Base transfers
12-13-2022 | 03:49 AM
#61
Line Holder
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 863
Likes: 47
From: B767
The legacy you came from clearly was not based in ATL. All reserves at DL are on long call. They don’t have short call lines. With proper notice you can be given a short call reserve availability period up to 6 times in a month. Unrelated to their callout time but they also have multiple preference options for first call last call based on cities, etc. It is a far better system than purple has.
Last edited by UnusualAttitude; 12-13-2022 at 04:30 AM.
12-14-2022 | 02:55 AM
#62
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 2,174
Likes: 1
As for our R24, they can convert that to HSTBY as much as they want with no limits.
12-14-2022 | 02:57 AM
#63
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 3,201
Likes: 32
From: 4A2FU
As I understand from their contract comparison document, Delta doesn’t have short call. All of their reserve is 12 hours. And their AIP will increase it to 18 hours. They can be converted to short call 6 times a month but their call availability is only 9 hours.
As for our R24, they can convert that to HSTBY as much as they want with no limits.
As for our R24, they can convert that to HSTBY as much as they want with no limits.
12-17-2022 | 09:53 AM
#64
Line Holder
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
This thread is a must read for new hires or wannabes at FedEx. These are real world posts from pilots who learned the truth after switching to FedEx. The grass is not greener here. There are a lot of cons to working at FedEx.
This thread is so stereotypical of what happens at FedEx. A pilot complains about the contract and someone who hasn't worked at any airline other than Uncle Sam chimes in to say something ignorant. These folks have been told they're they're best of the best throughout their entire military career ... and that FedEx is the best of the best. But IMO, that has changed.
Prior to 9-11 .... that's September 11th for the Zers, FedEx and UPS lagged in work rules and pay. They were considered second rate airlines to Delta, US Air, American, Continental, Northwest and United. After 9-11 bankruptcies and consolidations, legacy airline contracts, especially in pay rates, fell below UPS and FedEx. Suddenly UPS and FedEx were the two hottest chicks left at the dance and it is 2am. Flash forward 20 years. The legacies have been clawing their way back from bankruptcy. FedEx and UPS still haven't raised the bar in term of 2002 pay rates adjusted for inflation. After FedEx's abysmal failure of a contract in 2015, the legacies were now on par in pay. UPS pay rates are much higher than FedEx's. However, folks still preferred to haul boxes over passengers. I get it, I made the jump myself from a legacy. But times have changed. The 9-11 bankruptcy contracts are well past us.
FedEx pilots current pay rates would be much lower had it not been for COVID19. COVID19 slowed the legacies next round of contracts. Now that COVID19 is over and the passenger airlines need pilots ... lots of pilots, they're seeing significant gains in pay rates (for example ... Delta's 34% pay improvement) and quality of life items. But it just isn't about pay too. Future retirements at FedEx are dwarfed by the legacy retirements. FedEx rapidly grew during COVID19 while sacrificing customer service. FedEx's rapid growth is over. The legacies are going to continue to grow. Therefore, anyone hired at FedEx in the next 5 years or possibly more is going to see very slow seat progression. FedEx IS NOT the place to be junior.
I've highlighted in red the typical response when someone says something about FedEx's contract. Every FedEx wannabe should read these comments.
And then there's this ...
FXLAX: TonyC is right. FedEx had passover pay and a filling of vacancies system that didn't violate seniority. However, in a rush to settle a contract with the company, the union leadership pushed a concessionary 2015 contract to the FedEx pilots and they ratified it. The company schooled the FedEx pilots in several areas of the new contract. This is why TonyC says it's hard to find anyone who voted for it. Why? Because it was a huge setback while other airlines were making gains and they're embarrassed to admit it now.
FedEx pay rates are already behind the legacies. The legacies are going to get huge increases as we've already seen in United's failed AIP and Delta's AIP soon to be official TA. If I were a wannabe, I'd choose carefully. FedEx has too much risk involved anymore.
