Regional pilots will be stuck with meager wages with this mentality.

 

I am 100% with LavChange. A MUST is Block or better there is a 10% raise, in itself. Better reserve rules and utilization. Long call out. The AM - PM stuff needs to be changed. The reserve section is horrible and needs a facelift.

Instead of 4:1 TAFB it needs to go to 3.5:1 or even 3:1 (good luck on the 3:1) On a 80hr TAFB currently is 20 credits. If it went to 3.5 then that is nearly 23 credit. 3:1 is 26 credits. We can do better.

We can make a bunch more $$ with changing the workrules and keeping the same hourly rate. I am not for that and feel that we need a rate increase but we need to think of the whole contract and continue to set and raise the standard for the regionals.

Now the daily min needs to change and I want to go back to a 4 week bid. The 5 week sucks.

I've got my fingers crossed. What is the deal with ZB and was capt. Chaos in Q or jet?

 

In addition to the above, the tech dept. is working on CAT III mins of 400/400 RVR for places like SEA where we can do 300 RVR TOs. We are no better than any other regional, just have some different operation due to where we operate. GEG, SEA, PDX can go CAT III for days, so we need to still be able to operate our airline. With WAAS we will eventually get certified for RNP approaches. Regional pilots need to improve their QOL.

 

"Just compensation" in our case is not taking any type of paycut, from our rates to our 401K. "Fair work rules" would include improving our contract for a safer operation. Our trips are currently ugly and unsafe.

No comment about your "best regional" comment.

 

Forgive me because I don't know much about horizon but am I understanding you don't have block or better? So you have some sort of scheduled or historical block pay?

Also I'm not sure I understand this 4:1 TAFB, I guess you've got some sort of duty rig or does this somehow tie into per diem? If it's a duty rig I guess it serves the same purpose as a min day in a typical block or better schedule...

Just trying to sort out some of that with no previous knowledge of Horizon

 

We have historical block pay.

Our rigs are 4:1 TAFB, 2:1 Duty, or 1:1 block. Our scheduling managers are convinced everything should be rigged TAFB. They like to set it up so we have a bunch of soft time. Then, our chief pilot has told us he wants us to remain flexible. In other words, all the soft time is there so that line holders can be flexible and be on reserve. We have been told that if it costs the same to rig everything TAFB as does duty, or block they will keep us TAFB. Our managers actually don't want us to be home more with our families.

My preference is to change the TAFB rig as well and set a daily minimum pay that can't be 'interpreted' differently. This way, the company has the flexibility to continue with their dumb ways. But it will start costing them to do so. And it still recognizes the reality that we have many shorter legs and that sometimes trips might need to be built TAFB. But, it will force our scheduling planners to start scheduling us more efficiently.

In the Q400, the best we can hope for right now is a 15 day off line in a 35 day bid period. Many of the lines are built to the 13 days off minimum specified by our current contract.

 

No block or better at QX. Block times are based on historical block. If you have a trip based on block, and you have legs cancelled, you lose pay. It will then revert to the greater of TAFB (4:1), duty time (2:1), or scheduled block. As one of the ACPs told me a couple of years ago, "we pay you for the work that you do".

 

Chaos in the Q400. The funniest guy I've ever flown with at Horizon

 

FO's need a pay raise, with more and more FO's at 8+ years, this needs to be addressed, there are guys that have taken huge pay cuts already due to the magical shrinking airline.

Also Sched Block or Actual whichever is greater
Bid line guarantee or trip guarantee
ability to drop/add, current system is ridiculous
no or limited AM/PM swap for reserves
Limits on duty time (12hrs?)
Pilots need more control of their schedules

Just to name a few

 

Very well said. One could even negotiate a "pay cut" and still come out ahead with changes in work rules....I'm just making a point here. And speaking of pay cuts, we have already taken one. If you calculate an average of 3% inflation year over year, we have already taken a 12% pay cut. This is exactly why management draws out these negotiations.