Random Thought

I was curious if anyone has thoughts about how the company calculates TAFB.

I began my time at FedEx in CGN. Trips typically left base and were gone a week before returning. TAFB was calculated from the time you left until the time you returned.

I was caught off guard on my initiation to MEM base to see that the lion’s share of the trips were one day trips when transiting the base. Leave MEM in the AM launch then return that night. Trip over. Next trip starts in three or four hours. Same for afternoon launches and next morning return.

Any other airline just keeps the clock running on TAFB until you have some kind of domicile rest. Just curious if there’s any history behind this or if there is any will to have that go away in the future.

Leaving those gaps between trips makes it easier to trade, I guess. But it costs a good chunk of change in per diem as well as trip rig. Ready for incoming…

 

Valid question as a newbie to MEM. Of course there's history. Trips with these footprints began back when FedEx flew Falcons and all they had was pretty much night hub-turns. The trips pay the higher of trip rig, or the highest of each DPs block, MPDP or duty rig. So, with a 6CH hub turn paid on MPDP, it doesn't matter if the trip leaves at 0300L and comes back 20 hours later the same day or leaves at 1500L and comes back 18 hours later at 0900L the next morning. FedEx doesn't deal with traditional pay per calendar day like an airline.
When I got here from a major pax carrier, I was initially a bit confused how an AM hub turn that leaves at 0300L and returns the same day at 2300L paid the same as a PM hub turn that leaves at 1500L and comes back the next morning and would be considered a 2-day trip at a pax carrier (probably paying something like 10CH total @ 5 CH per day). It works out to be about the same if you string together a week of hub-turns Mon-Saturday. 3x 2-day trips at a major for 30 CH versus 5-6 hub-turns maybe with a BE DH Saturday morning for 30-36 CH. Just different contracts and different system form.
Our CBA doesn't allow us to transit our domicile without our trip ending. That has pros and cons. So does the other side of the coin in the pax world where they can turn through their domicile without issue.
You're correct that the 3-4 hours off the clock on a series of AM hub turn or 5-6 hours off on a series of PM hub turn costs per diem. It doesn't cost TAFB pay because those trips rarely pay based on TAFB. They're usually paid on block hours or MPDP. Is that going to change? Highly doubtful. If you want most of your trips to pay TAFB like they did in CGN, bid the 777 or OAK.

 

I mentioned over 20yrs ago the gap in per diem for MEM based hubtturns. I was told we were going after bigger items. Meanwhile their management teams scoops up as many small wins as they can…and here we are.

 

Think I'm alright with forfeiting a few shekels of Per Diem in order to have the ability to drop, swap, and improve my QOL to avoid a constant string of terrible hub turns. Even if it's just improving upon the hub turn destination or leg length.

 

there’s no reason why dropping/swapping/trading would have to go away….

 

Can you explain?

 

*Most* other airlines allow pilots to drop/swapping/trade turns, layovers, or even just one leg as long as the trip is being broken in domicile or in the case of dropping one leg, if the pilot is able to find another pilot willing to take that one leg (called a jetway trade).

 

That's a nice option, but not really what was being discussed. You responded to someone who was of the opinion that a few hours less per diem was worth having a series of individual hub-turns that could each be swapped for better trips if they show up in OT. It didn't sound like the person you responded to was looking to dump legs and potentially give up pay. He just likes the option of swapping maybe BOS and EWR hub-turns for a couple of nice easy ATL trips in OT. The alternative to keep the per diem clock going would be a change to allow returning to base while on a single, longer trip with the series of hub-turns baked into the one trip. If that's the case, then the day to day trip trade option would be out, especially once the trip starts.

 

and this, folks, is why PM thought the first contract was a winner and why the contract is complete garbage here.

 

That's a pretty big leap from one specific contract item discussion to the whole of a failed TA.