QOL at CS?

[Smellycat]

To all you "Shares" pilots: how is your QOL these days. How does it compare to other fractional companies and why?

Curiosity is killing this Cat.

 

[Q-Service]

...Crickets...

 

[Chewbacca]

Life is good. Still growing, pay is good, bennies are getting better. 3 years here and still having a great time. Its nice to be a "smaller" company, it really feels like you know everyone...gives you that crew lounge feeling that I miss. Though I wouldnt trade my frac job for an airline anyday, im hooked on the 7/7 lifestyle and the 25 or so places around the country I can live.

 

[Chewbacca]

in regards to the crickets, QOL must be good, we are not bitchin on the forums! mhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhua!

 

[Q-Service]

Why did you get the pay raise?

 

[DO-82 driver]

But its a different story when one of you guys is found alone at an FBO or in a shuttle ride to the hotel.

Its not totally rosey over there or anywhere for that matter.

I really believe that CS guys are a bit leary about airing their gripes when surrounded by a number of their own people......privately is a different story.

Last week in APF was a perfect example.

5 CS guys in the crappy pilot's lounge watching the Bear's game all laughing an having a good time.

I chatted with 3 or them seperately out on the ramp....each asking questions about health insurance, crew food, training, upgrades, salaries and our contract.

Just an observation.

 

[Chewbacca]

Yawn.

 

[Fozzy]

Word

But its a different story when one of you guys is found alone at an FBO or in a shuttle ride to the hotel.

Its not totally rosey over there or anywhere for that matter.

I really believe that CS guys are a bit leary about airing their gripes when surrounded by a number of their own people......privately is a different story.

Last week in APF was a perfect example.

5 CS guys in the crappy pilot's lounge watching the Bear's game all laughing an having a good time.

I chatted with 3 or them seperately out on the ramp....each asking questions about health insurance, crew food, training, upgrades, salaries and our contract.

Just an observation.

I can verify your observation! I have had about 4 in the last 6 months give me the same thing! All is not rosey. I guess the policy of kissing as_ and bending over for the company to get ahead is not all it is made out to be.
Seniorty, benefits, and schedule.
But even from these guys, they are not ready to fight, so you kiss as_ types are safe from the evil union...............for now.

 

[Q-Service]

Yawn.

Just like the French.

 

[Hootie9750]

Since CS is a relatively smaller fractional is it possible to get hired there if you unfortunately don't have any internal rec's?

 

[RCA]

I just caught the initial call today without internal rec.
How long after the initial call does it take to complete the hiring process.
My interview is with NJA end of next month. Any suggegtions on how to proceed?
RCA

 

[EdAtTheAirport]

Chew: Did you really have to go there???

And yeah, that APF lounge has to be the worst in the whole state. Maybe if we all banded together we could force the City of Naples to get us a theater system, and some Internet cubicles, and those private toilet dealies.

 

[DO-82 driver]

The City of Naples,Florida and the Airport Commission should all be ashamed of themselves.

APF has got to be one of the worst FBO's in all of Florida. That's what happens when you eliminate competition from the business scene.

The way they closed down the other FBO was a page right out of Hugo Chavez's guide to taking over private businesses.

I always by the least amount of fuel that I can and I always make it a point to let the manager on duty know exactly why.

 

[Floyd94]

I was talking to a Shares guy going home on Continental one time. He was furloughed American and said he would definately be going back to AA for what its worth...

 

[RideTheWind]

in regards to the crickets, QOL must be good, we are not bitchin on the forums! mhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhua!

If it weren't for the Teamsters getting you a pay raise, you would be, idiot.

 

[Cobra]

50% percent of the time it's going to be 8 on 6 off. CS scheduling has alot of improvements to make. They just came up with a screwy weekly duty/rest policy/scheme that is already getting people ticked off.

 

[FRACTRASH]

Why would I want Teamsters? I don't drive a truck! The babies NJ pilots are starting there crying again, Move on!

 

[Krapflier]

50% percent of the time it's going to be 8 on 6 off. CS scheduling has alot of improvements to make. They just came up with a screwy weekly duty/rest policy/scheme that is already getting people ticked off.

Please explain, would like to make the move but not if it all broken promises. I have that already...

 

[Sparse]

50% percent of the time it's going to be 8 on 6 off. CS scheduling has alot of improvements to make. They just came up with a screwy weekly duty/rest policy/scheme that is already getting people ticked off.

50%? WHile I agree that scheduling needs much improvement, last year I was only held out maybe 3 times. If it does happen you get overtime pay and your usually on the first flight out the next morning. Scheduling is a weak link but I've been told by a NJ pilot that scheduling is a weak link there as well.

 

[Diesel]

so nobody is going to talk about CS's new crew rot program?

The country divided into 6 sections? Being at the FBO even if you don't have a plane? 14 hours, 10hr turns just to sit at the fbo? Nobody is going to talk about this new CS program?

NJ had this until FRDA came along and crew rot no more.

