Week at Netjets

[kman]

Can anybody describe a typical week at Netjets from the Day one to seven. Major differences between 121 and fractionals as far as work rules, qol schedule, dispatch, crew meals, per diem, anything you guys can think of. Thanks for all the help.

 

[NJA bound]

www.redoneaviation.com found all of the info below there free. QOL, 7 days on, 7 days off. Perdiem 40 bucks a day. FOs start at $46,286.

Don't know what the deal is with the smiley faces, copied and pasted it directly from the site, apparently 0s in the 3rd time column turn into smiles.

Flight History for: EJA342 Aircraft Type: C560 Depart Arrive Status
YIP 11-19-2005 16:33 EWB 11-19-2005 17:58 Landed Details
EWB 11-19-2005 20:01 SSI 11-19-2005 22:53 Cancelled Enroute Details
SSI 11-19-2005 23:37 BOS 11-20-2005 01:45 Landed Details
BOS 11-20-2005 16:21 FRG 11-20-2005 17:05 Landed Details
FRG 11-20-2005 18:29 HPN 11-20-2005 18:43 Landed Details
HPN 11-20-2005 19:20 CHS 11-20-2005 21:13 Landed Details
CHS 11-20-2005 21:40 SUA 11-20-2005 22:46 Landed Details
SUA 11-20-2005 23:54 DAB 11-21-2005 00:28 Landed Details
VRB 11-21-2005 13:32 BVY 11-21-2005 15:53 Landed Details
DAB 11-21-2005 12:18 VRB 11-21-2005 12:53 Cancelled Enroute Details
BVY 11-21-2005 19:30 ISP 11-21-2005 20:16 Timed Out Details
BVY 11-22-2005 14:36 IAD 11-22-2005 16:01 Cancelled Details
BVY 11-22-2005 16:34 BED 11-22-2005 16:56 Cancelled Details
BVY 11-22-2005 16:04 BED 11-22-2005 16:10 Landed Details
BED 11-22-2005 20:43 BKL 11-22-2005 22:03 Landed Details
BKL 11-23-2005 02:30 HPN 11-23-2005 03:48 Cancelled Details
BKL 11-23-2005 18:19 CMH 11-23-2005 18:44 Landed Details
CMH 11-24-2005 20:02 PWK 11-24-2005 21:09 Landed Details
PWK 11-24-2005 21:30 SUA 11-25-2005 00:23 Cancelled Details
PWK 11-24-2005 22:05 SUA 11-25-2005 00:39 Landed Details
SUA 11-26-2005 01:58 VNC 11-26-2005 02:27 Landed Details
VNC 11-26-2005 04:08 HPN 11-26-2005 06:45 Enroute Details

 

[psysicx]

Do you normally work that late?

 

[NJA bound]

All of the times at www.redoneaviation.com are zulu.

 

[Pervis]

A tour may start at 0300 local for a 14 hr day with a swing to the late shift the next. Sometimes a tour may be relatively easy, but often very long and arduous. I average about $600/mo in OT on the old pay scale at $45/hr for the whole of '05, but I'm in the busiest fleet in the company. OT on day one provides the majority of OT with all time before 0800 local and time after 9 hrs all OT, but after day one, only time after 12 hrs is OT. The variety and flexibility prevents the rut of a routine though, and the trip goes by quickly being active.

 

[cush]

I came to NJA straight from a regional. The biggest difference is the variety, we go to 5000 airports as opposed to flogging the same 25 over and over, and wealthy people tend to go to nice destinations. Another major difference is the quality of the hotels, we stay at very nice places. I've stayed at a Ritz Carlton more than once, and in numerous rooms costing over $500. Haven't seen a Red Roof Inn since leaving the regionals. They provide free catered crew food that beats the heck out of terminal food. I might buy one meal every other day as our union travel commitee has free breakfast negotiated for 90% of our layover hotels.
Dispatch handles all releases and they are faxed to you.

