Fedex Hiring Part II
#101
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jul 2013
Posts: 98
It depends on staffing levels, but yes, it is possible to do this. You generally only have success dropping reserve days within about a week of those reserve days, so it's not a strategy you can currently count on to get a solid schedule.
#102
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,099
The simple fact is that given our flight schedule, very few of our long-haul commuters would be able to meet the requirements set out in the commuter policies of the major airlines. So, it makes no sense to say they we should be able to do what they do. Many of their long-haul pilots face the same limited options that many of our pilots have and as a result are not able to commute into their trips with commuter protection either.
There’s a very important distinction between the commuter policies at major airlines and the one in place at FedEx. Our policy was written to allow almost every pilot commuting to almost any domestic trip on our own aircraft to do that protected. Pax guys typically need a flight and one or two back-ups but that policy in no way guarantees them access to every trip in their domestic bid-pack. Our policy also allows pilots to commute to just about any domestic trip they can hold. Do you ever hear one of our domestic pilots talk about whether a trip is “commutable” or not? I haven’t. That can be a pretty significant distinction for pax pilots, both long and short haul types. Many pax commuters with seniority choose to avoid half their bidpack lines because they can’t get there the same day. Those who can’t avoid them have to commute in the day before. Same thing on the back end of trips that don’t give them a chance to get home that same day and would require an extra night in domicile.
I don’t think you’ve bothered to actually consider various commute scenarios for all these “lucky” long-haul pax guys who can commute into their trips with protection. Maybe you’ve got some pals at other airlines who’ve found a niche that works great for them based on where they live and their seniority. But, not every long-haul pilot at those airlines have such picture-perfect commute. Certainly not 95%. I just deadheaded out of ORD on an AA flight to PVG that left at 10:30. My next one goes to NRT at 13:00. Can a Denver based AA pilot commute into those flights? Not the PVG flight. None of the AA or UAL flight gets him from DEN to ORD in time. So, he has no choice but to come in the night before. How about the later NRT flight? Probably – since he’s got one primary on his own metal and a UAL backup. What if he lives in SEA? Then he can’t get to either one. How about those AA pilots who choose to live in a smaller community like Norfolk, VA (very popular with quite a few FedEx pilots). Again, unable to make the PVG flight with a same day commute. The NRT flight? Maybe but he’s not on his own metal, using an offline A319 as his primary and an RJ for a backup that arrives with 4 minutes to spare prior to check-in time. Would that pass the sniff test for the Chief pilot if the pilot misses his trip? I can’t say for sure, but I kind of doubt it. I don’t think I would care to do that for every trip and I seriously doubt a Norfolk resident AA pilot would either.
If we can come up with a commute policy that incrementally adds commute protection to more pilots willing and able to use it, why wouldn’t we?
It just doesn’t make sense to me why we would assume so many things in an argument against something that would help more of our pilots. What is the company’s idea of a best-practice commute for an international trip? Just codifying that into contract language would be better than what we have now, which is nothing. If it helps one pilot make a less stressful commute, it would be an improvement.
#103
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2016
Posts: 936
Talk to your block rep. That is a limit we impose on the company not the other way around. I am sure the company would love to shrink 400 pilots off of their hiring plans. Careful what you wish for.
#104
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2012
Position: Two Wheeler FrontSeat
Posts: 1,162
Why do you think the company would shrink 400 pilots off their hiring plan? I heard that excuse before but it makes no sense because more than half of the crew force have hundreds of hours of makeup and don’t even burn it. That’s a very poor excuse.
#105
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2016
Posts: 936
All it takes is for a third of the pilots to add 18 extra hours every month and the need for 400 pilots is gone. The price of Memphis real estate would sky rocket as people moved to town to fly O&Bs 24 days a month.
#106
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2012
Position: Two Wheeler FrontSeat
Posts: 1,162
I understand your point, however more than half the crew force us capable of flying more that 50 extra hours every month and I don’t see them doing it.
