Fedex Rumor Update

[PurpleTail]

The trips out of LAX have been descent so far, even being on reserve. No international trips yet but we'll see. The HNL trips are not out and backs, they usually have a 17-28 hr layover. The Asia trips are like flying for a whole different company...the hotels are nicer, the food is 10X better, the layovers are longer, and the ramp agents take care of your luggage and customs paperwork. Typical domestic trips are in the MD-10 and the international stuff is almost always in a MD11. Now the 10-30 are really nice and not that much different than the 11 but the 10-10 are a slow fat pig, what a waste of money IMHO.

I have been commuting out of LAS and Southwest has become my new best friend, Am West is also available but a distant second. I actually drove this last time and it was 4 hrs door-door from my house. I wouldn't want to do it all the time but on occasion isn't too bad. NOV and DEC are not normal months at FedEx due to the hollidays so we will see what happens after the first of the year when things get back to normal.

Cheers!

 

[General Lee]

That really is interesting. The INTL trips at Delta are usually nicer than the typical Dayton overnight too. There usually is a reason when the FO's could easily hold domestic Capt, but stay on the INTL side. A lot of guys like waking up at the Athens Hilton and looking out at the Acrolpois, or eating their favorite schvienze (sp?) Steak with spicy garlic sauce on top in Mainz (near Frankfurt). I hope to be there someday too----instead I'll take the "Greek Isles" hotel in LAS---which is close to a pretty good buffet at the Stardust.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[klhoard]

Re: hiring

How do you land a plane again?

Goose17

I've got a few more trips left this month so just swap onto one of my flights Goose, and I'll be glad to give you a lesson. . . . .

 

[active_herk]

Actually General Lee I live in the lower 48 and do the commute up to ANC. Its nice up there, but a little cold right now.

You're correct in saying there are some bad INTL trips, but for the most part they are better than domestic. I've never heard of an ANC-SEL-KIK (Osaka), but I have done an ANC-NRT-SEL. That wasn't much fun, and to be truthful, I haven't seen that in a while. The rules state that if we block over 8, we have to have an RFO on board (two full crews if we block over 12). I don't mind that, as long as its a single leg. It gets tough when you do over 8 in two and worse case three legs. It makes it hard for anyone on the crew to get any meaningful rest which is the purpose of the RFO.

As far as the LAX thing goes, when they go to HNL, they do a layover and then either return to LAX, or press on to SYD. Either way it isn't a bad deal!

 

[General Lee]

Sounds nice---SYD that is. Yeah, we have the same deal, anything over 8 hours we have a relief guy/gal. Everyone on the 757/767 including domestic is typed---and I read somewhere that we have 3,000 typed on the 757/767--all either flying INTL or waiting to....

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Huck]

It gets tough when you do over 8 in two and worse case three legs. It makes it hard for anyone on the crew to get any meaningful rest which is the purpose of the RFO.

At my last job, we used to do MIA - Manaus - VCP - Bogota - MIA with a heavy crew. Yeah, you only worked two of the four legs, but max cruise time was like 3 hours, and most guys didn't even pull out the bunks - ~24 hours duty sitting up! It's legal, so it must be safe, right?

 

[F-eagle]

Are the Subic Bay and Paris pilot bases, staffed by U.S. pilots? If so, how senior are those bases?
Thanks

 

[Mr Zog]

There are NO three leg RFO pairings at FedEx that I am aware of. The only 2 leg RFO lines I know of are EWR-STN-CDG, ANC-NRT-ICN, HKG-KIX-ANC (Fuel stop at Osaka), and sometimes the HNL-SYD does a fuel stop in Fiji. There may be a few other 2 leg RFO lines that I am not aware of. The Subic domicile is Pilots on the seniority list and it does go a bit junior. The Paris is not a domicile, they are Memphis based pilots who do a special bid every three months to do the European flying. All the international flying in the Pacific is done by MD-11s. The MD-10 does domestic only (including Anchorage). It may do Puerto Rico and Campinas also. I am not sure since that is a Memphis pairing and I am based in LA.

 

[F-eagle]

Thanks Mr. Zog,
Sounds like a good time to me!! Maybe one day.

 

[active_herk]

Mr Zog - I haven't seen any three leg RFO pairings in a while, but I do know we had some in the past. Luckily I never had to fly one, just saw it in the bid pack. Hopefully we'll never see it again.

