Why Signature ???

[h25b]

Just a quick question for the NetJets guys/gals...

Why does your company use Signature. Do you use them exclusively? I hope they give a HUGE discount... I just find it hard to believe that lower cost couldn't be found away from them... Please enlighten me. I have had with them, went to MCO the other day after the boss asked to go in there. HORRIBLE service, $4.60/gal. gas, and the WSI computer inop.

After a short conversation with the boss we will NEVER be going back. Even if it requires going to a different airport.

 

[Live4flyng]

You said it all dude!

 

[h25b]

You said it all dude!

I'm just curious want type of agreement NetJets has with these bafoons...???...???

 

[757BBJ_Capt]

I have never understood why anyone would willing patronize Signature. They are foreign owned, fuel is ALWAYS more expensive, service is not always the best, and they nickel and dime customers to a point that makes it difficult to want to do business with them. Mom and Pop FBOs have 800 #s. There is not a single Signature with a published (directories) 800 #. What is it that these people are paying for? Let them be the only game in town, which is often the case, and you can forget about being treated well. At MKE I once called 15 out and asked them if our passenger transportation was standing by. The RUDE woman told me if Signature did not make the limo arrangements, they don’t keep track of it. I was floored. We had called ahead a couple of days prior to the trip to let them know we would need fuel and day rooms. Once on the ground they realized we were flying a 757 they tripped over themselves getting a fuel truck out to us. I told them hooking the fuel truck up to our airplane would be a waste of their time, as I was no longer going to buy anything from them. Was told that I was going to be required to pay a ramp fee and a handling fee. With pleasure I told him I would pay his ramp fee, but no way was I going to pay a handling fee; they did not even have the equipment to move, much less handle our aircraft, so just forget it’s even on your ramp. Then they stick that piece of paper in your face and ask you to sign it. NOPE, won’t do that either. If you read the fine print, by signing that, as a representative of the aircraft, you just signed away any claim(s) you might have if the aircraft were to be damaged (hold harmless) while in their possession. Not to mention, if you sign that and something happens to your aircraft, your signature probably just helped you find the unemployment line.

 

[h25b]

I refuse to sign that one myself. I think one of the companies I used to work for had the legal department examine that issue and concluded that we as pilots were not to sign ANY such paperwork at ANY FBO.

 

[SpaceBall 1]

Don't ever sign any piece of paper at Signature or any of the other FBO's! It's called a "hold harmless" agreement for a reason. I remember when Signature took over the Page/Avjet in BNA in the early 90's (yeah, I'm going back a ways), Signature was constantly damaging aircraft. Shortly there after is when Signature implemented handling/ramp fees and the hold harmless agreements.

Just this past week, I was in Signature SFO on Monday and unfortunately had to buy fuel. After the fuel was uploaded I got a right fuel gauge light. Sumpped the tanks and got a bunch of H2O out, but light stays on. We MEL the gauges, now we have to top the tanks every leg (that's fun in a Bravo). Go back into Signature on Wednesday, have to top the tanks because of the MEL and this time get the left fuel gauge light on. Now both lights are on and the jet is grounded. We had flown about 15 hours since last there and didn't have the problem anywhere else. Fortunately, when the mechanic sumpped the tanks the light went out. I spoke with the line manager the first time on Monday, went in one ear and out the other. Needless to say I demanded his attention on Wednesday. It's been a while since I had the opportunity to go balistic on someone in quite a while and it felt good. He had a different attitude after we finished.

Long story short.........I don't like Signature and never will! As far as Netjets and Signature go, they are in bed together pretty close. Look at whose jets are always parked nearest the door.

 

[Mach92]

Most of us NetJets pilots think signature FBO's suck also. Its the sweetheart deal they get. Fuel is low, I think around $1.60 1.70 somthing like that. No parking fees, no lav fee, no other charges. Management did not talk to us pilots when they signed this deal over a year ago. Some are better then others IE DAL SIG.

 

[guido411]

As far as Netjets and Signature go, they are in bed together pretty close. Look at whose jets are always parked nearest the door.

This is pretty close to the bottom line. NetJets garuntees to buy "X" amount of fuel from Signature at "X" amount of dollars. They offered the same thing to FLOPs but at a little over half the size of NJ we can't garuntee we'll buy as much petrol as NJA. So we buy fuel at the same price Joe Lear does. Thus the boycott of Signature by FLOPs at ALL costs (you think YOU get bad service there).

I was VERY excited to hear in our Jan '05 company meetings that Signature will be getting some competition at many monoploized airports, ie MIA, JAX, MMU, BOS, etc. For example, JAX. . .SheltAir has opened a trailer while finishing their main buildings. These folks are INCREDILBE. They have become my #1 vote for any FBO survey and they haven't even opened their main facility yet. Even during the Super Bowl they were fantastic! On other days calling for a quick turn there are 4 people standing by in the rain to greet, gas, and GPU us. I will not be suprised that if in one year the only planes you see parked at Signature JAX are NJA's airplanes.

The problem lies with airports not being proactive to allowing construction on the field. MIA is a HOLE. They will probably not get a facility for years because plans have to be approved by the authority's beaurocracy. At BOS Signature is the only option but apparently there are works in progress that will allow more options. But I garuntee we'll be going to a hole there too for years to come. I haven't been to MMU since we began using the new facility, maybe someone can shed some light on this. But for several years the only other option to Signature will be a place that many multi-millionaires will not want to be seen.

Point is Signature has made some excellent tactical moves in the past and they are reaping the rewards. As much as I hate Signature, can you blame them for squeezing every last penny out of operators? They know their day as a monolpoly at most places is limited so why not try to get all they can during they hey day? Wouldn't you?

 

[x402]

Say what you like, a bunch of them are TEAMSTERS, it will come in handy.

 

[Flying Illini]

We fly to MDW an average of 3.8 times a week and we have since Meigs closed. Went to Signature before they upped their prices (they wouldn't cut us a deal if we agreed to buy a certain amount of fuel every year). We tried Atllantic once because we were tired of the service we recieved at SIG. Unfortunately, the two days we were at Atlantic this owner was in the king air. I say unfortunately because we were treated like scum. They wouldn't pull us up even after asking for 2 hours. They said they didn't have room for a king air at the door since they were expecting a G5 30 minutes after we were to leave. Ramp remained empty and was empty when our pax showed up. They drove us to the plane only to find it was in about 10 inches of snow (where it had been pushed too. The guy in the van offered to pull us up but our pax said he didn't have time to wait. He tromped through the snow, we powered out, and never went back. So it was back to SIG for the past year. I hate being up there with all the NJA guys. We can never get our falcon 10 or 20 for that matter up near the front because there are NJA aircraft coming and going. We really like the CSR's at MDW but everyone else is inept. When Sig raised their prices that was the final draw. Our guy asked us where else we could take him. We said Million Air was the last option at MDW. So we have been going there for the past 3 weeks and he is much happier.
Signature just pisses me off in how they seem to have forgotten about any other customers when there are NJA crews there. And at places whwere they are a monopoly, like BOS, they just don't care and the facilities suck.
I hate signature, as does our whole flight department. Since being at Million Air (and I'm sure the same goes for Atlantic at MDW) there have been 5-7 phone calls a day from flight departments that used to go to SIG but because of the recent price increases and poor service, they are looking for other options. I firmly believe that the only reason Sig is still in business is b/c of their size, the fact that they have a monopoly at certain places, and their deal with NJA.