Jet Blue Growth

[CRJ puppy]

Jeff...

Disregard those thoughtless comments from that jack-"ask". Your rebuttal was right on target.

I think what we see here is one of the fundamental reasons that places like JB are doing well while traditiontal carriers are scrambling.

Now if that isn't a little fuel for the ol' yulelog, I don't know what is. (My apologies in advance for all the tired insults this all will draw...)

Merry Christmas to all you believers..........

HO HO HO....!

 

[SpeedBird]

Mailman

Don't knock what Jeff G does until you've tried it.

One thing that stands out in your post is the difference in productivity between you and jeff. While that may not mean a hill of beans to you, as a significant shareholder in jetBlue, jeff gets rewarded twice for his efforts.

While you sit in your easy chair producing nothing but methane gas for the next cabin pressure change, jeff's helping his company produce more dollars in revenue. Something this industry has a big problem doing these days.

After 20 years of such activity, jeff can sell his shares for a king's ransom.

 

[AlbieF15]

The beauty of this job is there is something out there for everybody.

As a Fedex guy, I can tell you unequivically I HATE going to the hub to lounge in a recliner, watch a movie, or sleep in a sleep room. 2-3 hours of sleep is just enough to completely screw up my sleep pattern and make me miserable. I also get "bed-head" that will scare children and animals when I grab some ZZZs during those turns. The social scene at 2 am is neat--seeing all you old buddies as they come and go, but I still don't like like the graveyard shift. So...after a year of experimenting I try to bid day flights and avoid the night hub act. Long term--I want the MD-11...so I can fly 6-15 hours international then rack in a hotel 24-36 hours to recover. My best friend at FedEx (who helped get me hired) has NO issues with hub turning, and he loves the short leg in and rack time before the departure leg. He is hoping for an A300 (which does mostly domestic hub turns and some intra Europe trips) for his next upgrade. To each his own....

As for chastising a Jetblue guy for picking up some extra trips, YGTBSM! There are tons of guys at FedEx on EVERY seat that live to pick up extra trips at 150% pay. Draft and volunteer are controversial subjects, but the contract says its within the rights of the company and the lineholder to use it as required. However, any chance those of us in the bottom 10% of the seniority have of upgrading to a right seat are impacted by every trip these guys pick up. Carryover is another issue--some guys at FDX knock themselves out working extra days at straight pay, much less the draft/volunteer premium! So...I'm not criticising anybody, but getting on the moral high ground as a FDX employee and slamming a JB guy for grabbing some extra coin is the pot calling the kettle black.

Comparing FDX lines to pax lines is silly as well. FDX sells RELIABILITY. Reliability is expensive, and requires overmanning each hub with some extra aircrew to handle airplane/aircrew fallout. So...I've had a few trips where I was paid to hang out in a hotel or hub (hotel and airport standby). Sure--its a great deal...but it is there because we offer a different product. The guy who flies from BHM to MEM and back every night likely doesn't fly but 20 hours of block a month. However--if he doesn't live in BHM however, he's away from home for 5 days.....just like the DAL, SWA, or UAL pilot on a five day trip. We do have some GREAT deals at FDX here and there, but I don't think getting to drool and snore on a recliner from 1230 am until 300 am is any great recruiting point for the air cargo business.

 

[SpeedBird]

Mailman

Some cheap advice for you.

If you want to come on these boards and state your opinions, then be ready to for people to respond to them, perhaps in ways you don't expect. The "jack-a$$" comments about your posts are just that...comments. Sound familiar?

I personally took your message in a negative way and therefore had to add my two cents in reponse. Sorry to ruffle your feathers, but I was just returning the favor.

Perhaps next time we can learn from each other in more productive and respectable manner.

Merry Christmas to you and yours...I mean it.

 

[justApilot]

I heard someone say that the pilots have to help clean the cabin between flights. Any truth to this?

 

[fredflyer]

Oh no, we're not going to start the "cleaning the cabin" thing again, are we?

 

[Southbound]

schedules and growth

I was in LGB the other day and didn't realize JB did the amount they do already. 7 departures to OAK soon to be 9, 3 to LAS, 5 to JFK and so on. I think it's great.
My question, there seem to be lots of not so typical departure and arrival times on the timetable. I understand the red-eyes from DEN, LGB, OAK, SEA to the east coast. That makes sense. But how is the demand for the 3 a.m. departure from JFK to San Juan or the 12:25 arrival into Salt Lake from LGB? Are these mainly repos or do the loads justify the departure/arrival times? It seems like entering a new market would be tough without flying in the middle of the night?
Also, are you guys and gals happy with how the all night legs are placed into your monthly schedules??
Cheers

 

[Race Pilot]

Cleaning the cabin

I read that in USA today as well and wondered if it were true. I seriously doubt it.

 

[race#53]

My guess is that with only 34 aircraft they have to fly off hours to add service.

 

[JayDub]

My $.02

Mailman,

I am glad you like the sitting instead of working routine, for the good of the rest of us. I have waited in some of the best and worst places in the world. I have never gotten so fat, been so tired, or especially so bored as when I had to wait on somebody else. It absolutely sucked for me, so I am very glad I won't have to volunteer to do it again, thanks to you and anyone else that appreciates this enough to work for Fedex. A few months was enough for me (of course not for Fedex) , let alone years.

No, the pilots are not required to clean the cabin. Flight attendants are. A lot of pilots, with encouragement from mgmt., help them. This falls under the "never ask anyone do something I wouldn't do" category. However quite a few don't clean cabins.

As far as the night trips, it helps our productivity. I think we averaged something like 11.5 hrs./ airplane last month. The difference with jetBlue is, you can be senior enough to bid for or against those (with success) relatively soon.

For me, working here is a quality of life issue. I would never make so much, working so little. I am not like Jeff G, I take everyday off I can. I would imagine I average 18-19 days off a month. I still get in 70 hours a month, no sweat.

I wish you and all the rest at Fedex well. I usually try to use your product. I just don't want to do your kind of flying again.

Respectfully,

JayDub