DHL/ASTAR hiring

[de727ups]

UPS has never had a crew base in Europe. I'm pretty sure I know the female F/O you speak of living in France. She was based in Louisville but was senior enough to hold Europe trips so living in France worked for her. We fly to about 10 or 15 cities in Europe. Star and other contractors do the rest, supposedly because it's illegal for us to fly those routes.

"I've been at several UPS hubs (not SDF) and the feeder pilots are litterally treated like cr@p."

Sorry UPS treats you like "cr@p"...get used to it....it's just the way they like to work things. The limo in DEN is rare treatment. It's usually a van or a taxi. The DEN gateway is one of the worst...they hate ALL pilots there and have for years. I used to fly into Stapleton for Corporate Air in the late 80's and it was the same way. We used to stay at a Holiday Inn in DEN...not sure anymore but it was the same hotel several airlines, including regionals, put their crews. I'll say this, we get what we get because we have a union. If it was up to UPS, we'd be double bunking at the Motel Six because it costs less. That's why we have a UNION...to make sure they can't do that to us and to basically improve our working conditions.

 

[GoABX]

FDX/UPS in Europe is the same as AStar/ABX in the U.S.

Brown&Purple have been 'legally' screwing with DHL for years to protect their home turf. If it was your business and you had the resources you'd do it too. In many ways it's purpose is to delay the inevitable. . . while everyone is waiting FDX/UPS is making money and tying up DHL resources. To a degree it has worked, DHL/Astar/ABX have not gone balls to the walls because to be prudent they have to wait until the final ruling is in. They can't appear presumptious.

THE BATTLE is about to begin. UPS/FDX have been getting their ducks in a row in Europe and Asia (DHL's strength) and DHL is getting ready in the US (FDX/UPS's strength). DHL will probably do some price cutting to gain market share. They have to achieve critical mass to stop the financial bleeding in their US operation. The real danger to all of us is a price war, which will spell the commodization our service. It's happened in the pax airlines, cell phones, PCs, etc. If something is commodized nobody makes any money over the long haul.

If DHL cuts prices, FDX/UPS should NOT respond. Airborne has always been cheaper, but we haven't really gained marketshare in a decade. At the beginning of every year UPS raises prices, one to four weeks later FedEx follows suit and finally Airborne does the same. This process needs to continue if we are all to prosper (survive).

3 years ago Fdx/Ups screwed Airborne with "Bundling." In effect they threatened our express customers (whom we serviced more cheaply) with either you give us all your business or we won't give you our ground service. It worked. DHL may try the same tactic against FDX/UPS by bunding domestic and international. It will work if they can't build out their global system quickly enough. If all 3 competitors can offer comparable services, the bundling hammer will be ineffective.

This however brings us to the second level of problem. If all three have worldwide logistic systems, will there be over-capacity? If so we are in the same boat as the pax carriers, different road to commodization.

In the end I want:
- Astar/ABX to triple in size in the next decade. (Still wouldn't be a insurmountable threat to UPS/FDX)
- UPS captains to make $24,000/month (so the rest of us can shoot for 80% of that)
- US pilots to freight all over the world and not lose out to foreign sleeze bag outfits who will do it for 10 cents on the dollar.
- Pilots to realize that ALPA, Teamsters and all unions are businesses whom lookout for themselves first and their membership second. (National) Unions are necessary but not faultless. Pilots from different companies need to think globally and help each other to elevate the profession.

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

UPS Pilot base in France... LOL Its funny, No One listens... NO UPS PILOT BASES IN EUROPE. Write this down because it will be good to know info at your UPS interview. 3 pilot domiciles... SDF, MIA, ONT... Thats it!!! Anyway you cut it, no matter who you see in differents parts of the world, pilots living where ever, in the world, there domiciled at one of those 3 bases. END OF SUBJECT!!!! I hope...

I thought we were going for beers????

 

[AceCrackshot]

BigBrown-
Isn't there a mechanism in the contract where if your aircraft overday's in a city, say ORD, you can have your trips built out of that city?

GoABX-
Quite honestly, that was one of the better posts on this site in long time. I could tell you've condensed your argument somewhat. Could you go into more detail on your commidization argument? How do the ACMI/Specialized carriers (Polar/Atlas, non skeds) fit into your model? PM me if you want.

Metrodriver-
Don't forget a bunch of little 99 and 1900 outfits that took it in the shorts with FDX/USPS thing. Plus a huge loss of flying when the USPS went to trucks. Try mailing anything to the Pac NW from some places. Standby to wait, wait some more, and then start waiting.

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

I can only speak to domestic trips, 85% are built from our out stations to the hubs and then back to the out stations, not the other way around like a commerial carrier carring passengers. Pilots usually commercial to work and commercial home at the end. But as far as domiciles, refer to my previous post... Cya

 

[General Lee]

BigbrownDC8,

Are you and FE or an FO? Do you like the DC-8? And, are the trips good out of your domicile on the DC-8? I know this was a DHL thread, sorry....

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[BIGBROWNDC8]

General... PM me... Cya