 

[ERJ - Jay]

How is the Paris FLying covered?
Subic is a domicile, but CDG is not. Is the A300 CDG flying junior or senior. I was reading about the Special International Basing Authority (?) but is that a senior gig or a junior gig? FedEx is a dream job for me, but with my wife being British, the European flying is the creme da la creme. Any info would be appreciated.
As a side note, isn't you contract coming up for openers? Do you expect that to have any impact on hiring.
Thanks,
Jason Smith

 

[Tarheel]

FedEx Update Website

Just Curious,

Good rumors above about potential hiring. I know FedEx hasn't excepted any new on-line apps for some time now. However, the update website has also been down for almost 3 months. Any intel has to when it might be back up allowing app updates.

Thanks

 

[active_herk]

ERJ-Jay, the SIBA bid works like this:

Every three months, FedEx has a SIBA (Special International Bid Award) bid for the Memphis based A300/310 guys and gals for the European flying, and a SIBA bid for the 727 troops for some South American flying. If you bid and are awarded SIBA, you must then go to a training class (I believe its one day), to get qualified for the international flying unless you were already qualified. Now that you have been awarded SIBA, you must then bid the special SIBA lines out of the bidpack for the next three months. In a way, you become segregated from the rest of the pilots in your seat. These SIBA lines are trips composed of double deadheads back and forth to CDG with a pretty long strech of flying in between. On a four week bid month I imagine they try to get almost their whole month of flying in one trip. They can also have domestic stuff built into their lines. After three months you go back to flying the regular lines unless you bid and can hold SIBA once again. As far as seniority goes, I've heard the European Airbus SIBA is pretty senior right now. Don't know about the seniority in the 727 SIBA. Hope this info helps.

 

[dixieflyer]

Well they must be even more short staffed than I suspected. I understand schedualing is offering advance volunteer for all 727 crew, including SOs.

 

[Falconjet]

FCIF

Yes, an FCIF came out yesterday offering AVA to all 727 seats through the 28th of Dec. I've been getting called for draft trips just about everyday, still haven't gotten one.

 

[kwife]

Just a friendly reminder--this thread was intended to be about any intel anyone might be able to offer about future hiring...Can we bring it back around to that? Any info is greatly appreciated.

 

[AlbieF15]

Kwife,

FDX mgt is VERY close hold on hiring. The best folks can usually do is try to "read the tea leaves" and predict what is up.
We know numbers and hiring stats when we read them in a chief pilot's news letter or an FCIF, and not a moment before.

Generally, when SOs are getting drafted, they need more pilots. We are the "cheapest" labor and the easiest to keep around twiddling our thumbs not working. So...when we get really busy, it is usually a harbinger of hiring before long. We are the "safety net" to make sure there are enough folks on the property to throw into training when demand steps up.

Falconjet is just trying to help you get the picture--play nice.

Albie

 

[USNFDX]

AVA

AVA per the contract is available to any seat between Thanksgiving and Dec 31.




Advance Volunteer Assignment (AVA)
The Company may advance assign a VLT trip prior to the open time assignment window subject to the following:

An AVA may be assigned beginning 7 days prior to showtime for that assignment.

A pilot may be assigned an AVA trip only if :
the trip has a showtime between Thanksgiving day and December 31; or

the trip has a showtime during a bid period in which the Company has requested voluntary vacation cancellations in the pilot's crew position; or

the trip has a showtime during a bid period in which the Company has involuntarily canceled a vacation in the pilot's crew position.

 

[moneyshooter]

I talked to KD today. She said they have no classes planned anytime soon, that they DID plan on classes next year, but not until Spring. Sounds consistent with the other standard info we've all heard.

 

[waitinginline]

FedEx

For any FedEx guys..

Has FedEx ever had class in January or February??
It just seems like they always say spring or March(last year anyway)..

Is it likely that the management types are delaying new hire classes due to the contract coming up in May?? I realize that arbitration and talks can sometimes be lengthy, surely they can't go that long without hiring..

Why is it such a secret when they are planning class dates??
I have a friend in the training department who I have known for 20 years and he won't give any insight.. However, he did say "things are beginning to shake around here" and "it should not be much longer"..

Thanks in advance..
Waitinginline