Atlas Air Hiring
05-27-2014 | 03:55 AM
#8561
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 617
Likes: 0
Almost 1 year 2 months in the pool. I didn't score well on the test either. The moral of the story is that you should cheat. If you take it honestly and score a respectable 70% you will be at the bottom of the list. People i spoke to said they had 3 or 4 other people google answers while they did the test on line. Scoring 90-98%.
05-27-2014 | 05:34 AM
#8562
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 466
Likes: 0
From: Left Seat
For those hopeful to get this job I think it's important to know about the pool situation. They score applicants and then take from the top. I have been in the pool for 4 months with no word. 3 classes have run in that time and many folks from my interview dates were called. I also recently found out they conducted more interviews and some folks from those have been given class dates. I was frustrated until I found out there are still people in the pool that have been there almost a year. We were told at the interview they would be emptying the pool prior to more interviews but that didn't happen. I scored well on my written and felt it was the best I've ever done in an interview, not sure where I didn't score well... I don't mean to be negative here, I'm still excited for the opportunity for a class at some point but I think it's important people are aware this is how it works. It's unfortunate because it often puts a bit of a bad taste in peoples mouths before they ever show up for class. Hopefully this is something they'll consider changing in the future.
05-27-2014 | 05:54 AM
#8563
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 112
Likes: 0
Everyone should take heed what people are saying on this board lately. 744 Driver is correct in that the tone from the company has changed in the last year. Scheduling is on full attack of the contract, your quality of life and your paycheck. The travel department wants more of your days off at home (pre rest and backup flights) and on the road by deadheading you way out of the way on company aircraft or two leg commercial trips with long airport sits in the middle. And ridiculous taxi rides across Europe, 7hrs. Hotels are getting cheaper and not contractual in several cities. Catering has gone down hill fast, we use to get business class meals but now they are contracting for the cheapest thing they can get the caterers to give us.
Now the new hires (I have two friends that got on last year) are all based in ANC. Three to four years ago it was mostly 30 day lines with most of those 15-17 days on in a row with only a few split trips. You could piece these together to get nice stretches of days off. Now they build 60-70% as 60 day lines that require you to travel to work several times a month on days off and you can never have days off over the end/beginning of every other month. These type of trips makes it rough getting back and forth to ANC and the IMPUTED INCOME for the new hires has been horrendous.
Couple other contract problems are with Vacation and sick time. If you are junior you probably wont be able to conflict bid your vacation so your vacation is on normal days off so it becomes bonus pay not vacation days. And sick days are only credited if you are below guarantee of 62hrs so if you are on a 73 hour month it cost you 11hrs or $1000.00 dollars or more to call in sick!
Example 50hr month call in sick=pull days out of sick bank to bring you to 62 hrs.
73hr month call in sick= no days removed from sick bank and NO CREDIT until you get down to 62hrs
I for one am concerned about why this is happening. Is it cost controlling for the changing cargo industry or is it an early attempt to make us buy things back in contract negotiations? but that is two years out.
Is this still better than a regional? Yes, I think so but i think now I would stay at the regional's until the majors called.
I have stopped recommending my friends to come to Atlas.
Now the new hires (I have two friends that got on last year) are all based in ANC. Three to four years ago it was mostly 30 day lines with most of those 15-17 days on in a row with only a few split trips. You could piece these together to get nice stretches of days off. Now they build 60-70% as 60 day lines that require you to travel to work several times a month on days off and you can never have days off over the end/beginning of every other month. These type of trips makes it rough getting back and forth to ANC and the IMPUTED INCOME for the new hires has been horrendous.
Couple other contract problems are with Vacation and sick time. If you are junior you probably wont be able to conflict bid your vacation so your vacation is on normal days off so it becomes bonus pay not vacation days. And sick days are only credited if you are below guarantee of 62hrs so if you are on a 73 hour month it cost you 11hrs or $1000.00 dollars or more to call in sick!
Example 50hr month call in sick=pull days out of sick bank to bring you to 62 hrs.
