HPIC

Atlas was only parking airplanes due to lack of crews…not lack of work available. We will likely see that again in the near future.

C17B74

Technically yes parking planes, but that is a vague description on why and leads others down the wrong path is just my take. Plenty of work, lost work opportunities, lack of crews, also pulled planes back out of the desert if you will and more -8’s this year, 777’s coming on line whenever and whomever will fly them. Maybe just swap outs for older equipment, either way it’s the nature of Atlas to flex and pull back depending on the environment and they do it better than most which is a positive and a negative most definitely. Just don’t believe they’re doing it for you - it’s business as usual.

Agree, no one knew/knows what Atlas will become from its inception. QOL is in the eye of the beholder and there is much work to be done. Rolling out back on the road after only a few days off for 3-5 day multi-leg trips three or even four times a month at some other carrier is a priority for many. While 17 days is a price to pay no doubt, having a couple of weeks off is priceless at times for others. Last couple of months I did split lines to mix it up. 5 off, 11 on, 9 off, 6 on as an example. Now I will pay up front next month with a 17 day drag, but reap the back end benefits of over two weeks off playing May out correctly of course. Sleep is a strategy and now with the 32/7 it’s a tactical event. Everyone is different and this ain’t for everyone. Art 33 won’t last forever so don’t get acclimated to it, just harvest during the good times, lay low during the normal. Not a VX guy and I believe you should if $ is the priority so enjoy it while you can if you can and this won’t last forever.

atpcliff

Due to my unusual schedule lately, which is normal for Atlas (it is normal to have odd things happen with your schedule), I have operated 13 legs for the months Nov 2021 - Mar 2022 (2 Nov, 3 Dec, 8 Jan, 0 Feb, 0 Mar).
Example of other abnormalities:
One normal length work pattern with 4 Operating Legs, and 12 deadhead airline passenger legs.
1 Day trip, Several 2 day trips, MULTIPLE 3, 4, 5 day trips.
3 trips over 30 days (because I wanted the last two weeks of the next month off, so I volunteered for two back-to-back trips.
One week of holiday, I moved, which gave me 24 days off in a row.
Schedule Changes during your pattern: My experience is that about 1/3 of the time, your new sched is worse, 1/3 of the time it is about the same, and 1/3 of the time it is better.
I VERY rarely have a 17 day schedule. We are guaranteed 13/14 days off/month. BUT, some lines have 15 or 16 days off. 17 days off...maybe, I don't recall seeing one of those.
Note:
We do NOT have Bid Line Guarantee, as some of you may have seen in the new contract. SOME lines are pay protected, SOME lines are not. AND, if you call in sick, and you had a Bid Line that was pay protected, you lose that pay protection. One of the many things that is **** about Atlas' new contract.

atpcliff

If it was me I'd do Frontier or Atlas, unless you want to be home frequently: Spirit has 4 day work patterns max.
My buddy at Frontier loves it, and he loved it before the current contract.
Atlas you CAN make more money now, what with DOD charters and COVID pay, but Atlas is DEFINITELY more variable than other carriers. Frontier is more stable.
If you want to live overseas, I would go to Atlas.

atpcliff

I don't think this is very valid...what a current schedule looks like. We are getting more 777s, and more of them are doing charter, I believe. So, the typical schedule in 1, 2, 3 years from now, will probably be NOTHING like it is now...typical Atlas.

atpcliff

Last I heard on new hires, it was not very many at all.

We had a Capt bid out for all airframes. Heard they cancelled all but the 747 Capt upgrades, because they couldn't afford to lose the FOs to training at the moment...do not know for sure why they changed the bid...

Twin Wasp

You do know that Frontier is buying Spirt and IF the deal is approved by the government it will be one airline.

121again

So the company put out an email saying they’re committed to building more lines with less than 17 days. I’ll believe it when it see it.

As for the Covid pay.. “How ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm, after they’ve seen Paris?”

C17B74

Agree, the additional cheddar has most likely kept a few longer than if there were none. When that dissipates there will be an increase of flow out the doors is an educated guess and nothing more. Perhaps a few additional chips will be thrown in our direction to stave off the upcoming losses to include prior to peak. Just curious how May will turn out regarding the vaccine status and actual numbers of those unable to continue if the policy holds (is it still in play?). Probably less than 200 by now, but the slack will have to be picked up by several and OT/VX will increase is another guess. Haven’t seen any movement towards “less than 17 days” being ORD based. Totally agree 121again, I too will believe it when I see it AND not get extended to 17 or thereabouts. Spring/Summer/Fall should be interesting.

RyeMex

It seems as though, at least on the 767, there have been more lines with fewer than 17 days total. Some with as many as 15 or 16 days off. However, due to the fact that these months are usually built as 4-5 small trip pairings, with only 4 days "off" in between, if you take the increased number of commute days into consideration, you'll likely be gone from home for more total days than you would for a conventional 17 day trip. Additionally, these lines also only pay min guarantee. Still, they could be nice options for those who live in base.