FedEx's CONS:
Night Flying. Unless you get seniority fast which is unlikely, you're going to be flying nights. Night hub turns slowly kill you. Not joking. And compared to legacies, FedEx's supposed "day flying" is also night flying as you come back to the hub at midnight to 1am. The "twilight sort" at Indy (which is flown by all bases) has a lot of midnight to 10am flying which is slightly different than the 9pm-5am typical night hub flying.
Lagging B-fund: FedEx's B-fund has fallen behind UPS's and is well behind the top legacies.
Dying A-Fund: FedEx's creme de la creme, the A-fund is now down to a 17% income replacement ratio. It is dying due to inflation. It is hardly the game changer anymore.
Section 24 and System Bids: Junior people and new hires will be trained and moved in your seat before you will be -- and you won't be paid for it. FedEx likes long wasteful system bids ... sometimes more than 2-years to train out and execute.
FedEx IT systems ... you'll be shocked as to how hard it is to put in for trip swaps, changing your schedule if even possible, doing expense reports. Yes, you have to do monthly expense reports like reporting hotel receipts and commercial ticket receipts etc.etc. You'll end up buying third party software to bid.
No easy base transfers ... even if you have someone willing to swap with you. You'll have to wait for system bids and then it could be 2 years after that. We currently have folks waiting until May 23 for a base transfer on a system bid that was in Nov 21.
Reserves ... EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU SIT RESERVE AT FEDEX HAS A 1.5 HOUR REPORT TIME. SO YOU MUST BE IN MEMPHIS OR YOUR BASE ON EVERY RESERVE DAY. Unlike the legacies, long calls can be sat at home. And Delta is getting 18 hour call outs!!!
No paid training hotels. You have to pay for your own hotels if you live outside of base.
Yes some of our domestic flights may qualify for catering. Trust me, you don't want to eat the "cold" meals. The hot international meals are ok though.
Even if you are a line holder, the contract at FedEx pretty much means you are on reserve ... the company can pretty much do anything it wants with you and/or your trip. Good luck if you are put into "substitution" ... Chinese arithmetic is probably easier to understand than the substitution diagram. Understanding substitution from reading the contract, impossible. Don't doubt me on this. Also, you can be involuntarily extended up to 3.5 days. It happens especially for international folks.
Operational Emergencies !!! ... FedEx can and will require you by contract to fly to the FAR maximums (that's a 16 hour duty day no matter when your show time was).
On reserves, you can and you will do up to four night hub turns in a week.
No FAR 117. FedEx and UPS operate under the Cargo Carveout. The corporations lobbied the FAA for it. It isn't in your favor.
Very tight manning. Reserve lines make up 10% of the known lines. Secondary or PBS lines make up about 20% of lines. You can and will get assigned reserve status during the Secondary or PBS process.
No profit sharing or other goal sharing incentive programs (for example Delta's on-time performance and baggage goals).
Unlike legacies, if you accidentally bring a weapon (as defined by FedEx security) through security, you'll be fired no questions asked. You don't get your job back. FedEx's restricted item list is much larger than the FAA's.
You fly a lot of extremely hazardous cargo. My personal favorite is Class 4, spontaneously combustibles. I'm not joking. Only the 777s and MD11s have upper deck cargo fire suppression. Good luck at 30 west in a 767, we're all counting on ya.
While the passenger carriers have the passenger bill of rights and they cancel a lot with bad weather, you're going to fly no matter what. As long as it's legal by the FARs, you're going.
Jump seating to long haul flights is frowned upon. The pilot isn't pay protected if there's a disruption with your jump seat flight and you were to fly a long haul flight.
Fred Smith is retiring. FedEx Express (the airline) is no longer his baby. We have no management and they don't have a love affair for pilots or planes. Things are a changing and not in a good way. FedEx hired two SVPs to work on efficiency with the airline.
FedEx's Pros:
More wide body positions
Dying a-fund
Best vacation system
70% of the bid pack (flying lines) are hard lines.
