Usairways Non Rev Travel

[CTS]

IT IS TRUE, $20 PER SEGMENT + TAXu

It is true. I have seen the memo from Colgan to its employees. All contract carriers for US Airways will pay a $20 per segment charge for non-rev travel plus taxes (landing fee, TSA, ....etc). Upgrades will be $20 per segment regardless of length. Colgan also states that it was not their idea and they asked US Airways not to eliminate the term pass.

This is going to cost employee commuters a lot of money. I for one, try to avoid flying US Airways. The rude flight attendants, disgruntled pilots, unmotivated gate agents, and lazy ramp crews are too much for me to handle. For my last PC check I was a must ride on the Shuttle down to LGA. A passenger next to me asked for a headset to listen to the news brief on the TV screens. The flight attendant rolled her eyes gasped and stomped off to get the head sets, she returned half way through the news brief, held the headsets in the mans face and said HERE! I must say that the US Airways employees have be screwed over numerous times and have legitimate reasons to feel the way they do. In the end, the incompetent, reckless management that put them in bankruptcy and the self serving and ruthless management that barely escaped Chapter 7 are to blame. Of course they’re still not out of the woods yet. Retirement Systems of Alabama may at some point pull the plug.

I usually jump seat on Delta where everyone one is usually much happier and competent. Plus I live in ATL, where the only way in or out is Delta or sometimes AirTran anyway.

The 5 commuters need to pull together and do two things.

1. Create a receptacle agreement so all non owned express carriers can fly each other free of charge.
2. Charge any Mainline or wholly owned US Airways employees $30 per segments plus taxes to fly our routes.

This whole thing is really frustrating. I stand at the bottom of the stairs of a Colgan B1900 and greet each passenger with a smile. Then I walk to the back of the plane and offer to hang up coats in the closet (especially when its a full flight). If its my leg I try to fly as smoothly as possible, realizing that some passengers are apprehensive about getting on the pane in the first place. The Captain or I make PA announcements about the duration of the flight, WX Etc. to comfort the passengers. When we arrive at the destination I pull all of the carry on luggage out of the closet down the bottom of the stairs and hold the coats and hand them to the passengers as they get off the plane. I even keep those plastic wings in my pocket incase there is a child that is fascinated to see a pilot. And the thank you I get from US Airways for providing quality customer service and feeding their big jets is a $20 per segment charge. I will keep doing what I do, but it makes it a lot harder.


My two cents

 

[Long-Gonner]

You contract carriers just don't get it. You don't own anything and you are not owned by anything related to USAirways. Big deal if you have a USAirways hat badge or wings, tomorrow you could go contract out to Jet Blue and then would have no hats at all, like any Mesa guys where's thiers any way. Contract carriers can't set ticketing policys on any routes you fly under the USAirways code. The only airline that could set a ticketing or non-rev travel charge is MESA, and that would only be on the flights they operate under their own code and colors out West in the desert. When you fly for a non-WO'd carrier you have to operate under certain rules and guidlines set up by the parent company who contracted your service. Part of this agreement is that USAirways sets the ticketing policy, not the contractor. MESA, CHQ, Colgan.... do not set policy. Now for the WO'd debate. USAirways Group owns five airlines: USAirways mainline, ALG, PDT, PSA, and Mid-Atlantic. It is USAirways Group that pays for our termail leases, fuel, hotels, and every other service that those 5 airlines use. Contract airlines have their own hotels and other services paid for by their respective company. The money used to pay for those services, including yours as flight crew, is paid to you by USAirways Group on a fee per depature. WO's are not paid on a fee for depature basis, never have been. If you love working for your contract carrier so much, why don't you just move to your base?

 

[ChinaClipper]

I did "get it" ....USAir SUCKED!....

It doesn't matter how, or by who, you got paid, (or how you "wear" not "where"the stupid hat) it was the worst experience of my career. At all levels, incompetence ruled. For 3 years, I saw the "service" that US provided and, overall, IT SUCKED! compared to other airlines. They treat their employees like $hit who in turn, point the love at everyone else. Nasty galley hags, rude gate agents and cranky rampers. Before I left, a regional Chief Pilot told us that US wants AC moved, PERIOD! There will be no "Customer service delays" At DCA, I was reprimanded this past fall for getting a rotten lav serviced, it was soo bad that I almost puked. US called my Reginal Chief to ask why we took a 18 min delay for a lav. They said that if enough people complaing, it might make a difference but for now, MOVE THE PLANE! That was directly from USAir Express, I repeat NO PROACTIVE CUSTOMER SERVICE! Ain't that grand? I commuted on US for 3 years and can count on ONE HAND the times I received, or even witnessed anything remotely resembling quality service. I purposely avoided traveling on them as did a suprising number of mainline US crew members, to avoid some foul-breathed bitter a$$wipe looking to make your day a crappy one. The weren't happy until you weren't happy. The day they shut down will be sad, but they are getting shellacked on the East Coast, and for a good reason. People are fed up with US and are looking for ANY reason to go elsewhere. With Southwest coming to PHL, change for the better, is in the air. Maybe the wake up call will be loud enough for US to respond, but I kinda doubt it. For the nice folks @ US, I wish them well.

