Galaxy
Watching FLOPS die slowly
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2002
- Posts
- 426
March 11, 2005
Dear Flight Options Crewmember:
For 2005, Flight Options has adopted the credo of Safety, Service and Profitability. This credo will be inherent in everything we do and serves as our guiding principle when making decisions that affect our owners, members and fellow employees. We would like to take this opportunity to outline for you how each facet of our credo will impact you as a Flight Options crewmember through a variety of initiatives. In developing these initiatives, we made some tough decisions. We understand that no program can meet everyone’s needs, but we believe we have developed a program that meets our business strategy, overall objectives and quality of life issues. We believe we have reached decisions that will allow the company to achieve its objectives. The chart below states each initiative and its proposed implementation date.
Dear Flight Options Crewmember:
For 2005, Flight Options has adopted the credo of Safety, Service and Profitability. This credo will be inherent in everything we do and serves as our guiding principle when making decisions that affect our owners, members and fellow employees. We would like to take this opportunity to outline for you how each facet of our credo will impact you as a Flight Options crewmember through a variety of initiatives. In developing these initiatives, we made some tough decisions. We understand that no program can meet everyone’s needs, but we believe we have developed a program that meets our business strategy, overall objectives and quality of life issues. We believe we have reached decisions that will allow the company to achieve its objectives. The chart below states each initiative and its proposed implementation date.
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Safety is our foundation. We have developed programs and undertaken initiatives that further demonstrate our commitment to safety. Over the past year, this dedication has been illustrated through our transition to Part 135, the development of an independent Safety Department, world-class in-house crew training at CAE SimuFlite, an increased focus on quality assurance and the implementation of a new set of Standard Operating Procedures. The efforts established last year will continue, and our commitment to safety will remain evident in all that we do from training to maintenance to the implementation of policies and procedures.
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Service
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Our goal is to provide the highest level of service to all of our owners, members, vendors and employees. In serving our employees, we will continue to reward, recognize and invest in a service-based culture.
Increased communication of company news, programs and initiatives will be prominent this year. In addition to the weekly company message from our COO, a member of the Flight Options management team will be in Dallas each week to provide our crews with a company overview. Other communication enhancements include: the quarterly publication of Wingtips; quarterly company-wide meetings; focus group sessions; and the dissemination of all owner/member communication to all Flight Options employees. Another communication enhancement that will directly benefit you is that all of our dispatchers will begin licensing training this summer. Also, enhanced trip notes will be added to your trip sheets, which will indicate if the trip is a recovery or if this owner has recently experienced a disservice.
Additionally, Flight Options has established a company-wide service goal. If we meet our goal for the year, which will compare our service performance against internal improvements and industry benchmarks, all employees will receive an incentive package of up to $1,000. Also, all employees from crewmembers to our sales team to billing will be going through a concierge-training program this year called Planeside Manner. By working together, we will be able to regain the industry-leading reputation for service.
Increased communication of company news, programs and initiatives will be prominent this year. In addition to the weekly company message from our COO, a member of the Flight Options management team will be in Dallas each week to provide our crews with a company overview. Other communication enhancements include: the quarterly publication of Wingtips; quarterly company-wide meetings; focus group sessions; and the dissemination of all owner/member communication to all Flight Options employees. Another communication enhancement that will directly benefit you is that all of our dispatchers will begin licensing training this summer. Also, enhanced trip notes will be added to your trip sheets, which will indicate if the trip is a recovery or if this owner has recently experienced a disservice.
Additionally, Flight Options has established a company-wide service goal. If we meet our goal for the year, which will compare our service performance against internal improvements and industry benchmarks, all employees will receive an incentive package of up to $1,000. Also, all employees from crewmembers to our sales team to billing will be going through a concierge-training program this year called Planeside Manner. By working together, we will be able to regain the industry-leading reputation for service.
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Profitability
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In order for us to achieve our goal of profitability, all of our employees will experience some trade-offs in terms of quality of life. After careful analysis and feedback from your fellow crewmembers during focus group sessions, we determined that there are six areas in which the flight department can help the company’s goal of profitability.
