New Alaska Airlines base

[turbodriver]

Don't worry, some senior guy will pick it up, thereby helping to keep me and the other 105 on the street.

 

[Ih8AFYesmen]

perception is reality.

You must have spent some time on active duty. That was my least favorite phrase when I was in.

 

[CGHercster]

We all must remember... It's not Alaska Airlines, it's SEATTLE Airlines.

 

[Chief Pilot]

Because you are relying on rumors instead of facts.

I find it ironic that you wish to protect the LAX size, but you have no regard for the SEA pilots that are being forced from their homes. Bottom line, the company has run many different scenarios that have equal cost options for them. They wish to have SEA ETOPS, as it will give them the most flexibility for the future, but they have an equal cost solution for the short term. It is going to be up to the us to pick which option.

There is only one time a union has a position to negotiate from, and that is a release to self help. This will never happen as we are outside of Section 6. Actually why don't you ask your reps what the intent language of the ETOPS base discussion.

On a personal note, I am sick and tired of ANC pilots thinking that they are better than everyone else at this airline. You have to remember that your base makes up 13% of our pilot group. You don't run the show. DEAL WITH IT!

SF,
You make some very valid points in your argument with AK737, and I don't disagree with anything you wrote, but I think the SEA ETOPS base needs to be looked at from another perspective.

Why are we in such a hurry to set up a SEA ETOPS base? What benefit will it have for us as a pilot group to get it done quickly? I say none whatsoever. Management has said that the PDX base will stand regardless of whether we vote for a SEA ETOPS base. Unfortunately, when have we ever really been able to trust a verbal guarantee from management?

Two things will happen if we vote for a SEA ETOPS base before a PDX base opens. First, it will be a country club for a very senior group of captains. Many of whom should already be retired or should be retiring soon. They will definately stick around for the full five, vsa-ing or running their lines up to 90+, further stagnating our career progression. Second, if it gets approved before PDX has started up, management will cancel the PDX bid because they will have their productivity in SEA, haven't had to pay moving expenses, and won't have to pay to close the base later. My gut feeling is that we are being played for fools if we vote for this thing before PDX takes effect.

I just don't understand why our elected representatives are working so hard to get this done so quickly, except that SEA wants it all for themselves at the expense of the other bases. We should be sitting on this until PDX officially takes effect.

As you stated in your personal note, I agree wholeheartedly about being sick of ANC pilots and their unfounded superiority complex. Most are good guys, but there are a few that can't let go of that Arctic Eagle BS. Arctic flying is some of the easiest I have ever done, as is ETOPS flying. It isn't rocket science and you aren't a hero for landing on a 6000' runway. SEA and LAX consistently fly in more difficult environments in the lower 48 with snowstorms, thunderstorms, and extremely busy airspace. Not to mention SEA has been flying all of the SE AK stuff this past winter. I'm not advocating that SEA and LAX have better pilots, just that ANC pilots aren't some super group like a few folks with short pitot tubes would suggest. BTW, I'm ANC based.

CP out.

 

[kingair1]

Kind of off subject but got a call from my union rep and Alaska is bid advancing 3 FO's out of seniority early to start March 1st !! They are picking the most senior FO's !!! There is some bad stuff going on right now..

 

[Going2Baja]

March 1st starting where? ANC?

Baja.

 

[flythere]

Kind of off subject but got a call from my union rep and Alaska is bid advancing 3 FO's out of seniority early to start March 1st !! They are picking the most senior FO's !!! There is some bad stuff going on right now..

What is this "bid advancing" stuff? Bad stuff, as in bad Ju-Ju?

 

[kingair1]

Pilots being displaced from Seattle to Anchorage. Forcing the most senior FO's to go first a month early..

 

[turbodriver]

Well....

If ALPA represented us like the IPA is representing junior UPS pilots right now (by actually banning open time at the THREAT of a furlough)... we furloughees would probably still be on property and you Seattleites wouldn't have to come up to nasty 'ol ANC because most of us furloughees are either from ANC or actually want to be here!

Food for thought MEC....

 

[Tatoosh65]

Chief has some very valid points. I do not see the harm in sitting on this issue for awhile.

Stated from the top..... 1-2 percent is there current expected growth for 2010 and that will be almost completely from retired 400's being replaced by 800's.. No surprises here ..

I also heard personally, how surprised they have been with the amount of open time being picked. They want to do allot more with less and we seem to be obliging.

The real problems though are guys building lines to 90 hours, VSA and the over 60'ers... The 90 hour deal and VSA seem to be things that we could fix in negotiations, but the over 60 issue.. Well its thier right, I don't want to take that away, but come on! How much more coin do you need! We have 106 families trying to survive here.
Goodluck to all.