73hr month call in sick= no days removed from sick bank and NO CREDIT until you get down to 62hrs
I for one am concerned about why this is happening. Is it cost controlling for the changing cargo industry or is it an early attempt to make us buy things back in contract negotiations? but that is two years out.
Is this still better than a regional? Yes, I think so but i think now I would stay at the regional's until the majors called.
I have stopped recommending my friends to come to Atlas.
05-27-2014 | 07:07 AM
#8564
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 943
Likes: 0
From: Knuckle-dragging line pilot
For all those instant-gratification types who would get upset when us thread Nazis would insist you read the entire thread, well, this is why.
- Gateway travel has been dissected ad nauseam at many points among these many pages. 747 new hires have been going to ANC as long as I've been here (2.5 years), but they've been able to bid out eventually as other classes followed. What's new is that with the 767 seat locks about to expire, anyone in ANC come September with less than three years on property will most likely be stuck there until they hit the three-year mark. It seems there is finally a price to be paid for earning 17% more than those senior to you who were arbitrarily assigned to the 767.
- We've also thoroughly discussed the hiring process, including the very difficult online test. (100 obscure technical questions in 60 minutes? We've said to utilize CRM almost every time this comes up.) What's new is that the old points system is gone, replaced by Do Not Recommend, Recommend, and Highly Recommend. I asked the VP of Flight Ops recently about those stuck in the pool for more than a year. He said they're aware of the angst it causes, and they would like to clear the pool over the summer. (YMMV) I would agree it's a good idea to call HR and remind them of who you are if you've been swimming a long time. But the pool has long been competitive here - your scores always mattered much more than how long you were swimming. I was in the pool for 9 months back when we were running classes every three weeks, while friends who interviewed much later went to class much earlier. I scored a 76 on the test, they scored higher. Simple as that. Applicants lately have been highly experienced. With the World/NAA shutdown, we have very experienced ACMI guys on the street, and they've been snapping them up.
Yes, there has been a shift in Quality of Life here lately. In part, it takes a while for the glamor to wear off - OMG, I'm flying big iron all over the world! I'm in a first class lounge at the airport! (I'm as guilty as anyone on this, but eventually you start to wake up.) But the company is definitely tightening the screws as well. Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
- Gateway travel has been dissected ad nauseam at many points among these many pages. 747 new hires have been going to ANC as long as I've been here (2.5 years), but they've been able to bid out eventually as other classes followed. What's new is that with the 767 seat locks about to expire, anyone in ANC come September with less than three years on property will most likely be stuck there until they hit the three-year mark. It seems there is finally a price to be paid for earning 17% more than those senior to you who were arbitrarily assigned to the 767.
- We've also thoroughly discussed the hiring process, including the very difficult online test. (100 obscure technical questions in 60 minutes? We've said to utilize CRM almost every time this comes up.) What's new is that the old points system is gone, replaced by Do Not Recommend, Recommend, and Highly Recommend. I asked the VP of Flight Ops recently about those stuck in the pool for more than a year. He said they're aware of the angst it causes, and they would like to clear the pool over the summer. (YMMV) I would agree it's a good idea to call HR and remind them of who you are if you've been swimming a long time. But the pool has long been competitive here - your scores always mattered much more than how long you were swimming. I was in the pool for 9 months back when we were running classes every three weeks, while friends who interviewed much later went to class much earlier. I scored a 76 on the test, they scored higher. Simple as that. Applicants lately have been highly experienced. With the World/NAA shutdown, we have very experienced ACMI guys on the street, and they've been snapping them up.
Yes, there has been a shift in Quality of Life here lately. In part, it takes a while for the glamor to wear off - OMG, I'm flying big iron all over the world! I'm in a first class lounge at the airport! (I'm as guilty as anyone on this, but eventually you start to wake up.) But the company is definitely tightening the screws as well. Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
05-27-2014 | 07:22 AM
#8565
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 441
Likes: 0
From: 747RJ
Yes, there has been a shift in Quality of Life here lately. In part, it takes a while for the glamor to wear off - OMG, I'm flying big iron all over the world! I'm in a first class lounge at the airport! (I'm as guilty as anyone on this, but eventually you start to wake up.) But the company is definitely tightening the screws as well. Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
I'll keep updating my resume every 200 hours or so because I still want to fly freight.
