Originally Posted by
USMCFLYR
Thanks for all of the information.
The days off is a tough one I'm sure.
A *normal* job, if there is such a thing, would have 10 days off for the upcoming month of March for instance . In this case I'm considering that normal job to be your standard 9-5 office type of job with weekends off. When people not familiar with the airline industry hear that pilots get 12-18 days off a month then there is little sympathy when they hear industry workers complain about time at work. Pilots will then point out the days robbed them due to commuting. Average people think 'but you get to live anywhere in the country you want and I had to move to Iowa for my job!'. And finally, pilots will complain about being away from home and not sleeping in their own beds which I have already shared my thoughts on this as it relates to pilots and travel.
Coming up on the last 4 years of finally being around people who are NOT gone for months and months at a time, I've come to realize that there are still many other jobs out there that require being gone and don't enjoy some of the benefits that I've outlined above.
Back to more of the point of my original question, if Allegiant USE to be an airline that had only 10% overnights and no TDY scheduling for instance, and this factor brought in recruits to the airline due to the schedule, to all of the sudden - over time like water coming to a slow boil - the scheduling changes to more and more overnights and months possible at TDY locations will certainly change the landscape at Allegiant.
Vegaspilot - you mentioned chronically short staffing in FL and training problems. Is this from many pilots leaving for greener pastures and Allegiant not being able to find employees - and is part of the problem the new scheduling practices that are becoming more the *new norm* and the word is getting out on forums such as APC and hurting recruiting?
Have you actually worked long term for a airline? I can assure you that you will never spend 15 to 18 days a month away from you family month after month and year after year and have any kind of life. A typical 15 day schedule flying 80 to 85 hours has you away from home 320 to 350 hours a month and on duty 150 to 170 hours per month. There is a vast difference from that and 9 to 5 job where you are home every night, weekends and holidays off never missing a kids Bday or anniversary. Turns even those paying the minimum are in huge demand even if they require working many more days then a regular trip. There is nothing like being at home every night.
Companies often have road warriors they expect to be on the road half the month in the non airline world. The companies also realize that 3 years is about as long as you can ask a employee to do that before they burn out. A good company moves the employee into a home position before they flame out. Pilots do it for 30 years or more.