Guaranteed jump seat to work IF able to reserve 21 days in advance
There's probably more cons but it is 1:15 am and I have to go to work.
This thread is so stereotypical of what happens at FedEx. A pilot complains about the contract and someone who hasn't worked at any airline other than Uncle Sam chimes in to say something ignorant. These folks have been told they're they're best of the best throughout their entire military career ... and that FedEx is the best of the best. But IMO, that has changed.
Prior to 9-11 .... that's September 11th for the Zers, FedEx and UPS lagged in work rules and pay. They were considered second rate airlines to Delta, US Air, American, Continental, Northwest and United. After 9-11 bankruptcies and consolidations, legacy airline contracts, especially in pay rates, fell below UPS and FedEx. Suddenly UPS and FedEx were the two hottest chicks left at the dance and it is 2am. Flash forward 20 years. The legacies have been clawing their way back from bankruptcy. FedEx and UPS still haven't raised the bar in term of 2002 pay rates adjusted for inflation. After FedEx's abysmal failure of a contract in 2015, the legacies were now on par in pay. UPS pay rates are much higher than FedEx's. However, folks still preferred to haul boxes over passengers. I get it, I made the jump myself from a legacy. But times have changed. The 9-11 bankruptcy contracts are well past us.
FedEx pilots current pay rates would be much lower had it not been for COVID19. COVID19 slowed the legacies next round of contracts. Now that COVID19 is over and the passenger airlines need pilots ... lots of pilots, they're seeing significant gains in pay rates (for example ... Delta's 34% pay improvement) and quality of life items. But it just isn't about pay too. Future retirements at FedEx are dwarfed by the legacy retirements. FedEx rapidly grew during COVID19 while sacrificing customer service. FedEx's rapid growth is over. The legacies are going to continue to grow. Therefore, anyone hired at FedEx in the next 5 years or possibly more is going to see very slow seat progression. FedEx IS NOT the place to be junior.
I've highlighted in red the typical response when someone says something about FedEx's contract. Every FedEx wannabe should read these comments.
FedEx pay rates are already behind the legacies. The legacies are going to get huge increases as we've already seen in United's failed AIP and Delta's AIP soon to be official TA. If I were a wannabe, I'd choose carefully. FedEx has too much risk involved anymore.
FedEx's CONS:
Night Flying. Unless you get seniority fast which is unlikely, you're going to be flying nights. Night hub turns slowly kill you. Not joking. And compared to legacies, FedEx's supposed "day flying" is also night flying as you come back to the hub at midnight to 1am. The "twilight sort" at Indy (which is flown by all bases) has a lot of midnight to 10am flying which is slightly different than the 9pm-5am typical night hub flying.
Lagging B-fund: FedEx's B-fund has fallen behind UPS's and is well behind the top legacies.
Dying A-Fund: FedEx's creme de la creme, the A-fund is now down to a 17% income replacement ratio. It is dying due to inflation. It is hardly the game changer anymore.
Section 24 and System Bids: Junior people and new hires will be trained and moved in your seat before you will be -- and you won't be paid for it. FedEx likes long wasteful system bids ... sometimes more than 2-years to train out and execute.
FedEx IT systems ... you'll be shocked as to how hard it is to put in for trip swaps, changing your schedule if even possible, doing expense reports. Yes, you have to do monthly expense reports like reporting hotel receipts and commercial ticket receipts etc.etc. You'll end up buying third party software to bid.
No easy base transfers ... even if you have someone willing to swap with you. You'll have to wait for system bids and then it could be 2 years after that. We currently have folks waiting until May 23 for a base transfer on a system bid that was in Nov 21.
Reserves ... EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU SIT RESERVE AT FEDEX HAS A 1.5 HOUR REPORT TIME. SO YOU MUST BE IN MEMPHIS OR YOUR BASE ON EVERY RESERVE DAY. Unlike the legacies, long calls can be sat at home. And Delta is getting 18 hour call outs!!!
No paid training hotels. You have to pay for your own hotels if you live outside of base.
