Originally Posted by
sailingfun
PBS was just under 5%. The biggest manning changes over time were elimination of the hard cap,bow wave and vacation changes. The average Block hours per pilot has increased from 600 to 800 per year. Having said that we are still one of the least efficient us airlines.
Sailing,
That will be managements talking point for 2015 and it is a little more complicated than that.
Least efficient at what? Flying block hours or producing revenue?
While we average fewer block hours than SWA per pilot, we produce more revenue per pilot. What more directly affects the bottom line when it comes to producing profits revenue or block hours? Can you even fully separate the two?
Management touts their skill in properly gauging the airline and putting the optimal aircraft on every route. Well to do this it takes a diverse fleet that increases training, reserves required, etc.
So it is disingenuous to say that we "one of the least effcient airlines" if this "inefficiency" actually enables us to maximize revenue.
I know you are very knowledgeable about this stuff but some Pilots are not. All considered, I don't think casually stating an arguable management talking point as a fact does the Pilot group any good.
OBTW - Other airlines can bank sick leave which may encourage Pilots to fly when not quite 100%, while a Pilot who can not bank sick leave (Delta Pilots) may decide it would be better to call in sick. So one thing management can do immediately to increase block time per Pilot is to allow us to bank sick leave.
Scoop - Just my 2 cents.