Pinnacle Air Services

[JJET44]

Hey if you want a good laugh, go back to the beginning of this post and start reading.
You'll get a good laugh at all the chowder heads that made predictions on how this was going to play out. Compare it with how it's really playing out.

Got to love the term "this comes from a ceditable source"!!!

 

[starcheckdriver]

What did the JR guys/gals think of the Answers from Arkansas section in the memo today? Looked good to me. I am a little confused on the per diem card. It sounds like a ridiculous hassle to me with only being able to use certain ATM machines. Can we pay hotel bills with this card? Can we just transfer money from our per diem account to our personal bank account? I guess my question is how do I pay for meals and hotel with the money in the per diem account? Is it a process of withdrawing money from the per diem account and taking that cash to deposit in my bank after a trip?

This whole thing sounds okay, but if they can direct deposit paychecks into our checking account, why don't they just deposit per diem in there as well?

 

[Rake]

Are we switching to an all inclusive per-diem travel card (like BOA gov’t travel card)?

What I do:

• I put the initial per-diem issued into an account and collect interest off of it
• I have a credit card that I use only for travel
• Pay off the card after I return from rotation from per-diem checks issued every Friday
• Money left over I either invest, save, or spend

This method seems to work for me. I never touch the initial per-diem amount. When it is time to move on, all I have to do is return the initial amount.

Just one way to do it.

 

[Dave J]

What did the JR guys/gals think of the Answers from Arkansas section in the memo today? Looked good to me. I am a little confused on the per diem card. It sounds like a ridiculous hassle to me with only being able to use certain ATM machines. Can we pay hotel bills with this card? Can we just transfer money from our per diem account to our personal bank account? I guess my question is how do I pay for meals and hotel with the money in the per diem account? Is it a process of withdrawing money from the per diem account and taking that cash to deposit in my bank after a trip?

This whole thing sounds okay, but if they can direct deposit paychecks into our checking account, why don't they just deposit per diem in there as well?

I can answer the part about why the per diem doesn't get direct deposit. The pay check and per diem are from two seperate banks so the accounts are not the same. As far as the ATM card goes I have only heard that it is something we are going to, so you all have gotten more info then us. I am sure though it will work just like any check cashing card and you will be able to use it like a credit card to pay for your hotel food etc.

 

[TigerDriver]

The issue I had with it is if we go to a hotel and we use these debit cards for our rooms, alot of hotels put a "hold" on the total anticipated amount for the stay, lets say we are somewhere two or three days, that could wipe out any and all funds on the card for the rest of the time we are in a city.
just a thought

 

[Downwind]

Any update on this? I heard that they might be doin' away with the 35's and 31's in exchange for mid size jets. The 45 would seem to be a good fit but not acoarding to this!

From what I hear, Pinnacle is not getting out of the 31 business. We are looking at a G4 and trading in one 45, the 55, and one 31. The 31 will be replaced with another newer, lower time one.

Rumours and crew movements still lean toward the 45s going bye bye.

Might be a 600 series in the future.

The key here will be getting CURRENT Pinnacle people into these airplanes. I know that Wyvern will require the need to get timed street captains but we need to start getting our own into these bigger airplanes that will pay more money. If we dont and people are locked into their current airplane then how can anyone advance their position and where is the motivation to stick around? I think Pinnacle is a good place that is only going to get better. But we need to start addressing the issue of how guys can improve themselves. Professional development and advancement is the key to good morale and retention.

I didnt intentionally slight the JR guys about upgrades. With the seperate certificates right now our aircraft dont affect you and yours dont affect us.

What is JRs code and flight numbering for tracking flights? Surelly we can hook up somewhere for some BSing.

 

[Dave J]

Tiger driver,

I could see your point guess it will be one of those things that will have to be addressed when the time comes. I think I may just keep doing it as I have been I have a credit card I use only for my trips and then just transfer the funds from the check cashing card when the bill comes in and the left over into my account

 

[Diesel]

Hey just gotta say one of the pinnacle crews gave me a ride home to see my father before he passed away and they were nothing but professional. I was really impressed with the crew and they flew through the night to get me home.

