4:30am SDF time I'm getting called for JA's up in ANC on the MD. There are as of now 11 uncovered trips going out in the next couple of days they're JA'ing for.

300-400 overstaffed my a$$ people!

 

Last week at one point there were 48 open time trips on the MD11 ANC FO side, including 7 trips on a single day.

On the MD11 captain ANC RSVA list, I got sent to Almaty, Kazakhstan last week to pick up a trip that was added to CGN. Here in HKG now, was scheduled to deadhead home but twice the past 24 hours crew scheduling informed me of schedule changes that included me operating a leg back out of PVG and now ICN.

Speaking with other MD11 and 747-400 crews, volume is very high everywhere, with scores of MD11 flights being added each week. Rumors are a new HP contract (my last Shanghai flight was full of their boxes) and picking up UPS Supply Chain Solutions volume. That might explain the weird city pairs added like ANC-MEM, ATL, and DFW.

Heard this month we're about 20 MD11 FOs short in ANC, FWIW.

The air freight business seems to be booming again-- at least in Asia.

 

Whatever you do or think don't forget the big brown brother is waiting for your donation soon.

 

Don't know how under or overstaffed we are, but we still have a couple of hundred guys not doing anything and more domestic cuts will happen in after peak. I think the international business is picking up a lot quicker that the domestic stuff. The problem is, that UPS is going to cut things to the bone no matter how much the volume increases. In my opinion, they are backing themselves into a corner that, in the end, will cost them business with the lack of service.

 

Hmm, sounds like the attitude of someone who's worked for AMR for too long.

 

The "weird" city pairs should show all of us how bad SCS is to are growth. SCS usually puts all this Volume on other carriers. DL, AMR, AF, etc. Which to me is under cutting our working agreement. It's a third airline!! Us, the managers, and SCS!!

And there is no way for us to monitor it. We have no idea the volume loads. Which I blame squarely on our EB for letting it exist.

It would save our bottom 400 easy. Plus most likely add an additional 400 pilots.

SCS=Supply Chain Solutions.

 

Rumor had it that SCS was not doing very well at adding dollars to the company. Maybe someone discovered that if you put the freight on the airplanes we have sitting around that it costs less than going to another carrier. Hopefully if this is what is happening the company will keep utilizing our own airplanes and crews when the rest of the system recovers.

 

FYI, half way up the -400 FO list and just got a JA call...inside 4 hrs till departure. Looks like someone covered it.

 

0550 EST got a call for B747 FOs ... go figure.

I guess they are still trying to save the few reserves that are available ...

 

I'm half way up the ANC MD list and got a call mid am for a JA.
A friend of mine on 757Z (Capt) got a call also.

good luck