These six areas have been classified as crew initiatives, areas in which our crewmembers will witness a change to current policies and procedures. The six areas are: Domicile Program, Crew Meals, Schedules, Crew Expenses, Hotels and Fuel Burn. Below you will find a detailed explanation of each of these initiatives. The changes were taken into context to preserve as much quality of life as possible across the entire flight crew workforce.
These six areas have been classified as crew initiatives, areas in which our crewmembers will witness a change to current policies and procedures. The six areas are: Domicile Program, Crew Meals, Schedules, Crew Expenses, Hotels and Fuel Burn. Below you will find a detailed explanation of each of these initiatives. The changes were taken into context to preserve as much quality of life as possible across the entire flight crew workforce.
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Domicile Program
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Currently, we have each of our domiciles classified into a specific Tier. Tier 1 airports are major hubs that we have identified as being beneficial locations. Tier 3 airports are located in remote parts of the country, and therefore, are hard locations to reach, may require numerous connecting flights, have increased costs over other domiciles and have limited flight availability. All other current domiciles have been classified as Tier 2.
Based on cost, flight availability and utility, we have developed a list of 15 Tier 1 domiciles. Effective immediately, all new hires and transfers from their current domicile will be from this list. Current Flight Options crewmembers living in either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 domicile will be grandfathered at their current domicile. All those currently living in a Tier 3 will be individually contacted and transitioned to either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 domicile no later than July 1, 2005. Flight Options is not requiring anyone to move, but simply to transition their domicile airport to one of those on either the Tier 1 or Tier 2 list. If a current Tier 3 individual chooses to move, Flight Options will provide a relocation allowance subject to the company’s relocation policy if the move is to the Tier 1 list.
Also effective July 1, 2005, Cleveland Domicile Pay will be added to the individual’s base salary. The base salary will freeze until the pay schedule catches the salary. Then, normal increases will resume. Any CLE domicile who wishes to change to a different domicile must do so by July 1st.
After July 1st, any change in domicile must be to the 15-city Tier 1 list only. Additionally, out of domicile travel will only be to/from the Tier 1 list.
The Tier 1, 2 and 3 domicile lists are enclosed and posted to the Pilot Web site.
Based on cost, flight availability and utility, we have developed a list of 15 Tier 1 domiciles. Effective immediately, all new hires and transfers from their current domicile will be from this list. Current Flight Options crewmembers living in either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 domicile will be grandfathered at their current domicile. All those currently living in a Tier 3 will be individually contacted and transitioned to either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 domicile no later than July 1, 2005. Flight Options is not requiring anyone to move, but simply to transition their domicile airport to one of those on either the Tier 1 or Tier 2 list. If a current Tier 3 individual chooses to move, Flight Options will provide a relocation allowance subject to the company’s relocation policy if the move is to the Tier 1 list.
Also effective July 1, 2005, Cleveland Domicile Pay will be added to the individual’s base salary. The base salary will freeze until the pay schedule catches the salary. Then, normal increases will resume. Any CLE domicile who wishes to change to a different domicile must do so by July 1st.
After July 1st, any change in domicile must be to the 15-city Tier 1 list only. Additionally, out of domicile travel will only be to/from the Tier 1 list.
The Tier 1, 2 and 3 domicile lists are enclosed and posted to the Pilot Web site.
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Crew Meals
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Through our various crew focus group sessions, it was reiterated that we could eliminate some potential waste by revamping our crew meal procedure. We will be instituting a policy this month that helps to eliminate wasted crew meals, especially at breakfast and on reposition legs. Eventually, we will increase the per diem for our crews and will allow them to both order and cancel their own meals and charge back a nominal fee. Our new crew meal policy will become effective on July 1st.
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Schedule
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Flight Options will begin to implement an alternative schedule in addition to our baseline schedule of 8 on 7 off. The alternative schedule will be a flex schedule. In the coming weeks, we will be seeking volunteers in select programs to fly the newly developed schedule. Our test program will begin in July 2005 with a goal of approximately 20% of our crewmembers working the alternative schedule. This new scheduling option will allow us to better meet the ever-fluctuating demand and eliminate the waste in the network. Additionally, all new hires will be brought in on a flex schedule.
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Crew Expenses
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In the new Policy Manual, Flight Options will provide guidelines for our crews when they are on the road. These guidelines include recommended tips and stricter approval criteria for rental cars and the usage of taxis.
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more,....
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