05-27-2014 | 09:12 AM
#8567
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 158
Likes: 0
From: B-767
857 pages?
Man, there is no way I am going to read this all. I stop looking around page 171, so could someone please send me the cliff notes?
Seriously, after being clued in by my compadres at the CVG breakfast table (I never knew this thread was in Hiring News), I perused the last 50 pages or so, and I got to agree with the Captain. There is no such thing as instant gratification here, or really anywhere in life if one punches a clock for a living. I came here to Atlas after working as an expat at a hugely higher monthly salary. Atlas fits my lifestyle well, I get to return to my home every month, and the QOL is quite high. Can I make more at a legacy-yes. Can I spend more time at home at a legacy-yes. Is retirement better elsewhere-yes. The caveat is that nothing is static. United guys were living large in '99, not so much for the next ten years. The same can be said for many legacies. The point is that I am confident enough to hang my hat on Atlas for the future, and I will fight tooth and nail for a much better contract. If things go south, there are lots of opportunities overseas. Chasing some mythical dragon to riches in the airline business is fool's gold. Come to Atlas, keep your mouth closed and ears open, do your time as junior galley/gear monkey, and fight for your fellow co-workers. You may be pleasantly surprised in the future.
Seriously, after being clued in by my compadres at the CVG breakfast table (I never knew this thread was in Hiring News), I perused the last 50 pages or so, and I got to agree with the Captain. There is no such thing as instant gratification here, or really anywhere in life if one punches a clock for a living. I came here to Atlas after working as an expat at a hugely higher monthly salary. Atlas fits my lifestyle well, I get to return to my home every month, and the QOL is quite high. Can I make more at a legacy-yes. Can I spend more time at home at a legacy-yes. Is retirement better elsewhere-yes. The caveat is that nothing is static. United guys were living large in '99, not so much for the next ten years. The same can be said for many legacies. The point is that I am confident enough to hang my hat on Atlas for the future, and I will fight tooth and nail for a much better contract. If things go south, there are lots of opportunities overseas. Chasing some mythical dragon to riches in the airline business is fool's gold. Come to Atlas, keep your mouth closed and ears open, do your time as junior galley/gear monkey, and fight for your fellow co-workers. You may be pleasantly surprised in the future.
05-27-2014 | 12:04 PM
#8568
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 324
Likes: 0
From: Ex USAF, ex-ATA , currently Atlas Air 747 CA
Captainv hit it squarely on the head when he said,"Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about."
Each and every time someone at headquarters has tried to fudge the contract with me they've backed off when I quoted them book, chapter and verse of how it wasn't allowed by the CBA. They will try to fill trips the least expensive way; that's their job (at least as headquarters sees it). I'd venture to say that's an accurate statement of any airline management you can find out there. My job is to be certain I know the contract and hold them to it. It doesn't get personal; I'm friendly with them and they're friendly with me. Nonetheless, I won't allow them to skirt around any protections our CBA may afford.
Each and every time someone at headquarters has tried to fudge the contract with me they've backed off when I quoted them book, chapter and verse of how it wasn't allowed by the CBA. They will try to fill trips the least expensive way; that's their job (at least as headquarters sees it). I'd venture to say that's an accurate statement of any airline management you can find out there. My job is to be certain I know the contract and hold them to it. It doesn't get personal; I'm friendly with them and they're friendly with me. Nonetheless, I won't allow them to skirt around any protections our CBA may afford.
05-27-2014 | 12:20 PM
#8569
Tuk er jerbs!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,342
Likes: 0
From: B747 Left
For all those instant-gratification types who would get upset when us thread Nazis would insist you read the entire thread, well, this is why.
- Gateway travel has been dissected ad nauseam at many points among these many pages. 747 new hires have been going to ANC as long as I've been here (2.5 years), but they've been able to bid out eventually as other classes followed. What's new is that with the 767 seat locks about to expire, anyone in ANC come September with less than three years on property will most likely be stuck there until they hit the three-year mark. It seems there is finally a price to be paid for earning 17% more than those senior to you who were arbitrarily assigned to the 767.
