Southern Air Interview Gouge

[aquila]

January interviews are cancelled.!!

 

[gringo]

January interviews are cancelled.!!

Well, for what it's worth...

http://www.cargofacts.net/profiles/blog/show?id=5184853:BlogPost:2063&xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_post

US-based ACMI operator SOUTHERN AIR has ambitious fleet plans. The carrier, a subsidiary of private equity firm Oak Hill Capital Partners, currently operates two 777Fs and fourteen 747-200Fs/-300Fs, but Senior VP Marketing & Sales Roy Linkner was recently quoted as saying Southern intended to add eight 777Fs and ten 747-400Fs by 2014. Parent Oak Hill has two 777Fs on firm order with BOEING, scheduled for delivery in 2012, and two options, which Mr. Linkner said would be converted within the next few months for delivery in 2013. In addition to the six units from Oak Hill, Southern Air tells Cargo Facts that it is “working with major leasing companies on additional 777Fs for our fleet plans.” Regarding the 747-400Fs, Mr. Linkner was quoted as saying they would come from conversions, with the first unit to be redelivered by the end of the first quarter of 2011. Given that a 747-400 P-to-F conversion takes at least three months, this means the aircraft has already been selected and likely already inducted for conversion. (Cargo Facts believes that both BEDEK AVIATION GROUP and BOEING have recently booked 747 conversion orders from unidentified customers, but does not know which will do the Southern Air conversions.) As the -400Fs enter the fleet, some of Southern’s -200Fs will be retired, but the carrier says it still expects to be operating ten of the older units in 2014. Current ACMI customers include:
• Thai Cargo (two 777Fs)
• Malaysian Airlines (four 747-200Fs)
• Korean Airlines (three 747-200Fs)
• Ethiopian Airlines (two 747-200Fs)
• Lufthansa Cargo Charter (one 747-200F)

 

[sg737]

Congratulations on being accepted into Southern Air’s pilot pool. This letter is being sent to you to make you aware of SAI’s hiring plans for 2011.

After evaluating our current fleet plan and future strategic objectives, we have decided to add B747-400 aircrafts at a faster rate than previously planned and retire some of the 747-200F aircrafts. As a result, we expect to have sufficient pilots to staff the -400 acquisitions through the summer of 2011 from the -200 retirements. Consequently, we are placing the hiring of additional crew members on a short-term hold, to be resumed in the second half of the year.

While we hope that you will be available for employment with Southern Air then, we understand and respect that at this time you might need to continue your job search. You will remain in our training pool and we hope that you will join the Southern Air team in the near future, as the company continues to grow.

Sincerely,

 

[tubineotter]

at least ya got a letter. I know of companies that wont send anything and just leave ya hanging.

 

[sg737]

Yeah, I'm not really complaining- just adding to the update....

 

[flyboyike]

Congratulations on being accepted into Southern Air’s pilot pool. This letter is being sent to you to make you aware of SAI’s hiring plans for 2011.

After evaluating our current fleet plan and future strategic objectives, we have decided to add B747-400 aircrafts at a faster rate than previously planned and retire some of the 747-200F aircrafts. As a result, we expect to have sufficient pilots to staff the -400 acquisitions through the summer of 2011 from the -200 retirements. Consequently, we are placing the hiring of additional crew members on a short-term hold, to be resumed in the second half of the year.

While we hope that you will be available for employment with Southern Air then, we understand and respect that at this time you might need to continue your job search. You will remain in our training pool and we hope that you will join the Southern Air team in the near future, as the company continues to grow.

Sincerely,

If this is an actual quote from company material, is anyone else concerned that this airline seems unaware that the word aircraft has no plural form?

 

[Z_Pilot]

This was an email sent to those of us whom passed recent interviews.

My best guess: They got a deal on several -400 airframes (instead of one or two), and instead of growing the fleet initially, they're going to replace some of the -200s first.

 

[bahumba]

If this is an actual quote from company material, is anyone else concerned that this airline seems unaware that the word aircraft has no plural form?

Yeah struck me as illiterate as well

 

[dojetdriver]

If this is an actual quote from company material, is anyone else concerned that this airline seems unaware that the word aircraft has no plural form?

Well, I guess that depends. In some places, the ground crew and others will pluralize the word even in the singular.

'Scume me, I needs ta ack you sumpin', is dis aircraffs goin' out any time soon?"

 

[dakotaHC8]

at least ya got a letter. I know of companies that wont send anything and just leave ya hanging.

That's a good sign of change, the old Southern way would have been to leave you in the dark.

 

[flyboyike]

Well, I guess that depends. In some places, the ground crew and others will pluralize the word even in the singular.

'Scume me, I needs ta ack you sumpin', is dis aircraffs goin' out any time soon?"

Good point, except it's "..ta ax you sumpin'..."

 

[aquila]

Any news when Southern Air starts hiring again? New contracts
aircraft delivery?

 

[tubineotter]

have not heard of any hiring, plenty of quitting. and lots of aircraft delivery coming soon someday, yeah soon someday

 

[aquila]

Quitting? I guess looking for better jobs.

