What will Flex do?

[cosmotheassman]

Being "shameful" can get you fired for posting company material. You signed a confidential agreement when you signed up on blue belly so, be careful... Just friendly advice bro. And, I think we'll come out on top in the end, if not, we'll be working at home depot selling power tools....

 

[vixin]

Peter,

We should not give up anything!! The NJ rest rules and quality of life are better also. Give us the jack and the life we work so hard for. RH reads this board. We have the Koolaid drinkers that would be happy working 1 less day a bid period for the same money. To them get a life and smell the coffee. That post about us making more is a joke. BB propaganda!!

 

[cosmotheassman]

Do you think that RH hands are tied with this whole deal? I mean, he can only do so much. He might want us to have these great things but, not the pull to do it.

 

[Peter_Griffin]

Being "shameful" can get you fired for posting company material. You signed a confidential agreement when you signed up on blue belly so, be careful... Just friendly advice bro. And, I think we'll come out on top in the end, if not, we'll be working at home depot selling power tools....

Hey Cosmo,

Your right -- but I was trying to be a little funny when I said that and don't think I was really giving away any company secrets. Nothing I said isn't already out there in a dozen others places, but I will be more careful and take less poetic license the next time.

Listen, I like our CP and have had to work with every ACP on one issue or another. They are all great guys. And I really do feel that they go to bat for us and care about the issues. I consider them part of the pilot group. They don't want unhappy soldiers. My opinion, as I have stated before, is that the problem comes from higher up and is related to the fact we are regarded as a group as replacable and ordinary.

I know QOL is important to them as well and I know for a fact that at least some of them think there are definitly problems on that issue. The level of acrimony bewteen the pilot group and others is astounding at flex. Maybe it's cuz we are always b*tching about something, but without us they wouldn't have a job so...

 

[cosmotheassman]

Hey, I was just busting your ball$ a little! What do you think will be the substance of the meeting next month?

 

[Peter_Griffin]

Hey, I was just busting your ball$ a little! What do you think will be the substance of the meeting next month?

Hey be nice -- my ball$ are blue-bellied enough thanks to the lovely 6/4 pattern I seem to be stuck in...

I am getting the impression that they will do something, just not anywhere close to what most are hoping for. Management seems to be pretty concerned that matching NJA, let alone exceeding them will leave us in a financially precarious position, so...

I don't discount their fears but IMHO fractionals are pretty low risk business -- most of the expenses are passed on to the owners who will not give up the luxuries our business affords them so hopefully they are considering this. I believe I am paraphrasing Warren Buffet here on why he was so keen to purchase NJA to begin with. As far as flex goes we provide a FAR SUPERIOR experience for our owners and so therefore I think they would be willing to pony up a little more... I'm not being company gung ho -- we a just flat out a better bang for the buck from an owners POV. This coupled with a increased push on our card program might be all we need to match NJA.

I do think what will happen to the fractional industry as a whole is that as costs increase, owners will have to fly 350 or less hours per year (versus the current 400) to make a fractional a good choice otherwise owning outright will be more financially viable. But that stills leaves plenty of room for growth for everyone... And some high volumn owners simply don't want the hassle of fleet managment or see the potential of limitless plane availibilty for the price of a single plane too good to pass up... Listen, I think sometimes a monkey could sell the idea behimd fractionals -- it makes so much sense.

Also, we waste a TON of cash for the benefit of unneccesary flexibility. I think if audited some of our practices we could save a ton of $$. I cannot tell you how many times I have airpassed 1200 mile trips into one airport to sedan to another to be there "just in case" when they could have just waited a couple hours and flown me into the right airport for $300-400. Inceasing gateways might help with this... Also restructuring our catering plans might help -- I know we spend a lot of unneccesary cash there too. I appreciate being fed, but a $30 ham sandwich is overkill. Also, they might considering partnering with some of these big hotel chains -- like 10 hour jet cards to award their top execs in exchange for $50 room rates across the system for on duty flex pilots.

I think we will see at a minimum a decrease in duty days with an equalizing bump to keep salaries at current projections. 1 day or 4 days -- who knows. I think they will also kick in either some additional bankroll to the HSA or reduce premiums -- don't know. I'd love more -- we deserve more but I don't think anything more than that right now... I will have some big decisions to make come Decemeber.... What do you think?

By the way -- what's the skinny on when were were promised to always make more than NJA -- I was not at that meeting and the details I have gotten from others are mixed...

 

[Peter_Griffin]

Also, just an idea specfically for flex, I would like to see is switch to AAdvantage or capital one cards for hotels so we can earn more miles -- my miles are a BIG bonus for me and I know others feel the same way.

It would also be great if they could work out something with AA or change the current booking arrangments to give us the online booking credits and extra miles to match the ticket prices when travel books the tickets.

Also change the FOM to to give us 1 hour of duty after block in when airlining home -- this would make dispatch work harder to get us home at a reasonable time too.

All free (or practically) ways to give us some love...