Yes some of our domestic flights may qualify for catering. Trust me, you don't want to eat the "cold" meals. The hot international meals are ok though.
Even if you are a line holder, the contract at FedEx pretty much means you are on reserve ... the company can pretty much do anything it wants with you and/or your trip. Good luck if you are put into "substitution" ... Chinese arithmetic is probably easier to understand than the substitution diagram. Understanding substitution from reading the contract, impossible. Don't doubt me on this. Also, you can be involuntarily extended up to 3.5 days. It happens especially for international folks.
Operational Emergencies !!! ... FedEx can and will require you by contract to fly to the FAR maximums (that's a 16 hour duty day no matter when your show time was).
On reserves, you can and you will do up to four night hub turns in a week.
No FAR 117. FedEx and UPS operate under the Cargo Carveout. The corporations lobbied the FAA for it. It isn't in your favor.
Very tight manning. Reserve lines make up 10% of the known lines. Secondary or PBS lines make up about 20% of lines. You can and will get assigned reserve status during the Secondary or PBS process.
No profit sharing or other goal sharing incentive programs (for example Delta's on-time performance and baggage goals).
Unlike legacies, if you accidentally bring a weapon (as defined by FedEx security) through security, you'll be fired no questions asked. You don't get your job back. FedEx's restricted item list is much larger than the FAA's.
You fly a lot of extremely hazardous cargo. My personal favorite is Class 4, spontaneously combustibles. I'm not joking. Only the 777s and MD11s have upper deck cargo fire suppression. Good luck at 30 west in a 767, we're all counting on ya.
While the passenger carriers have the passenger bill of rights and they cancel a lot with bad weather, you're going to fly no matter what. As long as it's legal by the FARs, you're going.
Jump seating to long haul flights is frowned upon. The pilot isn't pay protected if there's a disruption with your jump seat flight and you were to fly a long haul flight.
Fred Smith is retiring. FedEx Express (the airline) is no longer his baby. We have no management and they don't have a love affair for pilots or planes. Things are a changing and not in a good way. FedEx hired two SVPs to work on efficiency with the airline.
FedEx's Pros:
More wide body positions
Dying a-fund
Best vacation system
70% of the bid pack (flying lines) are hard lines.
Guaranteed jump seat to work IF able to reserve 21 days in advance
There's probably more cons but it is 1:15 am and I have to go to work.
12-17-2022 | 10:36 AM
#65
Line Holder
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
FedEx is the place to be when the hiring show stops at the legacies. It has always been like that. During covid pilots where tripping over themselves to get a PE and a interview. I bet that has changed dramatically in the last six months. Id bet more then half of the pilots hired in the last two years. Are either considering or actively trying to go elsewhere. Especially those forced into hotel lockdowns, horrible night hub turns, or a base they cant commit to for a long time. ANC specifically. FedEx is not for everyone and saying it is “the place to be”. Is purely circumstantial to the individual.
12-17-2022 | 01:52 PM
#66
Orbis Non Sufficit
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 788
Likes: 10
FedEx will eventually have trouble recruiting; all of the majors will to some degree. What will be different going forward is that next recession (whenever that is, maybe now??) we won’t have hordes of legacy people trying to jump into the FedEx lifeboat. I would bet my bottom dollar that the “feast and famine” days of the legacies are over. If they can get through COVID, they can get through pretty much anything. Yeah, there was government cheese handed out, but how long would any of the furloughs have even lasted, a few months??
So as a prospective new hire to fly big airplanes, look at more than what your buddies (who may never have worked anywhere else) tell you, or the age-old “no pax” thing, or how the night turns work. Start to look at the present-day airline leadership, business models, future planning, future balance sheet, operational excellence. FedEx was built into a great company. Take a hard, honest look at where FedEx TODAY slots in in some of those categories vice several years ago, and not just FedEx Express, the entire operation.