#107
If there was No limit other than FARs, think quite a few folks would try and work a bit more than they do now. Why wouldn't they try to add more days away from home if they have weekend layovers at home, or even layovers during the week
Do I think it would be 400, no, but you never know. I think a lot of people appreciated the elimination of the 48 hour blackout in CBA 06, but the impact was a reduced use of Reserve pilots for those using SL, reduced hiring, and a greater reliance on bringing R24 pilots into Memphis for HSBY just in case
#108
Can they also create a set criteria that would allow as many of our pilots as possible (even if only 20% for example) to commute protected while satisfying the company’s desire to protect the operation as well?
Why is this assumption always made that the commute has to be on a Fedex flight? Not all other airlines limit their pilots protected commutes on their own flights.
Again, another assumption. A commuter policy doesn’t need to be written so as to protect almost every pilot commuting into almost any trip. Like you said, the passenger airlines’ commuting policies don’t have that. So why restrict ourselves to that higher standard. If we had a policy that gave commuter protection to 20% of the trips, it would be a win win. It sounds to me like you are letting the perfect to get in the way of the good.
Another assumption. Yes, we do have access to all Jumpseats on all those passenger airlines.
If we can come up with a commute policy that incrementally adds commute protection to more pilots willing and able to use it, why wouldn’t we?
It just doesn’t make sense to me why we would assume so many things in an argument against something that would help more of our pilots. What is the company’s idea of a best-practice commute for an international trip? Just codifying that into contract language would be better than what we have now, which is nothing. If it helps one pilot make a less stressful commute, it would be an improvement.
Why is this assumption always made that the commute has to be on a Fedex flight? Not all other airlines limit their pilots protected commutes on their own flights.
Again, another assumption. A commuter policy doesn’t need to be written so as to protect almost every pilot commuting into almost any trip. Like you said, the passenger airlines’ commuting policies don’t have that. So why restrict ourselves to that higher standard. If we had a policy that gave commuter protection to 20% of the trips, it would be a win win. It sounds to me like you are letting the perfect to get in the way of the good.
Another assumption. Yes, we do have access to all Jumpseats on all those passenger airlines.
If we can come up with a commute policy that incrementally adds commute protection to more pilots willing and able to use it, why wouldn’t we?
It just doesn’t make sense to me why we would assume so many things in an argument against something that would help more of our pilots. What is the company’s idea of a best-practice commute for an international trip? Just codifying that into contract language would be better than what we have now, which is nothing. If it helps one pilot make a less stressful commute, it would be an improvement.
You can really see their willingness to give up control by the way they've expanded the JS CBA Protection to All Types of JumpSeats...not just for those folks using Staging but for those of us on Business or Personal...oh wait...they didn't do that did they?
Other Airlines Long-haul trips...are they 70+ CH trips around the world too? Or do they just do something like JFK-CDG-JFK then off for a couple of days, rinse repeat?
#109
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2016
Posts: 936
I concede half the pilots prefer QOL over money. I have a couple hundred hours of makeup myself. That leaves the other half. Changing that rule would change the way the company handles reserves and how many lines they publish. Much like they did when we changed the bid for training rules and cut the number of VTO trips significantly in 2006.
#110
What happens when they cancel your trip by changing the Airplane type before the Month even happens. Yes, that happens. Had one bud who is a Bus Capt have his M-W-F trips get subbed out due to an equipment change before Open Time was even available.
And Again, Getting paid trip Guarantee and Going Home is one of the options, all it takes is a 4 hour investment.
But, let's Say FedEx eliminates the Whole SUB thing...what happens to Overage Calculations?
Most of the Time I've gone into SUB when my plane breaks. Or I get rerouted somewhere, once CRS starts revising the pairing sometimes the Fun just never stops. Most lucrative week I've had CH wise at FedEx was after my Monday flight was rerouted into Indy, and then CRS get revising\extending my pairing. Wound up adding 4 HSBY periods (only 1 of which we got disruption for because only 1 of them occurred in a scheduled duty period). Wound up with 4 Extra Duty periods. Because I declined SUB, turning my Tues-Friday into Time Free From duty, I accrued overage at 150% and then 200%. Flew a total of 2 legs for almost a Month's worth of Credit hours.
Now, I could've stayed eligible for SUB...know FedEx couldn't use me. Pretty sure still get the Extra duty periods, but it was pretty nice knowing every day they extended past Wednesday paid at 200%.
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