Flexjet DO

[doh]

"Manage the risk, be safe and always try."

does not equal

"Disregard the danger, get to work at all costs, or suffer the consequences."

Grow up.

Soooo, back on topic. His first email came across as the latter and not the former. I was out already and have no idea what the conditions were like except that my neighbor fell and my wife never left the house. But the tone of that email wasn't good.

 

[Fresh Air]

A few weeks ago Mike Silvestro (Flops CEO) mentioned on his weekly announcement that his people were looking at both Flops and Flex operations to identify "best practices"at both companies, Hard to say exactly what that means, but to me it means that they are finding out what saves the most money at each company so those policies/practices can be implemented at both. They can't do much cost-cutting at Flops (at the pilots' expense anyway) because of our CBA (also we are already at rock bottom pay/benefits wise), so I wonder what they are going to come up with to implement at Flex.

 

[shanes123]

That's easy. Everyone flies as slow as possible to save gas and increase owner occupy time take away all flexs benefits and issue new ties To make up for it all.

 

[shanes123]

Has Flex been introduced to the fuel savings program at FLOPS?? You think those Lears are fast? Not with Ricci management micro managing your Fuel burns. And does Flex Captains do there 6 month currency in the plane?

 

[V1 Rotate]

I'm not trying to predict what Ricci may or may not do, but why would he change the way Flexjet does things to match the way Options does things when Flexjet is the one making a ton of money? Shouldn't he try to get Options to mirror Flex instead? We all agree that he likes making money, so why would he try to destroy the way things are done at Flex? Just an observation.

 

[shanes123]

I'm not trying to predict what Ricci may or may not do, but why would he change the way Flexjet does things to match the way Options does things when Flexjet is the one making a ton of money? Shouldn't he try to get Options to mirror Flex instead? We all agree that he likes making money, so why would he try to destroy the way things are done at Flex? Just an observation.

That's what a logical approach would be. Problem is its ken Ricci and he talks about changing things. But in reality his ego is to big not to do things his way and micro manage everything. Flex will get there fly slow nonsense and they will be taking check rides in the plane (if there not already ) and if he does take something from flex it will be minimal. He will turn flex into options slowly just like he did travel air. And that was a much better company then flops could ever hope to be.

 

[V1 Rotate]

That's what a logical approach would be. Problem is its ken Ricci and he talks about changing things. But in reality his ego is to big not to do things his way and micro manage everything. Flex will get there fly slow nonsense and they will be taking check rides in the plane (if there not already ) and if he does take something from flex it will be minimal. He will turn flex into options slowly just like he did travel air. And that was a much better company then flops could ever hope to be.

If anything, I wouldn't mind having your meal plan, from what I hear.

 

[Fresh Air]

I'm not trying to predict what Ricci may or may not do, but why would he change the way Flexjet does things to match the way Options does things when Flexjet is the one making a ton of money? Shouldn't he try to get Options to mirror Flex instead? We all agree that he likes making money, so why would he try to destroy the way things are done at Flex? Just an observation.

We would sure appreciate it if they mirrored Flex's best practices such as paying a living wage, 401K match, and adding more large aircraft to our fleet, but you can bet your stripes that won't be part of the plan.

And about that "Flex is making a ton of money" thing, that has a lot of us scratching our heads. Corporations don't sell off companies that are making a ton of money unless they forsee that revenue stream drying up in the near future. So why did Bombardier throw you guys to the wolves? Puzzling.

BTW Flops makes money too, it just gets siphoned off to support Ricci's other enterprises (Nextant Aerospace, Constant Aviation, etc). That way they can pay starvation wages and still cry poor at the negotiation table.

The meal plan is damn generous for sure, but we didn't ask for it and it's no substitute for the roughly $2000 per month we're underpaid. No matter how hard you try, you just can't eat that much steak & lobster, although some try.

 

[V1 Rotate]

We would sure appreciate it if they mirrored Flex's best practices such as paying a living wage, 401K match, and adding more large aircraft to our fleet, but you can bet your stripes that won't be part of the plan.

And about that "Flex is making a ton of money" thing, that has a lot of us scratching our heads. Corporations don't sell off companies that are making a ton of money unless they forsee that revenue stream drying up in the near future. So why did Bombardier throw you guys to the wolves? Puzzling.

