Jet Blue

[Blue Dude]

The "source document" is 10 or 15 pages of contract, not much of which is relevant here. I've got a copy around here somewhere, but I almost never refer to it. The pay rates are the important part, and they're in the public domain. What exactly is it you want to know?

 

[A350]

If you want to see the contract....apply. Maybe you get to see it, maybe you don't.

Ask specific questions, and you will get specific answers.

A350

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

If you want to see the contract....apply. Maybe you get to see it, maybe you don't.

Ask specific questions, and you will get specific answers.

A350

From the thread starter:

I know the pay. But, would someone please fill me in on your work rules. Are your duty limits just the FAR limits? Do you have rules that keep them from rerouting you into off days? Do you feel a line holder remains productive, or lots of sits? Sick time? Vacation time?


Thank you.

Are there lots of sits? Translation: How do the bid packs look? Min pay per day?

Sick time? Translation: Are there any policies about sick time?

Vacation time? Translation: Any info on vacation time?

Duty limits? Translation: Does your scheduling shop have any limits? When do they exceed self imposed limits?

Does a line holder remain productive? Translation: Does a line holder remain productive?

 

[Blue Dude]

Are there lots of sits? Translation: How do the bid packs look? Min pay per day?

Thought I covered this. The pairings are built by a team of pilots, the details of which vary all the time. Sometimes there are sits, comes with the territory, but they are kept to a minimum. I haven't seen many. If there is one, it's usually for an hour or two, just long enough to have a meal and get started on the next leg.

Sick time? Translation: Are there any policies about sick time?

Sick time, vacation and paid time off all come from the same pot, but they are paid slightly differently. Sick time preserves premium pay, to ensure that there's no financial penalty for calling off sick. Vacation is bid in 7 day blocks in November for the following year, and pays 35 hrs for the week. Two weeks of vacation will get you pretty much the whole month off. Paid time off is bid on an ad hoc basis. The rules there are pretty complex, and I'm not going into the whole thing, but suffice it to say that you can drop trips for pay, manning permitting.

Vacation time? Translation: Any info on vacation time?

See above.

Duty limits? Translation: Does your scheduling shop have any limits? When do they exceed self imposed limits?

Yes. FAR limits apply, but in practice further restrictions apply. Most of them come about when pairings are built, but things get a little weird when irregular ops occur. There are also quite a few unwritten guidelines that are in place, but aren't binding. I told you this wouldn't fly in a union shop. I anything, this is the weakest part of the work rules. A rewrite is in progress and we ought to learn more later this month.

Does a line holder remain productive? Translation: Does a line holder remain productive?

On average last month, line holders flew 5.5 to 6 hrs a day, were paid about 84 hrs of credit, and had 16 days off. There is some variation, namely that junior pilots got less flying and fewer days off, but even they got about 82 hrs of pay and 14 days off. So you tell me: is that productive or not?

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Thanks Blue Dude. A pleasant response to my surly posting. I shouldn't be on flightinfo after I argue with the wife.

Thanks again.

 

[wndshr]

i don't know...my opinion...the litmus (sp?) test to determine if it is a fair "contract" at jetblue is....

is there a union so far? with over 1000 pilots and no union, yet, seems like an ok place to be considering the rest of the industry. of course i would expect to see many disgruntled IF we were enjoying record profits industry-wide!

 

[klhoard]

..><snip>. . of course i would expect to see many disgruntled IF we were enjoying record profits industry-wide!

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You've hit the nail right on the head, Sir!!!
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[wndshr]

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You've hit the nail right on the head, Sir!!!
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now 32000 hours!!! LOL!

 

[GVFlyer]

Happy people & unhappy people in the same company, I think that would apply to every company in the world...

Mike, if you think about it for a minute, I bet you can come up with several companies where everybody is unhappy.

GV

 

[MajorAv8r]

Thank you Blue Dude for the last post with answers.

I realize that Jet Blue takes a lot of heat for perceptually being the "bottom of the heap" and bringing everyone down. I know that it is mismanagement that has done this, not any specific pilot group. Duh. But your airline is listed by others in backruptcy as the target point for contract reductions, like it or not, it is a fact.

And if it isn't moving down, then why say we are going cut $325M or $500M by shooting for another carriers contract. A cut in the contract means loss of QOL, pay. So it is a move down. I don't think poorly of your group, you all are doing what the rest of us try to do, put food on the table, bottom line.

I guess a better question is where will the others have to go to be "cost competitive" in relation to issues, other than pay? I thought that the work rules at a so called major would not be worse than a regional, just curious to see if that holds true.