusade?

 

[pylotman]

The APU crusade.

The company has asked all of us (pilots and maintenances?) to reduce the use of the APU and do more reduced thrust takeoffs. The bean counters have figured out the per minute cost of running the APU and cost savings of using reduced thrust. They say these saving could equal millions of dollars per year. They are asking us to do this cost saving measure instead of asking for concession from any of the employee groups. If ground power is available, don't start the APU until 3 min prior to push. However, it's hot (>80) on the ground go ahead and run it.

While some of this effort was to reduce the ground running of the APU, because some were having an hour or more break on the ground and leaving the APU run. The real push is in the descent profile. It was not uncommon to start the APU 20 min out. They wanted us to delay the starting until the Approach phase (10 min out).

I forget what are the actual cost/hr, but it is a easy request to comply with.

 

[Ralph]

Retire

As I understand it Comair has no retirement plan for pilots. Am I wrong? How do you retire from Comair with no retirment? Do you guys just save a portion of your paycheck every month or is there a retirment plan?

I'm actually asking because I don't know. I'm not trying to be a butt.

 

[flaps30]

yes, there is a retirement plan

go to www.comair.com for details.

 

[jarhead]

Ralph

Like so many companies in all fields of employment, the defined pension plans so popular 30 years ago are disappearing fast in America.

The way you retire from Comair, as with many employers in America, is to plan for it your whole life. This is done by contributing to a 401(k) or 403(b) plan. Those funds belong to you, and can never be taken from you by a bankrupt company, or theft of those funds by a companies management. The company usually contributes a certain matching amount to your elected contribution. Over time, those tax deferred dollars can become very sizable. The secrete to success for this to work, is to start early in your life, and contribute as much as you can to your 401(k) until you retire. I know. I am retired, and I have a sizable "chunk" that is mine to live on, plus the social security benefits added to it. Social security, may, or may not be there for you when you reach retirement, so don't count on it. It most likely will be broke in 2037

 

[Ralph]

thanks, where can I find out about the plan? A quick search via google didn't help. Comair.com doesn't really give details on the pilot contract either.

 

[jarhead]

http://www.airlinepilotcontracts.com/Contracts/Comair2001.pdf

 

[Ralph]

Thanks! I thought no regional airline had a retirement package. Obviously I was wrong. The vacation time stinks. My current (non-flying job) allows 4 weeks a year. Do you guys get enough time off anyway that it doesn't really matter?

 

[jarhead]

Four weeks a year is very generous. If you use that as your benchmark, very few employers will be able to meet that, let alone exceed it. School teacher is about the only one I can think of (my wifes profession). As with most employers, vacation acrual increases with longevity. As your senority increases, you will be able to bid and hold days off to tie in to your vacation time, plus you can often "swap" trips with other pilots. And don't forget about your travel benefits as an airline employee to get you from "here to there"

 

[wil]

Ralph- when I was a senior FO I was able to turn my 7 day vacation into 15 without breaking a sweat! I did this by bidding a line with 4 day trips at either end of my vacation period and dropping conflicting trips. And, if you add my other 7 days which I made into 13 plus working 3 on and 4 off I would say that my quality of life was pretty good. Now I'm a very junior Captain and my quality of life sucks but I flew 5 hours last month. I spent a good amount of time poolside at the crashpad! If you live in domicile and want a minimum schedule it can be done.
And Jarhead is correct about the travel Benes! I'm taking the wife to Ireland. Last year we went over biz class (awesome) and came back on Aer Lingus (and they did not charge us- God bless the Irish!) to JFK so we could see the "City that never sleeps". If you master standby travel (it is an art!!) the world is only an ATL (or CVG, etc) connection away!!