BTW Flops makes money too, it just gets siphoned off to support Ricci's other enterprises (Nextant Aerospace, Constant Aviation, etc). That way they can pay starvation wages and still cry poor at the negotiation table.

The meal plan is damn generous for sure, but we didn't ask for it and it's no substitute for the roughly $2000 per month we're underpaid. No matter how hard you try, you just can't eat that much steak & lobster, although some try.

Bombardier sold us for a couple of reasons. 1) They needed the cash to offset the money they were spending on the C Series and 2) Bombardier is not in business to be in the fractional business. That wasn't Pierre's initial intent with Flexjet some 17 years ago but it managed to morph into what it is today. Bombardier is in the business of selling whole aircraft to individual owners.

I do happen to know that our profit margin was/is well north of a double-digit percentage and our investors are expecting just a few points shy of we're already making.

As far as your pay and benefits, I feel for ya. You guys deserve much more. We're very happy, most of the group anyway, that the majority of our pay and benefits were kept in place for 2014. 2015...we'll see what happens.

 

[DirtyBeech]

Hmmm…keep Flex and sell a few aircraft while taking in some millions in profit or sell Flex for $180M up front with an additional billion or two in aircraft orders?

It's really not a very hard trail to follow.

 

[993_Pilot]

Hmmm?keep Flex and sell a few aircraft while taking in some millions in profit or sell Flex for $180M up front with an additional billion or two in aircraft orders?

It's really not a very hard trail to follow.

So you think the "additional billion or two in aircraft orders" will actually happen?...That there is funny, I don't care who you are, said Larry the Cable Guy. KR loves the fact that there are some who will still buy in to the "Shiny New Jet" syndrome. As Journey once sang, "keep on beLIEving!"

 

[Fresh Air]

Plausible answers, all. Makes it all a little less puzzling maybe.

It will be interesting to see what the DAC audit comes up with on the "best practices" thing. My bet is that they start pushing to limit the FO domiciles to mirror the Flex domicile system when bargaining time comes around, and not much else. Maybe put a limit on the FO crew meal expense.

Thanks for the well wishes, V1. This board could use more camaraderie and less trash talking.

 

[DirtyBeech]

So you think the "additional billion or two in aircraft orders" will actually happen?...That there is funny, I don't care who you are, said Larry the Cable Guy. KR loves the fact that there are some who will still buy in to the "Shiny New Jet" syndrome. As Journey once sang, "keep on beLIEving!"

There's options and then there's orders so blow it out your a**. But let's say that we only purchase $500 M in planes instead of $2.4B or whatever that ridiculous number is. Add in the purchase price of Flex. Do you know how long it would have taken Flex to generate that kinda money for Bombardier?

It's not shiny jets. It's money. And it is not that hard to follow if you aren't so intent in showing your backside.

 

[fob727]

The guy lost his job, give him a break.

So has many in the aviation business....

 

[993_Pilot]

There's options and then there's orders so blow it out your a**. But let's say that we only purchase $500 M in planes instead of $2.4B or whatever that ridiculous number is. Add in the purchase price of Flex. Do you know how long it would have taken Flex to generate that kinda money for Bombardier?

It's not shiny jets. It's money. And it is not that hard to follow if you aren't so intent in showing your backside.

The same Sh!t that blows out my A$$ is exactly what is coming out of KR's mouth and you are really showing your ignorance. Orders mean nothing more than a negotiated price discount ... IF (Big IF) you really buy that many. If the order changes due to market demand (or lack there of), then so does the price. Both sides love to make big order announcements because it fools the majority of the public in to beLIEving it means so much more than it really does. KR will only buy as many shiny jets as his sales force can sell. No more, no less. Ask yourself how many of the 100 Firm and 50 options for Embraer Phenoms has Flops taken delivery of since they made their order in 2007? Maybe 25 or so? At the rate Flops is taking delivery of them now, they will fulfill their "obligation" for the first 100 by 2025. But don't worry, in the case of Flexjet, I am sure it will all happen much faster.

I don't wish any ill will for the Flex pilots, but I sure wish a few of you would wake the hell up, pull your head out of the sand and look at KR's actual track record, instead of just beLIEving everything he says.