Kipper

I hear guys are still leaving the hotels in Japan.

Why is this?

Why do so many of our guys not follow the rules?

It may only make it worse for the rest of us. It could easily turn into room isolation.

Take Sydney for example.

Please think about others and the big picture and please just follow the rules.

It’s easy.

Nightflyer

I'll take a stab at this...

We have to either stay in the room, or you can go to the gym, or go to the lobby to pick up your Uber Eats.

That's not much of a life for several days in a row. I didn't leave, but we should be getting the "hotel quarantine" pay for Japan and we aren't.

In the Swissotel you can also go to the 10th floor so you can share the virus with your buddies over a beer and pay the same high prices for room service. No thank you. The FedEx discount covers the delivery charge but that's about it.

There is nothing on the TV except CNN. You can only surf the internet for so long. I am running out of books to read.

Personally, I am ready to go somewhere else.

If I could only go across the street to a restaurant, my food would not be cold when I eat it.

Oh, and if you eat normal meals, your per diem won't cover half of it, and no, I am not on draft or volunteer.

If I have not answered all of your questions feel free to ask more.

Again, I did not violate the rules, and I am not saying that you should, but this sucks big time.

BrulesRulez

Why are you posting this on a public forum? Posting it publicly isnt going to fix the issue, and very well may escalate into an issue based on hearsay. How do you know its OUR guys/gals? Just because you see a guy wearing white new balances, jeans, and a Cessna t shirt doesn't make it our folk.

wrxpilot

Could be worse... TPE is way, way worse in every respect. Makes KIX seem like a wonderful exotic getaway.

I agree though, I think we're all getting tired of this. Definitely not something that can go on indefinitely.

Nightflyer

There are many places that are worse. Most of them come with $100 for your hotel bank.

Japan does not. The union should negotiate for full per diem in the next contract, instead of giving us nickel and dimes, like they always do.

Yes, other places are worse, but I didn't sign up to be confined to a building on a long layover either.

flextodaline

Wonder how Jim Stockdale, Robbie Risner, or Everett Alvarez would have handled the quarantine?

Kwitchyerbellyakin' and do what's asked of us to try and end this cr@p.

Nightflyer

He asked a question. I answered it.

I knew someone would compare it to the POW experience.

That comparison is not even close, I understand that.

He wanted to know what people thought, and I gave him an answer.

Adlerdriver

I don't disagree with your sentiments. So much of this Covid overreaction is complete BS. IMO, you appear to have a bigger aversion than most to spending $$ on food. What's a "normal meal"? Don't get me wrong, I'll take full gubmint rate per diem but I won't hold my breath on that.

You clearly need to develop the appropriate appreciation for 10-year old episodes of the Mentalist and NCIS. Come-on!

Some general comments not directed at anyone particular:
I'd love to see some kind of premium pay to account for the extra a$$-pain we're still experiencing in many international locations. But, the bottom line is that most foreign governments are still requiring quarantine for new arrivals. Our employer is bypassing that requirement by agreeing to isolate us while we stay in their country. The fact that the available food is expensive or the TV choices suck doesn't really answer the OP's question. There is no valid reason for violating the restrictions agreed upon by accepting the trip and processing into Japan.

Let's assume for a moment that the restrictions are valid and cannot be lifted. If you believe the news, the US cases are on the rise which probably makes it even more difficult to convince a foreign government to cut us some slack. The only thing that might make the situation more tolerable is some additional pay to recognize the added sacrifice that is routinely being accepted by our pilots. But as long as the freight moves, why would our employer add more incentive?
If everyone flew their line, avoided AVA and VLT, declined draft and enjoyed some time at home it would be a matter of days before additional incentives were offered. Our union reps wouldn't even have to ask. Put the crack pipe (draft pipe) down and temporarily walk away. It's not a difficult concept.

But we apparently have complete idiots working for our company. There are guys with 10-12 weeks worth of solid blue lines on their calendar making 200% every day, who actually have the nerve to then express public concern about their health and safety due to being confined to their rooms on layovers. They actually want our union reps to go to the company on their behalf and play the "health and safety card". Hey - dumass - if you were really concerned about your health and safety, you wouldn't be volunteering to do it for 3 months straight. You want to make a general complaint that being locked in your room for 48-hours sucks, go for it. I'm thinking the company is going to turn a deaf ear to that because, 1) - they're paying you 200% to deal with it. and 2) The freight is moving as a result.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of pilots just flying their line at straight time who don't want to work 95% of the month and would like to have some monetary recognition of the huge number of unpaid duty hours they spend processing in and out of country X, Y or Z. They'd like some incentive pay to recognize the sacrifices they make by spending days confined to their rooms or hotel grounds. But the "it's all about me crowd" will never let that happen. They'll keep picking up AVA and draft and move the freight, completely unable to recognize that a temporary halt to that would bring on additional incentives for everyone. Then they could go back to whoring themselves out every day of the month just like they've been doing all along.

Nightflyer

Well said, Adler.

A "normal meal", with water and no dessert is $30, times 3 per day (and I only eat 2) is $90. I personally recommend the salmon if you are at the Swiss. If you get McDonald's or Burger King via Uber, it is around $15, and your food is approaching cold by the time you get it. I don't recommend the Pizza Hut, as they put something (maybe seaweed?) on the pizza that gives it a strange taste, but it you like pizza, $25.

I have not gotten a draft or volunteer trip yet. The days that I thought might pick one up were designated as "no volunteer days". Memphis never calls me for draft, I guess they know I say no 95% of the time.

Your points are well taken. If I was on draft or volunteer, I wouldn't be complaining.

I have seen the calendars of the guys with only 3 or 4 days off a month. I am not sure how they do it with the 100/30 rules, but they are. Saw one guy on a trip worth 112 hours. I have heard of a lot more, but not personally seen them.

There is also a crew bus rumor that the extra pay has been noticed and they are taking steps to reduce it.

So, if you are a *****, enjoy it while it lasts.

flextodaline

Not necessarily directed at you. He wanted to know what we thought, and those were MY thoughts. If you feel it was directed at you, then "lighten up, Francis"......