- We've also thoroughly discussed the hiring process, including the very difficult online test. (100 obscure technical questions in 60 minutes? We've said to utilize CRM almost every time this comes up.) What's new is that the old points system is gone, replaced by Do Not Recommend, Recommend, and Highly Recommend. I asked the VP of Flight Ops recently about those stuck in the pool for more than a year. He said they're aware of the angst it causes, and they would like to clear the pool over the summer. (YMMV) I would agree it's a good idea to call HR and remind them of who you are if you've been swimming a long time. But the pool has long been competitive here - your scores always mattered much more than how long you were swimming. I was in the pool for 9 months back when we were running classes every three weeks, while friends who interviewed much later went to class much earlier. I scored a 76 on the test, they scored higher. Simple as that. Applicants lately have been highly experienced. With the World/NAA shutdown, we have very experienced ACMI guys on the street, and they've been snapping them up.
Yes, there has been a shift in Quality of Life here lately. In part, it takes a while for the glamor to wear off - OMG, I'm flying big iron all over the world! I'm in a first class lounge at the airport! (I'm as guilty as anyone on this, but eventually you start to wake up.) But the company is definitely tightening the screws as well. Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
- Gateway travel has been dissected ad nauseam at many points among these many pages. 747 new hires have been going to ANC as long as I've been here (2.5 years), but they've been able to bid out eventually as other classes followed. What's new is that with the 767 seat locks about to expire, anyone in ANC come September with less than three years on property will most likely be stuck there until they hit the three-year mark. It seems there is finally a price to be paid for earning 17% more than those senior to you who were arbitrarily assigned to the 767.
- We've also thoroughly discussed the hiring process, including the very difficult online test. (100 obscure technical questions in 60 minutes? We've said to utilize CRM almost every time this comes up.) What's new is that the old points system is gone, replaced by Do Not Recommend, Recommend, and Highly Recommend. I asked the VP of Flight Ops recently about those stuck in the pool for more than a year. He said they're aware of the angst it causes, and they would like to clear the pool over the summer. (YMMV) I would agree it's a good idea to call HR and remind them of who you are if you've been swimming a long time. But the pool has long been competitive here - your scores always mattered much more than how long you were swimming. I was in the pool for 9 months back when we were running classes every three weeks, while friends who interviewed much later went to class much earlier. I scored a 76 on the test, they scored higher. Simple as that. Applicants lately have been highly experienced. With the World/NAA shutdown, we have very experienced ACMI guys on the street, and they've been snapping them up.
Yes, there has been a shift in Quality of Life here lately. In part, it takes a while for the glamor to wear off - OMG, I'm flying big iron all over the world! I'm in a first class lounge at the airport! (I'm as guilty as anyone on this, but eventually you start to wake up.) But the company is definitely tightening the screws as well. Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
Also, we have too many pilots floating around who say that FCRs don't work, which is bull. I write FCRs for all sorts of junk, and I know I've helped get stuff fixed. The stewards are probably also sick of seeing my name pop up in their inbox, but they are a fantastic resource to help quickly resolve CBA compliance issues.
No deals!
05-27-2014 | 12:20 PM
#8570
Line Holder
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
For all those instant-gratification types who would get upset when us thread Nazis would insist you read the entire thread, well, this is why.
- Gateway travel has been dissected ad nauseam at many points among these many pages. 747 new hires have been going to ANC as long as I've been here (2.5 years), but they've been able to bid out eventually as other classes followed. What's new is that with the 767 seat locks about to expire, anyone in ANC come September with less than three years on property will most likely be stuck there until they hit the three-year mark. It seems there is finally a price to be paid for earning 17% more than those senior to you who were arbitrarily assigned to the 767.