Thanks guys and I hope everything turns out allright.

Diesel

 

[TennLear60]

Dave. How was Cody? Check out the Buffalo Bill Historical Center? Great gun collection on display there.

J

 

[TennLear60]

Glad our crew were of help, Diesel. God bless.

J

 

[macpilot]

Hey just gotta say one of the pinnacle crews gave me a ride home to see my father before he passed away and they were nothing but professional. I was really impressed with the crew and they flew through the night to get me home.

Thanks guys and I hope everything turns out allright.

Diesel

Thanks for the Thanks, our condolences. Two great companies merging can only get better, so i'm sure everything will be alright.

 

[Dave J]

Dave. How was Cody? Check out the Buffalo Bill Historical Center? Great gun collection on display there.

J

I had seen it before a long time ago and ended up haveing to cover a pop up that was an all nighter so the day we would have went was spent sleeping we got back into cody at 0630 it was a long night even for me. Had a good time but not like last year.

 

[TennLear60]

Good times. Good times.

 

[JJET44]

anybody in TEB today

 

[MNR]

After doing some research on this whole card thing it dosen't look good to me at all. I think most of the Jetride pilots are going to be very unhappy with it in the current form. I understand the concept of the whole card thing. I think its a great place to start with but the rates they are going to pay us are pretty slim.

This is what I have found out...

the per diem rate will be $141 or $226 based on a per diem table published on the IRS web site.

You will only get per diem on overnights. As of now there is no provision for day trips.

From what I understand Pinnacle guys get $10 per meal period on days they do not get per diem.

So lets use a 3 day trip as an example...

Fly out on day one and arrive at destination. Get a hotel for yourself short notice though the local FBO. On average I would say $100-$110 a night is about what we regularly pay. Let's for the sake of argument say this place is $99 a night plus tax etc. so all together $110 each night. (this I believe is on the low side btw)

Stay for 2 nights $220 dollars

Now tips for lav service, transportation etc $15

We are at $235 so far.

Finish up your trip on day three and fly home at lets say 2pm. From what I understand currently you would get $141 for night one, $141 for night 2 and $20 for day 3 because you finished up after noon so you hit 2 meal periods.

Thats a total of $301 for the trip. You spent $235 on hotel and tips...or $220 on just the hotel. That leaves $66 or $81 for 3 days of meals. On the current system Jetride guys wouldn't have to worry about finding a deal on a hotel, and would end up with $36x3 or $108 for the 3 days plus get reimbursed $15 for those tips they gave out.

When I talked to Iris about the $10 per meal period thing that was up in the air. She wasen't even sure if JR guys would get that. She didn't think so.

The last 3 day trip I did the hotel was $109 we spent $480 for 2 crew members for 2 nights with all the taxes. If we were on the new system we would have had $42 left (or $62 if we got $20 for the thrid day) for meals and tips etc.

From a tax perspective they can only give us the $141 if they do it this way. Anything more would techinaclly be taxable income. Now as pilot we could itemize and deduct the expenses that come out of our pocket that are over and above what is reimbursed but that still means its coming out of the pilots pockets. Not to mention keeping track of it.

Now if they gave us the $36 or $46 per day for days we do not get the hotel perdiem it would help. It would also stay within the tax code I think. I don't think it would completely offset the loss on the front end however.

If the Pinnacle guys know something different and I am completely off base here please let me know. I would love to be wrong about this. I think the concept of the card and doing expenses this way could work real well. I just don't see how the Pinnacle guys that claim they make extra on this system do it. Where do you stay? Do you not count eating? Somewhere in this thread a guy said he made an extra $300 to $1000 per 2 week rotation. I suppose it could be done. You would have to eat fast food all the time iand stay in some bargin hotels however. That lifestyle is counter however to being a pilot imho. We should strive to be healthy and well rested. I consider it part of my job. If I don't I may end up without a medical someday.

