Gemini Minimums

[fogrunner]

Do you guys get all of the air-miles for all of the dead-heading you do? ...That would be a great way to offset the lack of non-revenue \ zed-fare travel. How does Gemini go about picking which airline to dead-head you on? ZP

1. Yes. My last rotation I got 9000 miles on Star Alliance. 6,000 miles on Skyteam. 3000 miles on One World.

2. No clue. To give you an idea of commercial travel here is how I got home. RUH-BAH-CDG (Gulf Air) (AA miles), CDG-IAD (Air France) (NWA miles). IAD-TYS (United)

 

[Z_Pilot]

1. Yes. My last rotation I got 9000 miles on Star Alliance. 6,000 miles on Skyteam. 3000 miles on One World.

2. No clue. To give you an idea of commercial travel here is how I got home. RUH-BAH-CDG (Gulf Air) (AA miles), CDG-IAD (Air France) (NWA miles). IAD-TYS (United)

Wow, I am sold. You must get several free tickets per year. ZP

 

[Fedora]

Fog and I flew together last pairing. I elected for Delta miles for the Air France leg. It should put me into the Platinum range.
I don't know about fog, but the last thing I need is a free ticket to anywhere during my 11-12 days off.
Now upgrades to business class is another matter.
Gemini is a CASS participant and jumpseating is no problem.
We also have agreements with a few airlines, the latest being MaxJet, for low cost fares (like 25 dollars).
Again, most of us don't travel a lot when home. Some of the bachelors can live out of a suitcase close to 365 a year. Us married dudes figure more than 200 days is plenty, and look forward to our time at home.
I'm on vacation this month (7 days wrapped by 12 off days) and have a honey-do list as long as my arm!
I did get the clothes dryer fixed, make a dump run, and fish on the river tonight. One striper, one bluefish, and a few cervesas made for a good day. Working on the yard tomorrow, garage the next day, etc.
Looking forward to seeing my first NFL games this weekend. The word football has a different meaning overseas, so if you are into a lot of TV, kiss your shows goodbye for most of the month. There are a few online TV viewers, but they are poor at best.

 

[fogrunner]

Wow, I am sold. You must get several free tickets per year. ZP

The family is planning a trip to either the UK or HI next summer. There are seven of us and I have easily enough points to cover what we decide.

Russ

 

[EMB_driver2002]

Z-pilot:

I'm an ex-YV guy that was in DA-20's class, and I share his wait and see sentiments about the upcoming contract. If you come to GAC you will be treated alot better than you were at YV, but its definetly a different lifestyle. I'm enjoying it so far. I read alot the traffic on this board for months before making the jump to GAC and so far I have seen Fedora and Fogrunner have been provent to be spot on with their accounts of life on the line here. PM me if you want, heck we may have flown together at YV

J

 

[Z_Pilot]

More Q's

These are silly questions, so bear with me.

Do you all check your luggage or carry them on (roll-along & flight case) for the international dead heads?

(The reason I ask is because I doubt you deadhead in uniform, and I doubt the TSA liquid rule works while you're out for 2 to 3 weeks).

Do most of you have a 22" or a 26" roll-along?

Do you do laundry at layovers & subsequently just pack for one week?

At $2.35\hr per diem, how much are you typically seeing on your paystub per month?

When is the contract amendable?

 

[fogrunner]

Not silly at all.......




Do you all check your luggage or carry them on (roll-along & flight case) for the international dead heads?

I check mine. London Heathrow has strict one carry on policy even if in transit.

(The reason I ask is because I doubt you deadhead in uniform, and I doubt the TSA liquid rule works while you're out for 2 to 3 weeks).

Do most of you have a 22" or a 26" roll-along?

Varies, some have the standard 22", some the 26". Some guys carry three bags.

Do you do laundry at layovers & subsequently just pack for one week?

Yes. Laundry is cheap to do in India.

At $2.35\hr per diem, how much are you typically seeing on your paystub per month?

$800-$950.

When is the contract amendable?

09/09

 

[Z_Pilot]

...HAHA I am not done...

Thanks Fog-

Do you guys bring your laptops with you?

Which power-converters do you use?

Able to access internet at most places?

Which phone and phone carrier has the best international calling plan?