 

[QCappy]

One other issue that I worry about with the PDX base and the SEA ETOPS base is the efficiency gained in the trip pairings. Right now there are many trips with either deadheads, long layovers, or inefficient flying days on them. They say they wanted these two bases to increase the efficiency.

In looking at the March flying, there is 33,750 Credit Hours and 32,162 block hours. That means that there is 1588 hours of soft time in the trips. Do the math. That is several pilots worth of inefficiency built in the trips. Once these bases open, how much soft time will be eliminated? Granted, not all the soft time can be eliminated, but there is a fair amount that can. This could definitely affect the staffing picture as well.

What do you think?

 

[mittro]

The MEC Scheduling Chair. said when they ran the scheduling model for all the bases that a SEA ETOPS would be 30% more efficient than PDX but PDX ETOPS with the current schedules would be 60% more efficient than LAX. The problem is that with so much of the shell game going on with marketing that trying to build lines without the higher soft times is getting more and more difficult.
I would also imagine seeing some gate and property space changes in PDX
to allow for a new base and major cost savings to go with it, we shall see.

 

[Mookie]

One other issue that I worry about with the PDX base and the SEA ETOPS base is the efficiency gained in the trip pairings. Right now there are many trips with either deadheads, long layovers, or inefficient flying days on them. They say they wanted these two bases to increase the efficiency.

In looking at the March flying, there is 33,750 Credit Hours and 32,162 block hours. That means that there is 1588 hours of soft time in the trips. Do the math. That is several pilots worth of inefficiency built in the trips. Once these bases open, how much soft time will be eliminated? Granted, not all the soft time can be eliminated, but there is a fair amount that can. This could definitely affect the staffing picture as well.

What do you think?

I asked Gary Beck that exact question and he said it would not cause any reduction in the current number of pilots. Pilots will be recalled with an increase in hard block hours irregardless of the soft town inherent in the schedule.

Mookie

 

[Green Banana]

I asked Gary Beck that exact question and he said.........

Mookie

Must be true then.

 

[QCappy]

I asked Gary Beck that exact question and he said it would not cause any reduction in the current number of pilots. Pilots will be recalled with an increase in hard block hours irregardless of the soft town inherent in the schedule.

Mookie

Unfortunately, that makes no sense mathematically. Monthly maximums are based on credit hours. If there is less soft time, then for any given line it needs to have more block time to equal the same value. Therefore, less pilots can fly more block in any given schedule.

 

[Mookie]

Unfortunately, that makes no sense mathematically. Monthly maximums are based on credit hours. If there is less soft time, then for any given line it needs to have more block time to equal the same value. Therefore, less pilots can fly more block in any given schedule.

A point I made myself to him, but again, that's what he said, and he is one of the people who decides when guys get called back. take it for what it's worth. I'd suggest emailing him directly on last class and ask that same question. his turnaround for answers is usually less than 24 hrs.

mookie

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Well....

If ALPA represented us like the IPA is representing junior UPS pilots right now (by actually banning open time at the THREAT of a furlough)... we furloughees would probably still be on property and you Seattleites wouldn't have to come up to nasty 'ol ANC because most of us furloughees are either from ANC or actually want to be here!

Food for thought MEC....

What?!? That's just silly. Fairly represent your FOs when you can screw them for extra pay for the senior guys? Pshaw!

 

[NWaviator]

For the PDX based guys a "fair amount" of the flying are just going to be day trips/turns.

 

[mach none]

No, the PDX base will happen on June 1, even though the SEA LEC reps and the LAX Capt Rep want to kill it. 3 of the 6 voting reps want PDX to die in order to save all the lines they can for SEA. The SEA reps position is "to heck with the other bases, we want every line we can grab for ourselves, regardless of what we have to give away to secure it." The LAX Capt who voted for SEA ETOPS must be smoking crack, because there is no logic behind his gut feeling that if LAX no longer has to do ETOPS, then the company will grow the base into mexico. I might ask, with what extra jets? With what extra pilots? LAX will shrink, the company has told the MEC it will shrink, if there is a SEA ETOPS base, and LAX pilots can thank their own Capt rep for giving it to them for FREE.
Our contract says that we had to talk, in good faith, with the company about SEA ETOPS. These three guys (Both SEA reps and the LAX Capt rep) were determined to give away anything and everything in order to save as many lines as they could for SEA.
It is sad to see our MEC come to this - gloves off, roll call and BS casting the tie breaker. Why do some of us want to give away the farm? Suck it up SEA. When this thing comes to Mem Rat, and it will - vote NO and send these three whimps packin.
To the new PDX base - make sure you get your own council because these SEA guys want to slit your throats!

Is this per YOUR Reps who want to throw all the other bases under the bus to get as many lines as THEY can? Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

 

[flythere]

It seems the folks overlooking the lake have once again succeeded in dividing and conquering the pilot group!