 

[swordfish]

Quitting? I guess looking for better jobs.

we lost 21 pilots last month alone! should tell you something about this place.

 

[thunderworm]

where are the guys going, what companies?

 

[johnsonrod]

where are the guys going, what companies?

Jet Blue? Omni? Atlas? Those three have been hiring...

 

[gringo]

Jet Blue? Omni? Atlas? Those three have been hiring...

...add Connie to that bunch.

 

[swordfish]

...add Connie to that bunch.

swa! also

 

[Alert height]

World Airways as well

 

[Classicdriver]

I don't know what going on at Southern, but Michael, at the St. Michaels hotel in Morbach is not getting paid by Southern. Also heard that fuel vendors are requiring cash on delivery with Southern flights.

 

[flyboyike]

I don't know what going on at Southern, but Michael, at the St. Michaels hotel in Morbach is not getting paid by Southern. Also heard that fuel vendors are requiring cash on delivery with Southern flights.

That would be a lot of cash.

 

[Classicdriver]

That would be a lot of cash.

At the old Southern it was standard procedure to carry a briefcase of cash. I think the current cases are covered by credit cards that are instant payment.

 

[gringo]

I don't know what going on at Southern, but Michael, at the St. Michaels hotel in Morbach is not getting paid by Southern. Also heard that fuel vendors are requiring cash on delivery with Southern flights.

I'm calling BS on the Cash-4-Fuel part. Haven't spoken with a single crewmember who had to pay for fuel with cash.

Or with a company credit card, for that matter.

As for the St. Michaels hotel, Morbach is not a frequent stop for Southern Air; more than likely a few older bills that slipped through the cracks. But SAI is definitely paying their hotel tabs...

 

[swordfish]

I don't know what going on at Southern, but Michael, at the St. Michaels hotel in Morbach is not getting paid by Southern. Also heard that fuel vendors are requiring cash on delivery with Southern flights.

I was just at the St. Michaels and i paid for the room with the company cc, but nice try!

 

[Classicdriver]

I was just at the St. Michaels and i paid for the room with the company cc, but nice try!

Just proves Michael TRUSTs the credit card company. Have you guys always paid with credit cards, or was there a time you did direct bill?


Nice try? What do you think I'm TRYING to do?

I'm not trying anything. I'm sitting at Michaels talking to a Wickes Maintenance guy and he mentions that Southern had to make SPECIAL arrangements to get fuel at HHN due to nonpayment. Michael walks up and says he is due $10K from Southern, late, by more than a year.

I don't stay at HHN often, but in the short stays there, twice earlier this year, Michael had to bail out Southern travel dept when they forgot to schedule a guy a ride to FRA. He drove the guys to FRA on his time. That kinda thing won't be happening anymore.

 

[Fliteidol]

Just proves Michael TRUSTs the credit card company. Have you guys always paid with credit cards, or was there a time you did direct bill?


Nice try? What do you think I'm TRYING to do?

I'm not trying anything. I'm sitting at Michaels talking to a Wickes Maintenance guy and he mentions that Southern had to make SPECIAL arrangements to get fuel at HHN due to nonpayment. Michael walks up and says he is due $10K from Southern, late, by more than a year.

I don't stay at HHN often, but in the short stays there, twice earlier this year, Michael had to bail out Southern travel dept when they forgot to schedule a guy a ride to FRA. He drove the guys to FRA on his time. That kinda thing won't be happening anymore.

Yeah but relaying a private conversation to this public forum may be harmful to Michael and his business relationship with Southern. I doubt he would appreciate being quoted in such a way and I would also guess that the folks at Southern dont` appreciate it either.

 

[tubineotter]

He's just flamebaiting, when southern buys the smoldering ashes of Evergreen we will still see him bleeding green!

 

[gringo]

For what it's worth, Southern just moved 8 Captains and 24 FO's over to the 777 quite suddenly; looks like some new business opportunities are opening up. CMI operations for various other airlines, some of which have recently been mentioned in various aviation news outlets. Nothing official yet, but the 777 bid/award happened in record time.

Also, have it on good authority (non-management) that our first -400 is in a D Check as I type this. 2nd one following closely behind. 777's #3 and 4 are at this point 6-8 months out...

Things are still screwed up at headquarters, but nowhere near as screwed up as a year or two ago... things seem to be getting better, slowly, glacially, but surely.

 

[swordfish]

For what it's worth, Southern just moved 8 Captains and 24 FO's over to the 777 quite suddenly; looks like some new business opportunities are opening up. CMI operations for various other airlines, some of which have recently been mentioned in various aviation news outlets. Nothing official yet, but the 777 bid/award happened in record time.

Also, have it on good authority (non-management) that our first -400 is in a D Check as I type this. 2nd one following closely behind. 777's #3 and 4 are at this point 6-8 months out...

Things are still screwed up at headquarters, but nowhere near as screwed up as a year or two ago... things seem to be getting better, slowly, glacially, but surely.

how the Kool-Aid? we also parked 3 Classics. Was it Cherry, i love Cherry