Jet Blue Growth

[pilotyip]

Latest reports shown JB's RPM's gaining on ATA to become a major by definiton. JB's RPM's are almost as big as Air Tran and Spirit put together. Productivity is the key to thier success, their guys work a hard 1000 hrs a year.

 

[JayDub]

Unless I fly 300 hours in the next 9 days, I won't fly 1000 hrs. this year. As far as "hard" this is nothing compared to Ad Hoc Charter.

JayDub

 

[G4G5]

That's 83.3 a month, not impossible. I see a few guys doing that but the key is vacation and training that reduces the average considerably

To do 1000 a year you need to consistantly do 90 a month on average, allowing for time off. From what I understand about JB's pay scale the overtime kicks in at 70 hours, so their might be a few guys doing the 1000, to pick up a few dollars

 

[Jeff G]

You can try to pick up time, but it doesn't always work out. And if you can't pick up all that much time, it's sometimes better to sit it out that month and enjoy the time off, since you can't reasonably get to pick up trips at premium pay. Training and vacation (and reserve) months are like that. But, due to the nature of the pay scale, every hour you pick up over 70 in a given month is paid at time and a half, which is a lot of incentive if you can get the time. Gravy.

Given that some months will be slow and some months will be crazy, depending on how the schedule pans out and what you can or are willing to pick up, it still only averages out to maybe 75 to 80 hrs a month. We work hard, but not *that* hard.

 

[pilotyip]

Hard Pay

I was refering to "Hard Pay" not like working hard in Ad Hoc, but hard pay in terms of flying most of the hours for which you are paid. Even flying 75-80 hours per month puts you in the top of the industry at 900-960 per year. that is a lot of flying. That is the porductivity advantage JB has over the majors.

 

[Jeff G]

Re: Definition of "Working Hard"?

Jeff G:

You wrote:" it still only averages out to maybe 75 to 80 hrs a month. We work hard, but not *that* hard."

Wow! You consider that not working hard? I hope that's not "actual block hours per month. I'll remember not to complain next time I get a line that only has 35 hours actual flighttime - and getting paid @74 hours.....

I know pax and cargo are two different animals, but geez, don't let Jetblue fly you into an early grave working that hard......

I hope that comment was with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but I couldn't tell from your post.

Yes, that's 75 to 80 hrs actual block. And no, that's not a particularly hard schedule, to my mind. 95 hrs block time and I'm ready for a break, though. The paycheck can be pretty spectacular if it works out.

Remember, we don't have to fly 1 to 2 hrs inbound, sit for 2-3 hours for the sort, then fly outbound another 1-2 hours once a night like some pilots I could mention. It's more like fly three 2 1/2 hr legs, separated by 40 minute turns. Or fly one leg transcon and go to the hotel. Or fly four legs up and down the California coast. There's not a lot of sitting around, and mostly when you go to work, you fly. We fly those 80 hrs or more and also get 13 to 18 days off a month. The schedules are generally very productive and the more senior you are, the better it gets. It's possible to work 11 days a month and still fly 85 hours, if you do it right, and the most senior pilots do just that. But on the other hand, I dropped enough trips one month last fall and used up some time off that I was paid for the full month (77 hrs) but only flew 43 hrs in three three-day trips. A cake walk.

I'm kinda junior, but this month I still have 16 days off and scheduled to fly 86 hrs. Including premium pay and holiday pay, it'll work out to about 97 hrs of pay for the month. My original schedule had about 77 hrs on it (and would have paid 83), but I traded for trips that worked about the same number of days but flew more. It's not nearly as hard as it sounds. You just have to space the trips appropriately to avoid burnout. Ask me in 20 years though, whether I'll still want to pick up that much more time.

 

[pilotyip]

Secret's out

isn't it

 

[G4G5]

We fly those 80 hrs or more and also get 13 to 18 days off a month.

13 days off equates to 17 or 18 days flying. OUCH!

 

[Jeff G]

Dude, if in 20 years you're still having to fly "overtime" to make ends meet then you must be on either your third wife or you've made some really poor financial decisions in your past.

About schedules, for example, compared to your three 2 1/2 hr legs you may fly, I'll fly one leg into MEM, sit the sort day or night (while you're flying your second 2 1/2 hr leg) then fly one leg out. I guess I'd still prefer to relax in a lazy-boy recliner rather than fly an extra leg - and get paid @ the same "credit hours" per month as a pax carrier = work less, get paid more! That a novel concept...

I see you changed your original post. I liked the first one better. I'm not going to get into a "my contract is better than yours" debate. Let's just say that hub cargo operations are sufficiently different from point-to-point passenger operations that we're going to have different schedules and different methods of determining pay. Note that I chose to pick up more time for the same time off. If you're happier sitting in the La-Z-Boy, then more power to you. You've found the right job. I prefer to work when I'm at work.

Dude, if in 20 years you're still having to fly "overtime" to make ends meet then you must be on either your third wife or you've made some really poor financial decisions in your past.

This was uncalled for, and wasn't in your original post. I don't have to fly overtime to make ends meet. As I said, it's gravy, and the payscale rewards any extra flying that you pick up with time and a half. If I can do that and still have 16 days off, that's not exactly sacrificing my family on the altar of greed. Maybe you're financially independent, but if you look around there are a lot of people who are out of work. Maybe I thought it was a good idea to use that "gravy" to build up a sufficient nest egg so that if something really bad happens (furlough, accident, loss of medical), I'll be able to keep the house and the bills paid for a long, long time while I recoup or go back to college for a second career. I'm not servicing multiple alimonies here. I've only been married once, am still married to her (12 years) and plan to stay married to her until one of us dies. Your comment was in poor taste.

 

[Skank]

Jeff, if you need a few bucks, let me know. Also, sorry to hear about all of those ex-wives, I had no idea. Oh, and I'll be glad to pick up some of your flying so you can have one or two days off this month. We really have it bad here, don't we?