Or do you all do calling cards instead?

How do you all stay in contact with the company? Dispatch issues? Crew Scheduling?


...Thanks again!

 

[fogrunner]

Do you guys bring your laptops with you?

Yes

Which power-converters do you use?

I got my adapters at Walmart for $20.

Able to access internet at most places?

Yes. It was dial-up in Saudi Arabia.

Which phone and phone carrier has the best international calling plan?

The majority of us, use Skype.


How do you all stay in contact with the company? Dispatch issues? Crew Scheduling?

You wont really need to talk to dispatch. Crew scheduling every now and again through skype or an AT&T access number.

Fedora has the best deal on international cell phone that I have come across.. He can fill you in on that.

 

[johnsonrod]

On average, how many days do you guys spend at home per month?

 

[jercdevil]

12 days at home and don't answer the phone

 

[Z_Pilot]

12 days at home and don't answer the phone

Lots of uncovered flying?

Does junior-manning (overtime) pay 150% ?

What about the associated DH for such an assignment?

Thanks

ZP

 

[fogrunner]

Lots of uncovered flying?

Does junior-manning (overtime) pay 150% ?

What about the associated DH for such an assignment?

Thanks

ZP

I think it is over simplification to say "12 days off".
Depends on whether it is a 17, 18 or 19 day line. Take September, a 30 day month. If you have a 18 day line you would have 12 days off, if it was August, 13 days off etc. etc.. The contract stipulates a minimum of 11 days off.

There is no junior manning. You can be extended for two days beyond your pairing for certain reasons.

You work on a day off you get time and half.

 

[Fedora]

Lots of uncovered flying?

Gemini (and most ACMI cargo airlines) is a non-scheduled airline. Which means there are no "scheduled" flights to go uncovered. We don't have any daily nonstops from EWR to MIA. We have some "hard" lines of flying for certain customers, but in reality what you are awarded and what you wind up flying may be completely different.
All our Saudi lines were hard lines last month, some with more than a 65 hour guarantee, and the pilots who were awarded those lines flew other trips for Cargo Italia and never got back into rotation on their assigned lines. It happens all the time. October's bid package for the 11 had 12 hard lines out of 20, but essentially you are bidding either first half or second half (18 days).
If you get caught "back-to-back" , you can be gone for 36 days. On the other hand, if you are off at the end of one month and the first part of the next, you can be home for 24 in a row.
BTW, UPS is saying they won't be hiring in 2008, so those looking to use Gemini for a short step up may be disapointed.

 

[fokkers&beer]

Being Jr at Gemini can lead to even less time off than the guaranteed 11 days. This is because of carry in and carry out lines. They do pay you overtime for those 2 days however.
I was the low man on the 10 for the couple of years I was there and often times had 9 or 10 days off in a month.

 

[Z_Pilot]

How is seniority assigned to newhires?

 

[EMB_driver2002]

Age, oldest is the most senior. The spread was 55 for the oldest in my clast and 32 for the youngest

 

[Z_Pilot]

Upgrade times? On the -10? -11?

 

[Fedora]

http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?t=103296&page=2

It's addressed on the other Gemini thread on page three of the cargo threads. Basically, the upgrade picture is not a pretty one based on past performance.
We are hiring replacement pilots for those that we are losing to other airlines. If you got on the bottom of the list next month, you'd have 75-80 guys above you. If we buy 10 more aircraft, no problems. Right now we can't seem to buy one. This was a great company 10 years ago when I signed on. I upgraded in just 14 months. We still have guys in the right seat that hired on in 2000. Some of the last of the 99 guys are upgrading now. They are long overdue. Hopefully Fogrunner will get his chance soon.
Not trying to bum you out on upgrades, and who knows? If we announce growth, then the recent new hires will be the lucky ones like I was in 98.

 

[Z_Pilot]

What's your realistic assesment on aircraft orders and growth? I have seen the other threads and I have seen which aircraft are being discussed, but then again it is all the same stuff that wa being discussed in 2004...

MD-11's are quickly snatched up by FedEx & UPS.
Availability is an issue.

New 777F are probably too exspensive...
There is no established conversion program\company for the 777pax that I know of.

A330F too exspensive.

B767's might be the most realistic option....


ZP