So as a prospective new hire to fly big airplanes, look at more than what your buddies (who may never have worked anywhere else) tell you, or the age-old “no pax” thing, or how the night turns work. Start to look at the present-day airline leadership, business models, future planning, future balance sheet, operational excellence. FedEx was built into a great company. Take a hard, honest look at where FedEx TODAY slots in in some of those categories vice several years ago, and not just FedEx Express, the entire operation.
12-19-2022 | 09:33 PM
#67
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
This thread is a must read for new hires or wannabes at FedEx. These are real world posts from pilots who learned the truth after switching to FedEx. The grass is not greener here. There are a lot of cons to working at FedEx.
This thread is so stereotypical of what happens at FedEx. A pilot complains about the contract and someone who hasn't worked at any airline other than Uncle Sam chimes in to say something ignorant. These folks have been told they're they're best of the best throughout their entire military career ... and that FedEx is the best of the best. But IMO, that has changed.
Prior to 9-11 .... that's September 11th for the Zers, FedEx and UPS lagged in work rules and pay. They were considered second rate airlines to Delta, US Air, American, Continental, Northwest and United. After 9-11 bankruptcies and consolidations, legacy airline contracts, especially in pay rates, fell below UPS and FedEx. Suddenly UPS and FedEx were the two hottest chicks left at the dance and it is 2am. Flash forward 20 years. The legacies have been clawing their way back from bankruptcy. FedEx and UPS still haven't raised the bar in term of 2002 pay rates adjusted for inflation. After FedEx's abysmal failure of a contract in 2015, the legacies were now on par in pay. UPS pay rates are much higher than FedEx's. However, folks still preferred to haul boxes over passengers. I get it, I made the jump myself from a legacy. But times have changed. The 9-11 bankruptcy contracts are well past us.
FedEx pilots current pay rates would be much lower had it not been for COVID19. COVID19 slowed the legacies next round of contracts. Now that COVID19 is over and the passenger airlines need pilots ... lots of pilots, they're seeing significant gains in pay rates (for example ... Delta's 34% pay improvement) and quality of life items. But it just isn't about pay too. Future retirements at FedEx are dwarfed by the legacy retirements. FedEx rapidly grew during COVID19 while sacrificing customer service. FedEx's rapid growth is over. The legacies are going to continue to grow. Therefore, anyone hired at FedEx in the next 5 years or possibly more is going to see very slow seat progression. FedEx IS NOT the place to be junior.
I've highlighted in red the typical response when someone says something about FedEx's contract. Every FedEx wannabe should read these comments.
And then there's this ...
FXLAX: TonyC is right. FedEx had passover pay and a filling of vacancies system that didn't violate seniority. However, in a rush to settle a contract with the company, the union leadership pushed a concessionary 2015 contract to the FedEx pilots and they ratified it. The company schooled the FedEx pilots in several areas of the new contract. This is why TonyC says it's hard to find anyone who voted for it. Why? Because it was a huge setback while other airlines were making gains and they're embarrassed to admit it now.
FedEx pay rates are already behind the legacies. The legacies are going to get huge increases as we've already seen in United's failed AIP and Delta's AIP soon to be official TA. If I were a wannabe, I'd choose carefully. FedEx has too much risk involved anymore.
FedEx's CONS:
Night Flying. Unless you get seniority fast which is unlikely, you're going to be flying nights. Night hub turns slowly kill you. Not joking. And compared to legacies, FedEx's supposed "day flying" is also night flying as you come back to the hub at midnight to 1am. The "twilight sort" at Indy (which is flown by all bases) has a lot of midnight to 10am flying which is slightly different than the 9pm-5am typical night hub flying.
Lagging B-fund: FedEx's B-fund has fallen behind UPS's and is well behind the top legacies.
Dying A-Fund: FedEx's creme de la creme, the A-fund is now down to a 17% income replacement ratio. It is dying due to inflation. It is hardly the game changer anymore.
Section 24 and System Bids: Junior people and new hires will be trained and moved in your seat before you will be -- and you won't be paid for it. FedEx likes long wasteful system bids ... sometimes more than 2-years to train out and execute.
