Flexjet

[doh]

I was surprised because I have been flying 3-5 legs a day and that includes first and last day too. If it's so dead here, how can that be?

 

[V1 Rotate]

@doh Same here for the most part but also a lot of standby this year. If you look at the ODQ and Live Hours Variance numbers on the BB for the past few months they are way down just like in '09 before the layoffs began. Whatever the reason, none of this cool. I propose that FR take a paycut big enough to save one job. Since he can't seem to create any jobs here at Flex maybe he can at least save one.

 

[Propilot77]

Guys those numbers are based on THEIR budget. Not year over year!

 

[V1 Rotate]

That's true but the driving factor, based on what they tell us, are those two numbers, along with with Net Cum, that determine staffing levels. I'm not defending their decisions. I was just responding to Doh because a lot of us have done tons of standby lately along with watching the numbers spiral down. If those numbers are a true indicater of the company's finances then we're all in trouble.

 

[racingrob]

The frustrating thing is that there was no warning. No preventative steps. No options provided to the pilot group. Not yet anyway. From recalls and we're kicking ace to dropping the axe. Funny how that happens.

You're right - it's incredibly frustrating. No warning or attempt to prevent this from happening. How much money could the company have saved if we'd looked at reducing the yield months ago? How many of our pilots would have looked at the voluntary severance package if it had been offered earlier? Not impressed with the way the company has handled this...

 

[DirtyBeech]

You're right - it's incredibly frustrating. No warning or attempt to prevent this from happening. How much money could the company have saved if we'd looked at reducing the yield months ago? How many of our pilots would have looked at the voluntary severance package if it had been offered earlier? Not impressed with the way the company has handled this...

The dooom and gloom email from the previous week was setting the table which means that the brain trust has known about this for for two weeks minimum. In typical FJ style they elected to wait until hair on fire/let's stamp it out with a hammer mode was reached.

I'll echo another pilot on the belly in that I will be very disappointed if we cut so deeply that the yield is back up to 16 days and we're all back in FR's patented meat grinder. I'm disappointed that they didn't give the senior guys more than two days to pull the trigger on early retirement. And it's going to be interesting seeing how the fleets are effected as their are a lot of 45 and 300 guys on the bottom of the list as well as a relatively large number of 604 guys given that we just traded two FO's fleet assignments to staff it up again. Also curious to see how many people are downgraded.

 

[XBI]

This whole thing smacks of incompetent management in total panic mode. Inexcusable.

 

[V1 Rotate]

Here's some intel from the Benefits Department:

The early retirement and layoff severance will be the same. You'd be paid your daily rate X 202 days divided by 26 weeks X 6 if I remember correctly. This would be in the $17,000-18,000 lumpsum ballpark with two months of COBRA. She said also that they've had a few (whatever her definition of a "few" is) take the early out already.

 

[racingrob]

This whole thing smacks of incompetent management in total panic mode. Inexcusable.

Couldn't agree more!

 

[Ref]

I dont think I am going to make the cut, but even if I do I am out once I find something else. I have had enough of this place.

 

[eyeamthechosen1]

I dont think I am going to make the cut, but even if I do I am out once I find something else. I have had enough of this place.

Exactly right Ref. I got laid off in the 2008 furlough and I was disappointed at first but in hindsight I'm happy it happened. The flying at Flex was great but I've never flown with a bunch of company kool-aid drinkers in my entire career. All I heard was how much the company was going to "take care of them" and how "we don't need a union" like "those other places." Riiiiiight!!!! There is nothing more unprofessional than a company recalling folks and shortly thereafter furloughing them. How many of those guys uprooted their lives to take that job back? When I found out that I had to re-interview to get my job back and my longevity was going to start at DAY ONE I decided that Flexjet was not going to be in my future again. What an insult!!! Don't be like some of the guys I got furloughed with and wait by the phone for the upcoming years waiting for Flex to call you back. It is not worth it. Well, good luck to the furloughs. I hope you all find greener pastures.

 

[DirtyBeech]

I dont think I am going to make the cut, but even if I do I am out once I find something else. I have had enough of this place.

Heard this sentiment from multiple guys.

 

[doylehargraves]

I am advising NO ONE to stay at Flexjet. This place is beginning to smell a lot like a shady Florida charter outfit. The CAM system is a joke. The sales dept is worse than a joke. The CEO, well, we all know what he is. The manner in which this entire thing has been "handled" is an absolute embarrasment and sheds a lot of light on how incompetent a leader we have and how out of touch the chief pilot has become over the last year and a half. I have given this place a fair chance and have been trying to be a more positive employee over the last few years and, for what is it good for other than a clear conscience?

The things that are happening at Flexjet and, not happening for that matter, are disturbing on many levels. This company has been stagnant for over 10 years now and when you don't expand and don't continue a growth pattern, well, this is what you get. I can only hope that Fred is held accountable to the higher ups because he has taken ZERO responsibility for this--and admits that he has no control over it.

Get a life outside of Flexjet people, the ship may not be sinking but, there is a huge hole in it and unfortunately Fred has the wheel.

 

[Propilot77]

I am advising NO ONE to stay at Flexjet. This place is beginning to smell a lot like a shady Florida charter outfit. The CAM system is a joke. The sales dept is worse than a joke. The CEO, well, we all know what he is. The manner in which this entire thing has been "handled" is an absolute embarrasment and sheds a lot of light on how incompetent a leader we have and how out of touch the chief pilot has become over the last year and a half. I have given this place a fair chance and have been trying to be a more positive employee over the last few years and, for what is it good for other than a clear conscience?

The things that are happening at Flexjet and, not happening for that matter, are disturbing on many levels. This company has been stagnant for over 10 years now and when you don't expand and don't continue a growth pattern, well, this is what you get. I can only hope that Fred is held accountable to the higher ups because he has taken ZERO responsibility for this--and admits that he has no control over it.

Get a life outside of Flexjet people, the ship may not be sinking but, there is a huge hole in it and unfortunately Fred has the wheel.

And good ole Freddy gets to put another check mark next to yet another company he has ruined. When he finally leaves Flex someone else will gladly hire him to be head of their company, and the circle continues. This is the only industry that likes to recycle its garbage...but atleast we are a GREEN industry gents!

 

[dashtrasher]

I am advising NO ONE to stay at Flexjet.


So Doyle, are you going to take your own advice?