 

[Pervis]

We also get to keep all airline miles and hotel points. I elected to keep the AMEX Hilton Platinum card and generate an additional 10-12k points per month on that. Diamond status is automatic at Hiltons, and Gold at most other major chains we use. This gets us executive rooms and concierge priviledges.

I have miles scattered among a number of airlines. Heard of a site named points.com that combines points/miles for a nominal annual fee. Haven't tried them, and wonder if anyone has some info as to cost of conversion to one airline to another.

 

[BigDave]

Let me get this straight, you work 7 days on, 7 off, 1st year FO makes $46K a year, you stay at nice hotels, you get free food. I am supposedly at the top regional, I have been there 2 years, make $34K a year, have 13 days off a month and overnight in crap place at crap hotels, and pay for my own food, but oh yes I do make a hefty perdiem of 1.40 and hour. Why am I staying at the regionals? Oh that's right I am may or may not be upgrading soon. I assume that more and more of us regional guys are looking to the fractional as a move to a better life. So what the downside? Do you guys have to clean toliets or something?

 

[Guitar Guy]

So what the downside? Do you guys have to clean toliets or something?

Actually with the pull-out "potty" on the Ultra and the 400XP, you may end up dumping a lav. That said, I've always been fortunate enough to find a line guy to do that deed for me. By the way, tip them for the lav dump and you can expense it back to the company, too.

The two most common complaints I hear for potential new-hires at NJA are: 1) the domicile issues (only 5 possible domiciles - look them up on other posts), and 2) potential long wait for upgrade, possibly 3-5 years, but no one knows for sure.

 

[Swaayze]

3-5 years is a long upgrade?? Right.

 

[208starcheck]

but I'm in the busiest fleet in the company.

Must be the 10. Everyone in the 10 says its the busiest fleet. Everyone I talk to that left the 10 say it's the same in the Ultra and Excel. I don't personally know.

 

[Guitar Guy]

3-5 years is a long upgrade?? Right.

Like I said, no one is sure. They used to tell interviewees upgrade was 12-18 months. Currently, it's a SWAG as to upgrade. I got awarded upgrade less than 10 months after I was hired, but those days are long gone with the new contract.

By the way, I hope upgrade happens soon for you.

 

[rican]

How is aircraft type determined for new hires? What is common? THanks

 

[Pervis]

Must be the 10. Everyone in the 10 says its the busiest fleet. Everyone I talk to that left the 10 say it's the same in the Ultra and Excel. I don't personally know.

Yep, I'm in the X. Also did the Ultra and 800XP, and still say the X has a higher work load. Of course, we were not as large then, so now all fleets work their tails off. If only company would figure out how to meet supply and demand. For example, sales did 125 airframes last year with a net gain of 20-something in the company. Of those, 52 were Marquis at 16 customers per airframe. Gee, no wonder owners are getting pissed off. Will company stop Marquis sales? No way with that kind of cash flow up front.

 

[rican]

How is aircraft type determined for new hires? What is common? THanks

 

[Pervis]

How is aircraft type determined for new hires? What is common? THanks

Your experience will help determine position, but bottom line-it all depends how many flight safety slots are open around your indoc with company in any given fleet. That said, even when hired in jet A, you could be offered a slot in jet B while in indoc. I believe there will be a variety of jets offered, as many are scrambling to upgrade in any fleet due to loss of bypass pay. Upgrade will be a totally different story though. With the standing bid, upgrades for Cat 2, 3, 4 and 5 will go progressively senior overall.

 

[HiSpeedFlyer]

How is aircraft type determined for new hires? What is common? THanks

I came to Netjets im march after 8 or so years on the commuter level... the equipment they need to fill that week determines what you get offered...I got the Hawker 800XP while next class had a guy with toms of 121 heavy metal in an ultra. Its that simple of a concept.

As for my quality of life, its like this..... There are weeks you work your tail off, and weeks you relax, THe crews are fantastic( at least in the Hawker) you rarely ever buy a meal, the perdiem is additional income, I have become a hotel snob since I came there( ugh a Holiday inn express? How Mundane!) and I have accured just about enough points and miles already for a nice week vacation somewhere warm and sandy for myself and my family.