FedEx IT systems ... you'll be shocked as to how hard it is to put in for trip swaps, changing your schedule if even possible, doing expense reports. Yes, you have to do monthly expense reports like reporting hotel receipts and commercial ticket receipts etc.etc. You'll end up buying third party software to bid.
No easy base transfers ... even if you have someone willing to swap with you. You'll have to wait for system bids and then it could be 2 years after that. We currently have folks waiting until May 23 for a base transfer on a system bid that was in Nov 21.
Reserves ... EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU SIT RESERVE AT FEDEX HAS A 1.5 HOUR REPORT TIME. SO YOU MUST BE IN MEMPHIS OR YOUR BASE ON EVERY RESERVE DAY. Unlike the legacies, long calls can be sat at home. And Delta is getting 18 hour call outs!!!
No paid training hotels. You have to pay for your own hotels if you live outside of base.
Yes some of our domestic flights may qualify for catering. Trust me, you don't want to eat the "cold" meals. The hot international meals are ok though.
Even if you are a line holder, the contract at FedEx pretty much means you are on reserve ... the company can pretty much do anything it wants with you and/or your trip. Good luck if you are put into "substitution" ... Chinese arithmetic is probably easier to understand than the substitution diagram. Understanding substitution from reading the contract, impossible. Don't doubt me on this. Also, you can be involuntarily extended up to 3.5 days. It happens especially for international folks.
Operational Emergencies !!! ... FedEx can and will require you by contract to fly to the FAR maximums (that's a 16 hour duty day no matter when your show time was).
On reserves, you can and you will do up to four night hub turns in a week.
No FAR 117. FedEx and UPS operate under the Cargo Carveout. The corporations lobbied the FAA for it. It isn't in your favor.
Very tight manning. Reserve lines make up 10% of the known lines. Secondary or PBS lines make up about 20% of lines. You can and will get assigned reserve status during the Secondary or PBS process.
No profit sharing or other goal sharing incentive programs (for example Delta's on-time performance and baggage goals).
Unlike legacies, if you accidentally bring a weapon (as defined by FedEx security) through security, you'll be fired no questions asked. You don't get your job back. FedEx's restricted item list is much larger than the FAA's.
You fly a lot of extremely hazardous cargo. My personal favorite is Class 4, spontaneously combustibles. I'm not joking. Only the 777s and MD11s have upper deck cargo fire suppression. Good luck at 30 west in a 767, we're all counting on ya.
While the passenger carriers have the passenger bill of rights and they cancel a lot with bad weather, you're going to fly no matter what. As long as it's legal by the FARs, you're going.
Jump seating to long haul flights is frowned upon. The pilot isn't pay protected if there's a disruption with your jump seat flight and you were to fly a long haul flight.
Fred Smith is retiring. FedEx Express (the airline) is no longer his baby. We have no management and they don't have a love affair for pilots or planes. Things are a changing and not in a good way. FedEx hired two SVPs to work on efficiency with the airline.
FedEx's Pros:
More wide body positions
Dying a-fund
Best vacation system
70% of the bid pack (flying lines) are hard lines.
Guaranteed jump seat to work IF able to reserve 21 days in advance
There's probably more cons but it is 1:15 am and I have to go to work.
This thread is so stereotypical of what happens at FedEx. A pilot complains about the contract and someone who hasn't worked at any airline other than Uncle Sam chimes in to say something ignorant. These folks have been told they're they're best of the best throughout their entire military career ... and that FedEx is the best of the best. But IMO, that has changed.
