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FDX - Long night in Open time

Old 03-25-2010, 06:04 PM
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Default FDX - Long night in Open time

I know there are a bazzilion trades going on tonight, but they insist it's all automated. It took them 2 hours to process my first two requests. We definitely need to change this in our upcoming negotiations.
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Old 03-25-2010, 07:27 PM
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According to the scheduling guy talked to waaay back when, it's a manual process.
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Old 03-26-2010, 03:25 AM
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Default True dat

A few years ago I talked to a scheduler and he also said it was done manually. The reason was substitution trades couldn't be done automatically. My answer to that is let the system run real-time auto trip trades and when a sub trade comes up - if the programmers can't figure it out - have the system stop. The schedulers could then do the sub trade manually and then resume auto trades. It always seems to be a programming issue when we could benefit.

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Old 03-26-2010, 04:56 AM
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What's your definition of manual or automatic?

They have a program that decides what's legal and what's allowable based on the ever popular "insufficient reserves". Basically the yes or no decision is made automatically. However, the scheduler must "execute" the trade/drop/etc. They get a list of pending trades on their screen and they say "go" to each one. The computer decides yes or no and you get your answer.

They can and do override the computer when it suits them but normally they go w/ what it decides.
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Old 03-26-2010, 05:15 AM
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I would call that system manual. Anytime a program requires human input (hitting the execute/enter key) then it's manual. Would be great if it were autonomous - with real time trades, no waiting 1,2,3 even 4 hours for a trade.

But this is FedEx, so I'll wake up to reality.
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Old 03-26-2010, 06:00 AM
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Originally Posted by trashhauler View Post
I know there are a bazzilion trades going on tonight, but they insist it's all automated. It took them 2 hours to process my first two requests. We definitely need to change this in our upcoming negotiations.
Any company mentality toward a convenience, no matter how simple or cheap it may be, will have a cost associated with it.
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Old 03-26-2010, 07:15 AM
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My comment was sarcasm. My understanding is that the system is mostly auto but the scheduler has to pull the trigger to execute the trade. The reason I said it the way I said it was, one time I called skeds after a trade that was denied and it made no sense why it was denied, but the scheduler said that it was out of his hands because he couldn't couldn't over ride the computer. Then a couple of days later I called and asked why my trade was taking so long(normal day, not last thurs of the month) and he said he had to review each trade before he approved it. So which is it? I guess what ever is convenient for them to say.
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Old 03-26-2010, 10:34 AM
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Originally Posted by trashhauler View Post
.... I guess what ever is convenient for them to say.
No kidding, that can be so frustrating.
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Old 03-26-2010, 11:11 AM
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Has FDX or ALPA ever considered FLiCA? (Flight Line Internet Crew Access), software developed by Delta for both pilots and FA's.

It can be the best scheduling tool out there, as long as the company allows for the parameters to be "relaxed", which can be a contractual thing.

I know Delta, USAirways, America West (pre-merger), Frontier, Air Wisconsin, among others, use it.

We can trade trips out of open time into our schedule, as long as they're more than 3 days out, within seconds. All automated. We can drop trips and add trips into/from open time. We can also swap trips with other crewmembers automatically. When the trade is for a trip within 3 days, reserve coverage parameters are tightened up a little.

The only time a scheduler actually becomes involved is when there are legality/contractual disparities. Such as: we are required to have 10 hours rest in base min., but can choose waive it and go with the FAA minimums... then a scheduler has to be involved.

I would imagine that with all the ex-Delta and USAir guys there, it would have come up for discussion. Specially since it is such a money-saver for the company to have all that automation. We don't have the pay that you do at FDX, but from a scheduling perspective, the quality of life that FLiCA gives us is amazing, (sounds like a commercial for them, but I'm being completely honest).
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Old 03-26-2010, 03:22 PM
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Allowing control, or the loss of control, would infringe upon someone's corporate fiefdom.
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