 

[tindriver72]

Long-Gonner,

Why the heck would you care if we get term pass travel or not? Does it help you if we pay? Do you get a cut or something? Remember, we're all in the same boat. Why the heck would you Not want to see your US Airways Express Brothers and Sisters get treated properly?

Or are you one of those people who feels better about him/her self when others are in pain?

 

[saab340]

Long-Gonner

We have hired Usairways pilots and we our number two in the express divsion in completion factor!

 

[GateGirl]

all right, listen up. Its total BS that we have to pay a service charge. And before you go clicking that little reply to post button down there hold your fricken mouse for a second. Regradless if you work for ALG, CHQ, Colgan or whoever the hel! it is you work for its complete idiocy to have to pay a surcharge, but if Airways want to do it, they are going to do it regardless if you sit in front of your computer and scream at each other its not going to change it. If you dont like it, do something real about it. Dont whine and moan to the rest of us. Because that just gets everyone annoyed with everyone else. And go ahead and say what you want about Colgan people whining to much or about ALG guys who wont let you jumpseat. Or whatever the heck it is your complaining about this half second and cry your tears to your pillow. I may not work for a WO but that doesnt make me any more or less of a US Airways carrier. You may work for whoever at this moment is considering them selves to be the red-headed step-child carrier but you dont need to take that out on the rest of us. At least you have a job. Because I seem to recall a lot of people being furloughed not to long ago and many of them dont have jobs. And shut up because I dont want to hear about how they can have your job. If you hate it that much and you could make better money working at Burger King and the benefits are better. Then switch over to Microsoft Office and write up a resignation to your airline. And while your at it why dont you type up a quick resume and bring it over to the Burger King they'll probably accept it through the drive through while you biggie size your order.

I apologize if I offended anyone, but I just cant handle any more of the mud slinging at one another! Its driving me insane!!

 

[Long-Gonner]

Its not mudslinging, its the cold hard truth. The WO's took concessions so USAirways Group could survive. I don't remember the contractors taking any concessions to help out, in fact I think you guys only got more RJs? Tindriver, we are not in the same boat. If Airways goes under then you can just contract with another carrier, but the WOs have a vested long term interest in USAirways. The reason I get from most MESA people when I ask why they work at a company that pays them and treats them like crap is "its just to get my time and then go to SW or JB or AirTran. If you want free travel, tell your company to negociate it in your next contract with USAirways, otherwise you are just stuck paying the $20.

 

[GateGirl]

in fact I think you guys only got more RJs?

I didnt know we had any of those... Someone forgot to tell me. Some of ya'll need to do a better job of keeping me in the loop.

 

[BendOverAgain?]

I know what you mean! I didn't know a SAAB was in an RJ class

 

[tindriver72]

So, your saying...

That since the Contractors got more RJ's (except for us), then we should have to pay for our commuting????

That makes absolutely no sense.

 

[porra]

Maybe we should start charging the mainline non-revs $50a leg, or maybe due to weight problems we'll have to leave you behind....
I hope it never gets to that point...

 

[Long-Gonner]

Can some one please tell me what concessions where given by the contract carriers during the USAirways restructuring? That's why you guys are being charged. One way or another, anyone affliated with USAirways is going to give up something.

 

[BendOverAgain?]

Sh*ty schedules, No quality of life, 10% pay cut. $28,000 for a wonderful year of wearing the US colors! Sorry if that isn't enough

I know MAINLINERS are really hurting! Paycuts bringing them down to $100,000+. I feel for you. Why not charge a FA that is making $17k a year to pay to get to work, or a F/O that makes $21k. All this is going to do is further hurt those that have to commute & in turn kill the commuter companies which in turn will have a major impact on the loads mainline carries. Without the commuters, mainline cann't exist/survive.

Why NOT cut off your nose dispite your face!

 

[Long-Gonner]

"Why not charge a FA that is making $17k a year to pay to get to work, or a F/O that makes $21k. All this is going to do is further hurt those that have to commute & in turn kill the commuter companies"

You talk about killing the commuter companies? What about killing the industry? You people working for 17-21K a year with no benefits are whats killing the industry as a WHOLE!!!! If you people would stop taking those jobs for crap pay then maybe the pay would go up? Supply vs. Demand, and it looks like the supply of WILLING cheap labor is only getting bigger. Don't cry about having to pay for a ride on an aircraft you don't own. Remember, you are nothing more than a contractor. Look at it like this, you contract someone to build a house, then the contractor says "well, if I built it then I can live there too!". That's not how it works, you are paid to perform a service. If you don't like what you are paid, maybe you should ask your company to negociate a better fee per depature with USAirways. At the end of the day if you have to commute home, you should have to pay for the ride unless its your company that owns the aircraft or sets the ticketing policy.

 

[FlyingDawg]

Chautauqua CEO, Brian Bedford, has stated to the pilot union that US employees will be charged the same rate on CHQ if this policy is enacted. Not sure how he plans to enforce it.