 

[DO-82 driver]

Scheduling is certainly our weekest link. But we receive some pretty good $$$$ when they screw up. We are no longer at their whim as it used to be in the past. Thank you Local 1108.

Have me show at an FBO without a plane being there....O. T.

No crew member to pair me up with...O.T.

Sitting around and FBO all day with a good plane and crew....You better get me food.

Want me to work on a Holiday....no problem...$800.

Can't get me home within 14 hours on my last day....pay up and make sure I ge tthe first day of my next tour off.

 

[Cobra]

50%? WHile I agree that scheduling needs much improvement, last year I was only held out maybe 3 times. If it does happen you get overtime pay and your usually on the first flight out the next morning. Scheduling is a weak link but I've been told by a NJ pilot that scheduling is a weak link there as well.

If you have had forced OT three times in one year, then you are one of the lucky ones.

 

[Krapflier]

If you have had forced OT three times in one year, then you are one of the lucky ones.

Again Please Explain! Backing your statements up with some examples would be helpful for those of us out here trying to make and informed desision on where to apply CS or NJ....

 

[Diesel]

Just ask any CS guy about their new crew rot program. Should make the choice pretty simple.

With NJ you get FRDA. They better pay you OT or go to the hotel. That's all they get to do. No more crew rot for us. How will CS handle it. Time will tell but the Union term is being thrown around a lot.

Even more so than after the payraise they got you.

Enjoy the FBO cookies.

 

[dime line]

dude, it should be a no brainer about going to NJ vs CS.....NJ all the way. You want to know about the QOL at CS in a few years, talk to any FLOPS pilot and he will tell you how it is. Its only a matter of time before CS pilots become a number on a form.

 

[Seat 0A]

Since we are comparing CS to NJA I think this fits nicely here (carried over from another thread), some REAL LIFE (me, an NJA pilot) non-speculative info for comparison sake;


For the year 2006 I was on 5th year pay for part of the year and 6th year pay for the rest. My W-2 shows $137k and change. Yes, this included the second 40% of my bonus ($16,000), so that would leave a pre-bonus income of $121k. You can add to that another $6000+ per year for tax-free per-diem (we do not use most of our per-diem here). I suppose that would equate to nearly another $10,000 of gross income if you look at it that way.

So there I am at about $131k of actual pay against what you see on our payscale is $92,250 for a 6yr Captain. I am more than 30% over the payscale.

I do NOT work any extra days. They are available if you want them. I was on duty for 147 days in 2006, 19 of them were training days.

Life is great here in my opinion. Good hotels, good food, I have never exceeded 475 hours a year in 6 years. An average day is 9 to 12 hours of duty time, 3-4 legs, 3-5 flight hours. My overnights average 11-15 hours (we have a minimum of 10 and that starts AT the hotel!)

I earn enough airline miles and hotel points for two NICE free vacations per year.

Recap;
A Union (and all of it's protections) that has PROVEN it's worth over and over again to this pilot group, $130,000+ after 5 years with the company, flew the line 128 days in 2006, every other week is a FULL 7 days off, 3 three-week vacations per year (4 at year 10), another 12 "sick days" per year, full health/dental paid, 50% 401k match, no-fault fatigue policy which generates a mandatory 14 hours of rest, we can NEVER be contacted during rest, the list goes on.

 

[Fozzy]

50% percent of the time it's going to be 8 on 6 off. CS scheduling has alot of improvements to make. They just came up with a screwy weekly duty/rest policy/scheme that is already getting people ticked off.

And what can you or any of you pilots do about it???

 

[bravodude]

Just ask any CS guy about their new crew rot program. Should make the choice pretty simple.

With NJ you get FRDA. They better pay you OT or go to the hotel. That's all they get to do. No more crew rot for us. How will CS handle it. Time will tell but the Union term is being thrown around a lot.

Even more so than after the payraise they got you.

Enjoy the FBO cookies.

You hit the nail on head. everybody thinks that if they talk about it they will be fired. Just catch a cs guy on the road and he will tell you the truth. Don't expect the truth on this board, too many guys want to upgrade.

 

[APFPilot]

I always by the least amount of fuel that I can and I always make it a point to let the manager on duty know exactly why.

Guess what, they don't care and they laugh at you because you can bitch all you want and you still have to go there.

 

[Hootie9750]

Recap;
A Union (and all of it's protections) that has PROVEN it's worth over and over again to this pilot group, $130,000+ after 5 years with the company, flew the line 128 days in 2006, every other week is a FULL 7 days off, 3 three-week vacations per year (4 at year 10), another 12 "sick days" per year, full health/dental paid, 50% 401k match, no-fault fatigue policy which generates a mandatory 14 hours of rest, we can NEVER be contacted during rest, the list goes on.

Wow, it sounds better than I thought.

What's Netjets LTD program?

Also at the LAX domicile what airports do they normally have you start out of? Just trying to better estimate the 5-6 hour commute.