 

[macpilot]

Don't think to far into perdiem. The $10 is mainly for the ASG bassed crew who do day trips. Tips and taxis are coverd by the captians cash, not your Perdiem. As we have discussed in previous post, Rarly will you get screwed on perdiem, and if it's really bad, the company will take care of you. Even though perdiem is not to make money off, Every month I make a nice little bonus. This is not taxible income. Unless your in Vegas or a high rate city(some times if you are) you can find a Fairfield inn or Comfort inn for about 65 with free breckfast. Sometimes you can find a nicer hotel for the same price.

I think a lot of our pilots would quit if perdiem ever went away. so that says something.

 

[MNR]

I'm not worried about the times when I end up needing a room during the Superbowl. I understand that odd over the top places where hotels are over the per diem rate will be taken care of.

The way Jetride works and the way I hear Pinnacle is going to be you will be doing more one, two and three day trips. Unless the plane is on a vendor contract you would not be keeping the aircraft out on the road for 2 weeks straight. The plan is to move Pinnacle aircraft to bases similar to how Jetride has aircraft based.

I don't know what Captains cash is? If you can fill me in on that it would help. What I hear you saying however is the company covers the taxis. So the crew takes a $20 cab ride to stay in a cheaper hotels.

Looking back at expenses I just don't see $65/night covering hotels regularly.

From the way they use our 60 my concern is that the per diem will not cover my expenses on the road. If it does then great I will be all for something more efficient.

 

[TennLear60]

I have stated before. I usually stay in Hilton brand hotels when they are available. If not I work my way down from there. Yes, I check with the FBO. Usually they have negotiated rates with the local hotels and have a better idea of what is good and what is not. I use Priceline.com as a last ditch effort. I like to get my hotel points. I still come home with money. There has been only one time that I broke even on Per-diem. Hey, that's what it's there for. If I don't come home with money....oh well. If I used my own money then I expense it.

Captains Cash. That is a "bank" of money each captain is assigned to. We carry it with us for each two week rotation. From that "bank" we pay for tips for rides, taxi rides, stock, etc. We keep all receipts and a ledger for accounting to cut a check when we get done to bring the "bank" back to full.

I know these are unknown for most of you with JR. Unknowns can make for frustration. I didn't like the idea of me finding my own lodging at first. Then I liked it even more. I have control over where I stay as long as I comply with our GOM time requirements. If I want to eat sushi and stay at the Ritz then I can. My choice there. I do eat well on the road. Dave J will attest to that.

This card you mentioned. What is it? News to me. But, right now our communications are a little slow. But, then again, I am off right now. Shed some light on this card. Which bank is it with?

J

 

[MNR]

Its a Mastercard (i think) on the All Point network. Any ATM with the All point symbol can be used to access it. It will be used to reimburse your per diem. Basicly instead of cutting you a check they will load the card each week with the per diem you earned the week before. It will start perloaded with $1500 so you should not be behind. You can then access the cash from an ATM or transfer the money from that account to another...either your checking or to the card you used to pay for the hotel. I think it might be possible to even just give the hotel the card and have them deduct it directly. Although its similar to a debit card so it might be better to use a personal credit card and then transfer the funds when the bill comes due.

Its a good idea. They can add money to it whenever they want. For example if you are going south of the border and think you will need extra for tips etc. they can throw it on the card and its there in 15 minutes.

I am glad to here that your can usually find Hilton brands to stay at. That is my preference as well.

The idea with the card was also to cut down on reciepts. It sounds like the only thing its going to be used for is hotel and meals. Sounds like everything else is being pick up by the company. I was under the mistaken imperession that transportation, tips etc were going to come out of the per diem as well. It dosen't sound like its going to cut down on the reciepts that much. It just going to make it easier for them to reimburse per diem.

 

[TennLear60]

That makes sense about the card. At least I won't have to worry about a check getting lost in the mail. And, when the office shorts us on funds we won't have to wait a week for the mail to come. I just wish it was with Bank of America. Just my selfish note to add.

J