I was in JNB about a month ago and spoke to an Emirates pilot and he told me that management was going to implement a new policy. The policy said that when you are sleeping in the bunk, you are "off the clock". Any Emirates pilots care to confirm this? I am just wondering what is the next shoe to drop in the industry.

Thanks

VWEGEN
765-B Delta

 

At Emirates you're "off the clock" for max flight time limits but NOT for pay purposes.

 

My understanding was that they had gone back and forth on this issue a few times over the years.

 

We get full pay for time in the bunk. When flying as the augmenting crew the time in the bunk does not count towards monthly and yearly flight time limits, but it does when flying as the operating crew.

What has changed is the overtime threshold. It was increased by about 15%. So we now work more hours per month for the same base pay. The reasoning used is that we do more ultra-long haul so the old overtime threshold wasn't realistic anymore.

There are already quite a number of foreign airlines that do not give full pay for time in the bunk or for deadheading.

When Emirates managers review this new policy they may well change the pay in the bunk terms because their knee jerk reaction of an across the board overtime threshold raise adversely affects those who do not fly ultra-long haul. Guys who get a short to medium haul schedule are now working their butts off. Roughly two to three extra trips per month.

There is probably a good compromise to increase productivity a little without working the pilots into an early grave.


Typhoonpilot

 

Tim which airlines in the US don't log flight time in the bunk? It might be great to still get paid for time in the bunk (even though the threshold has been raised) but the reality is more than 100 hrs in an airplane a month is not sustainable in health or sanity terms.

 

Listen if you do three IAH, LAX, SFO trips in a rosterered month, that's + 90hrs credit, but maybe 45 hrs seat time. Of that maybe you touch the controls three times...maybe. You're away from home 12 days, average. Without the company imposed scheduling limitations that would be a slam-dunk bid-able schedule. Much better than the current SNAFU. Some guys are working their tails off, plus the time zone changes inherent in our flying have created an unhealthly enviroment long term.

 

Shhhh, don't tell FedEx Management! Cripes....

 

Tim, what are your thoughts on the media generated in Australia re the Melbourne incident, fatigue and our FTLs? Will you be recruiting more guys from the US to the UAE because of the generous nature of our company and the relative merits of a job with EK? Are you concerned about making a legitimate error on a training flight and losing your job?

 

Typhoonpilot

 

Thanks for the answers Tim, some might wonder whether you have indeed 'helped' them. Giving balanced advice is one thing, actively recruiting is another. Good luck to you.