Prior to 9-11 .... that's September 11th for the Zers, FedEx and UPS lagged in work rules and pay. They were considered second rate airlines to Delta, US Air, American, Continental, Northwest and United. After 9-11 bankruptcies and consolidations, legacy airline contracts, especially in pay rates, fell below UPS and FedEx. Suddenly UPS and FedEx were the two hottest chicks left at the dance and it is 2am. Flash forward 20 years. The legacies have been clawing their way back from bankruptcy. FedEx and UPS still haven't raised the bar in term of 2002 pay rates adjusted for inflation. After FedEx's abysmal failure of a contract in 2015, the legacies were now on par in pay. UPS pay rates are much higher than FedEx's. However, folks still preferred to haul boxes over passengers. I get it, I made the jump myself from a legacy. But times have changed. The 9-11 bankruptcy contracts are well past us.
FedEx pilots current pay rates would be much lower had it not been for COVID19. COVID19 slowed the legacies next round of contracts. Now that COVID19 is over and the passenger airlines need pilots ... lots of pilots, they're seeing significant gains in pay rates (for example ... Delta's 34% pay improvement) and quality of life items. But it just isn't about pay too. Future retirements at FedEx are dwarfed by the legacy retirements. FedEx rapidly grew during COVID19 while sacrificing customer service. FedEx's rapid growth is over. The legacies are going to continue to grow. Therefore, anyone hired at FedEx in the next 5 years or possibly more is going to see very slow seat progression. FedEx IS NOT the place to be junior.
I've highlighted in red the typical response when someone says something about FedEx's contract. Every FedEx wannabe should read these comments.
FedEx pay rates are already behind the legacies. The legacies are going to get huge increases as we've already seen in United's failed AIP and Delta's AIP soon to be official TA. If I were a wannabe, I'd choose carefully. FedEx has too much risk involved anymore.
FedEx's CONS:
Night Flying. Unless you get seniority fast which is unlikely, you're going to be flying nights. Night hub turns slowly kill you. Not joking. And compared to legacies, FedEx's supposed "day flying" is also night flying as you come back to the hub at midnight to 1am. The "twilight sort" at Indy (which is flown by all bases) has a lot of midnight to 10am flying which is slightly different than the 9pm-5am typical night hub flying.
Lagging B-fund: FedEx's B-fund has fallen behind UPS's and is well behind the top legacies.
Dying A-Fund: FedEx's creme de la creme, the A-fund is now down to a 17% income replacement ratio. It is dying due to inflation. It is hardly the game changer anymore.
Section 24 and System Bids: Junior people and new hires will be trained and moved in your seat before you will be -- and you won't be paid for it. FedEx likes long wasteful system bids ... sometimes more than 2-years to train out and execute.
FedEx IT systems ... you'll be shocked as to how hard it is to put in for trip swaps, changing your schedule if even possible, doing expense reports. Yes, you have to do monthly expense reports like reporting hotel receipts and commercial ticket receipts etc.etc. You'll end up buying third party software to bid.
No easy base transfers ... even if you have someone willing to swap with you. You'll have to wait for system bids and then it could be 2 years after that. We currently have folks waiting until May 23 for a base transfer on a system bid that was in Nov 21.
Reserves ... EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU SIT RESERVE AT FEDEX HAS A 1.5 HOUR REPORT TIME. SO YOU MUST BE IN MEMPHIS OR YOUR BASE ON EVERY RESERVE DAY. Unlike the legacies, long calls can be sat at home. And Delta is getting 18 hour call outs!!!
No paid training hotels. You have to pay for your own hotels if you live outside of base.
Yes some of our domestic flights may qualify for catering. Trust me, you don't want to eat the "cold" meals. The hot international meals are ok though.
Even if you are a line holder, the contract at FedEx pretty much means you are on reserve ... the company can pretty much do anything it wants with you and/or your trip. Good luck if you are put into "substitution" ... Chinese arithmetic is probably easier to understand than the substitution diagram. Understanding substitution from reading the contract, impossible. Don't doubt me on this. Also, you can be involuntarily extended up to 3.5 days. It happens especially for international folks.
Operational Emergencies !!! ... FedEx can and will require you by contract to fly to the FAR maximums (that's a 16 hour duty day no matter when your show time was).
On reserves, you can and you will do up to four night hub turns in a week.