A buddy and myself figured out on an average year with holiday pay, a few extended days, the fact that medical is paid for, and include the 401K match, as well as tips, add about $15 to 20,000 more to that base salary amount.
Thats a fair number for working only 24 weeks a year to start, if you dont add the 3 weeks of play with your friends for our recurrents, sims etc. then figure that for 21 weeks of working.

 

[wanttofly]

Most new hires have been going into the Ultra. However with the new contract the senior fo's in the bigger planes are upgrading, so they are going to have to be replaced. The last XL bid that came out, all but two of the awards were fo's in the 2000.

 

[psysicx]

Is 7 days away from the family hard? And how many G-200 do you guys have? You don't hear much about it.

 

[208starcheck]

What Pervis and Hispeedflyer said above is dead on. There are some general rules for aircraft assignment but it completely depends on what is available. I have meet a couple retired airline guys in the ultra. I know a freight dog in the Falcon 2000.

I have heard we want to hire 700-750 in 2006 with 118 aircraft deliveries. Anyone else heard this?


7 on sucks, but 7 off rocks. I see it as only one more day on and 3-4 more days off.

 

[psysicx]

Are people getting assigned to the Sovereign? And what kind of notice do you get when your on reserve? Do they tell you the night before your suppose to show up and how long your going to be gone?

 

[acaTerry]

Currently an FO on the 400XP, and still like it better than the regionals, and this coming from a pretty senior CA at ACA in its good days....

 

[Pervis]

Are people getting assigned to the Sovereign? And what kind of notice do you get when your on reserve? Do they tell you the night before your suppose to show up and how long your going to be gone?

I would imagine all FO's on the Sovereign are new guys, as no one would bid an FO slot unless it were a Cat 4 or 5 a/c. You get notice for show the night before a duty day. Only difference with the 7/7 is that the only sure days off are 4 hard days you can bid for each month or days beyond 18 duty days in a month. They are pretty good at telling me what days I can expect to work for the whole month though.

 

[Peter_Griffin]

A buddy and myself figured out on an average year with holiday pay, a few extended days, the fact that medical is paid for, and include the 401K match, as well as tips, add about $15 to 20,000 more to that base salary amount.

How often do ya'll get tipped at NJA? Techincally at Flex we are not allowed to accept them but they are never offered anyway so it's not much of an issue. Just curious how much it happens and in what type of circumstances...

 

[Diesel]

i wouldn't count on any tips. Maybe once and a while during the holidays but i see the line guys getting most of the tips.

I get probably a hundred here and there.

 

[Diesel]

I think it's DAL as a gateway.

To be honest nobody knows what the company is going to do about assigning bases.

From what i know the only requirements are to be at duty when you're briefed.

 

[Swaayze]

Guitar guy,

Thanks. Actually it's starting to look (seriously) like 3 yrs to get off FO reserve in the jets at Eagle. I'm not wild about leaving my family for 7 days at a time; but then I seem to end up on 5 and 6 day trips on reserve every time lately, so the fracs are looking better.

 

[RJDC]

What's the QOL?

 

[kman]

Thanks guys for all the comments.

 

[Going2Golf]

Guitar guy,

Thanks. Actually it's starting to look (seriously) like 3 yrs to get off FO reserve in the jets at Eagle. I'm not wild about leaving my family for 7 days at a time; but then I seem to end up on 5 and 6 day trips on reserve every time lately, so the fracs are looking better.

Having done the regional thing several times, I would have to say that this is better.
At some regionals, you are on reserve for 5 or 6 days as Swaayze said, have an early show on day 1 and miss your commute back home on day 5 or 6 so in reality you are gone from home 6,7 or 8 days/partial days and then only home for 2 or 3 days and back again.
At least this way you know that if you are gone for 7 days, you can't be extended on the 7/7 and you will be OFF for the next 7 days and the time is yours.

Ex Eagle and a few others...