Payment to contract pilot for trip cacellation

[el gringo]

At what point...24 hours, 12 hours, 1 hour ahead of the trip does a trip cancellation still merit payment to pilots for their daily rate?

 

[limodriver1]

no money from cancelled trips

I think there should be no money for cancelled trips!

That would keep contract pilots out of business and the people on seniority lists upgrading!

 

[hawkerjock]

Almost every flight department I have delt with uses a standard 24 hour policy

 

[rice]

Not that I do a lot of contract work. But if its a local job (my home airport(s)) and they get a hold of me before I go to sleep the night before the trip, I won't ask to be paid. If however I've turned down any other contract work and the trip canx's then it's 24 hrs notice or pay up.

 

[HMR]

I've been doing a lot of contract work lately and I agree with Rice. Also, use good judgement before making too many demands. Example, at the company I've been working for, every canceled day has been made up for with a repositioning flight (.3 flight time) that's paid a full day's wage.YMMV.

 

[FlierDude]

I also agree with Rice. I do give 1 'freebie' to new clients. I had one client who had 5 cx's in a month, 2 of them were no-notice, aircraft and I were standing by with no call 30 mins. after proposed departure. Unreliable clients can eat into your revenue, while making you appear less available to other clients.

 

[el gringo]

Thanks for the replies. I am trying to justify this to the owner of the airplane. We occassionally have to use a contract pilot for birthdays, doctors appointments, vacation, sick coverage, etc... Don't want to leave the contract pilot holding the bag with no pay. We cancelled a trip the other day with 1 hour notice, with airplane preflighted and ready to go. I think 24 hours prior is fair.

 

[PlaneStupid]

Limo Driver is pretty funny. As a contract pilot I had a daily flying rate and a daily non-flying rate. If I was scheduled for and committed to a multi day trip and the trip cancelled I would be paid the non-flying daily rate for the number of days scheduled. When a contract pilot makes a commitment to you he or she is losing the opportunity to work for someone else. If the owner is too cheap to agree to this he should trade in his jet for a yugo.

 

[G100driver]

A lot of guys that I have used have a contract stating their daily rate and cancelation polices. Most guys will not give you grief for canceling a day trip. However if you cancel a multi-day trip it screws over the contractor who will not be able to recover the revenue.

Remember, these are people who are there to HELP you. If you treat them like $hit, they will just tell everyone else what craphead you are, thus effecting your entire operation.

The F/A that I regularily use does the same thing as well. It is all part of business.

 

[gutshotdraw]

What would your contract client think if you called up a few hours before a trip and said "I'm sorry, another client called with a 5 day trip at a higher rate so I'm cancelling"?

It is supposed to be a mutually benficial professional relationship. I just went through this with one of my contract clients that is developing their policy in this area. Less than 24 hours notice: 100%. 24-48 hours: 50%. More than 48 hours: No charge. If it was only a day turn, there is some room for negotiation but same day cancellation is ALWAYS 100%.

 

[pilot1704]

I think limo driver makes a lot of sense!

I think the limo driver makes a lots of sense! he must be pilot for the company where company screws regular line pilots by using contract pilots in stead of upgrading etc... others!

I would be pissed of too! I think contract pilots are fine if used fairly!

If not I think they are stealing others jobs!

 

[wtrav8r]

I have always used 50% pay when within 48 hours of the scheduled departure.
No charge if outside 48hours

 

[StarHustler]

What a timely thread!

This just happened to me on Friday. I had agreed to fly a contract 3 day trip (2 flying, 1 day in the hotel). I had to burn up a vacation day for my full time job to make it happen and also turned down a 2 day contract job after I accepted the 3 day job. We left on Thursday morning. Friday morning, they tell me that they want to go home. Ok, I pack quickly and off to the airport. Upon landing I submit my bill (as usual) for payment. The guy refused to pay me for 3 days saying, "your not gonna screw me like that". I was shocked, as I had flown for him several times but this was the first for something like this. I explained what I went through to make the trip happen for him (he does not his own the plane, I arranged for that also) and how I had used a vacation day and turned down other work. He still refused and told me 'I don't like you, and Im not going to use you anymore". I adjusted the invoice to reflect only two days owed and I remained cordial and professional throughout. He wrote the check for two days and handed it saying, " Im not going to use you anymore". At which point I replied, " have a nice day". I walked back to the plane and took off.

It really ate me up inside but what else could I do? I felt that had I responded the way I would have preferred, I would not have gotten paid and probably ended up in jail. I needed the money and did not need the jail.

What do you think?

 

[GravityHater]

Last minute notice? My latest favorite was when we were actually in the airplane and pulling the stairs up; supposed to pick up some of the owners elsewhere. A car zooms up and parks in front of the airplane. Out hops another of the principals...."The flight is cancelled, they just called." No 'sorry', or nuttin'. A couple minutes later and we would have been gone.
Can't these people plan anything in their lives?? (its not even a business)
No pay on that one so we changed the policy, it was getting ridiculous. I don't mind the lack of pay as much as I hate the inconsideration!

 

[falconpilot]

I think there should be no money for cancelled trips!

That would keep contract pilots out of business and the people on seniority lists upgrading!

Its better to be thought of as an idiot.. Than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

One day when your job goes away and you cant find any other full time work, and there are bills to pay.... you be thanking your lucky stars for people who use contract pilots.

 

[Mason]

I think there should be no money for cancelled trips!

That would keep contract pilots out of business and the people on seniority lists upgrading!

And we wonder why members are leaving for other forums....

 

[StarHustler]

In my full time flying job there are only 2 pilots. Truthfully, we only need the two as our schedule is 5 days per week. However, we get vacation and sick leave so, without contract pilots, we would be unable to take any. Contract pilots serve an important niche in our industry.

 

[Lou3]

Star,

That is pretty awful of that guy to act like that. Personally, Im not sure if I could have handled it as well as you did. Guys like that need to get a life. It won't take long for his reputation as a cheat and overall bad guy to get around and pretty soon he won't have anyone to fly him around. Blue Skies to you.

 

[StarHustler]

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Yeah, I was pretty much open mouth shocked also. There are a few real scum bags in this business, I guess you just have to know this going into it.