- We've also thoroughly discussed the hiring process, including the very difficult online test. (100 obscure technical questions in 60 minutes? We've said to utilize CRM almost every time this comes up.) What's new is that the old points system is gone, replaced by Do Not Recommend, Recommend, and Highly Recommend. I asked the VP of Flight Ops recently about those stuck in the pool for more than a year. He said they're aware of the angst it causes, and they would like to clear the pool over the summer. (YMMV) I would agree it's a good idea to call HR and remind them of who you are if you've been swimming a long time. But the pool has long been competitive here - your scores always mattered much more than how long you were swimming. I was in the pool for 9 months back when we were running classes every three weeks, while friends who interviewed much later went to class much earlier. I scored a 76 on the test, they scored higher. Simple as that. Applicants lately have been highly experienced. With the World/NAA shutdown, we have very experienced ACMI guys on the street, and they've been snapping them up.
Yes, there has been a shift in Quality of Life here lately. In part, it takes a while for the glamor to wear off - OMG, I'm flying big iron all over the world! I'm in a first class lounge at the airport! (I'm as guilty as anyone on this, but eventually you start to wake up.) But the company is definitely tightening the screws as well. Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
- Gateway travel has been dissected ad nauseam at many points among these many pages. 747 new hires have been going to ANC as long as I've been here (2.5 years), but they've been able to bid out eventually as other classes followed. What's new is that with the 767 seat locks about to expire, anyone in ANC come September with less than three years on property will most likely be stuck there until they hit the three-year mark. It seems there is finally a price to be paid for earning 17% more than those senior to you who were arbitrarily assigned to the 767.
- We've also thoroughly discussed the hiring process, including the very difficult online test. (100 obscure technical questions in 60 minutes? We've said to utilize CRM almost every time this comes up.) What's new is that the old points system is gone, replaced by Do Not Recommend, Recommend, and Highly Recommend. I asked the VP of Flight Ops recently about those stuck in the pool for more than a year. He said they're aware of the angst it causes, and they would like to clear the pool over the summer. (YMMV) I would agree it's a good idea to call HR and remind them of who you are if you've been swimming a long time. But the pool has long been competitive here - your scores always mattered much more than how long you were swimming. I was in the pool for 9 months back when we were running classes every three weeks, while friends who interviewed much later went to class much earlier. I scored a 76 on the test, they scored higher. Simple as that. Applicants lately have been highly experienced. With the World/NAA shutdown, we have very experienced ACMI guys on the street, and they've been snapping them up.
Yes, there has been a shift in Quality of Life here lately. In part, it takes a while for the glamor to wear off - OMG, I'm flying big iron all over the world! I'm in a first class lounge at the airport! (I'm as guilty as anyone on this, but eventually you start to wake up.) But the company is definitely tightening the screws as well. Our pilot group could put a stop to a lot of it by getting to know the CBA: you don't need a backup flight, ever; hold the company to CBA-compliant hotels or travel, and use the relief granted in the CBA when they don't; and WRITE IT UP when they try something funny. The union can't fight what it doesn't know about.
On a recent DH back from Asia, another FO told me he'd been woken up by Scheduling 5 hours into his 24/7. They wanted to retroactively start his rest 4 hours earlier so he'd be legal for an assignment they'd given him. To his credit, he said no, and insisted the 24/7 be reset. But he never wrote it up or notified the union, until he casually told me about it a week later. On the same trip, Scheduling had notified him of a trip change properly, but they wanted a three-man crew to operate a flight that went 5 minutes past their max duty day. They asked him to take the trip and then they'd "fix it" en route. Again, to his credit, he said no, and - after asking every other FO at the hotel the same thing - they eventually put a 4th pilot on the trip, which finally made it legal. Everybody said no, which is great, but nobody wrote it up, which means Scheduling will just try it again next time. At least nobody accepted an illegal trip for a free $50 meal...
Those of you in the pool might think twice if offered a 747 class in the next few months. If you accept, be fully aware of what you face getting to/from ANC. (Thanks to Trout for the heads-up, I didn't realize the trips were so much shorter up there.) Personally, I would love it if you guys all told HR you'd like to wait for the next 767 class. Yes, it pays less, but you'll see continual seniority advancement and the commute to CVG is much less of a hardship, depending on where you live.
Lots of guys leaving, or trying to leave, right now. Management is basically unconcerned because we have a stack of resumes a mile high and long lines at the job fairs. Come if you want to, but do your homework and know what you're in for.
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