No FAR 117. FedEx and UPS operate under the Cargo Carveout. The corporations lobbied the FAA for it. It isn't in your favor.
Very tight manning. Reserve lines make up 10% of the known lines. Secondary or PBS lines make up about 20% of lines. You can and will get assigned reserve status during the Secondary or PBS process.
No profit sharing or other goal sharing incentive programs (for example Delta's on-time performance and baggage goals).
Unlike legacies, if you accidentally bring a weapon (as defined by FedEx security) through security, you'll be fired no questions asked. You don't get your job back. FedEx's restricted item list is much larger than the FAA's.
You fly a lot of extremely hazardous cargo. My personal favorite is Class 4, spontaneously combustibles. I'm not joking. Only the 777s and MD11s have upper deck cargo fire suppression. Good luck at 30 west in a 767, we're all counting on ya.
While the passenger carriers have the passenger bill of rights and they cancel a lot with bad weather, you're going to fly no matter what. As long as it's legal by the FARs, you're going.
Jump seating to long haul flights is frowned upon. The pilot isn't pay protected if there's a disruption with your jump seat flight and you were to fly a long haul flight.
Fred Smith is retiring. FedEx Express (the airline) is no longer his baby. We have no management and they don't have a love affair for pilots or planes. Things are a changing and not in a good way. FedEx hired two SVPs to work on efficiency with the airline.
FedEx's Pros:
More wide body positions
Dying a-fund
Best vacation system
70% of the bid pack (flying lines) are hard lines.
Guaranteed jump seat to work IF able to reserve 21 days in advance
There's probably more cons but it is 1:15 am and I have to go to work.
First post, so take it for what it’s worth. As we go into leaner times, don’t forget that secondary line holders may find themselves in a position where the computer can’t plot a solution. You’ll get a few hours of flying and the rest of your blg as PNP. That’s priority non-premium. Basically, you’ll get 20 hours of pay and first dibs on open time to get your full pay check back. This happened to me a couple of times in the pre-Covid lean times.
12-19-2022 | 09:45 PM
#68
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2022
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
I apologize if this duplicates. Still an FNG at this. I wanted to add to the information going out to potential new guys. As we go back into lean times, secondary line holders may find themselves in a position where the generator can’t fill your line. You’ll get what it spits out plus a bunch of PNP. You could find yourself in a position of getting a 20 hour pay check for the month. This happened to me twice in the pre-Covid lean times. To my knowledge this is a uniquely FedEx phenomenon. Every other airline has a mini guarantee. We have BLG, and for secondaries, all bets are off.
12-20-2022 | 10:17 AM
#69
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
I apologize if this duplicates. Still an FNG at this. I wanted to add to the information going out to potential new guys. As we go back into lean times, secondary line holders may find themselves in a position where the generator can’t fill your line. You’ll get what it spits out plus a bunch of PNP. You could find yourself in a position of getting a 20 hour pay check for the month. This happened to me twice in the pre-Covid lean times. To my knowledge this is a uniquely FedEx phenomenon. Every other airline has a mini guarantee. We have BLG, and for secondaries, all bets are off.
Only secondary line holder gets PNP is a carryover conflict. Then SLG may be reduce SLG to the spread (13 hours) and difference between pilots BLG/RLG applicable crew position’s regular line average shall be eligible for PNP (25.D.2.g). Pilot is still paid the carryover trip/reserve & the reduced SLG.
Am I missing something?
12-20-2022 | 10:27 AM
#70
Line Holder
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 600
Likes: 0
I apologize if this duplicates. Still an FNG at this. I wanted to add to the information going out to potential new guys. As we go back into lean times, secondary line holders may find themselves in a position where the generator can’t fill your line. You’ll get what it spits out plus a bunch of PNP. You could find yourself in a position of getting a 20 hour pay check for the month. This happened to me twice in the pre-Covid lean times. To my knowledge this is a uniquely FedEx phenomenon. Every other airline has a mini guarantee. We have BLG, and for secondaries, all bets are off.
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