Please Help Because We’ve Lost Control
 

Well, the please help calls started again last night. It’s May. On a Thursday. We’re in BIG trouble.

It’s a Captain problem now. They’ve got the FO staffing pumped up. But no way they can train the Captains through the summer. And, I don’t think they want to. Keep the costs down. Use please helpers in the meantime. Hope for the best.

-Bubs

Hopefully this means lots of upgrades for the system bid in 2 weeks......

And that only pulls into question how will the company handle ONE annual bid? Or, How does one annual bid help pilots? Or, Are they contractually allowed to have supplemental bids?

I’m at a zero confidence level for future planning at Jblue.

-Bubs

The one system bid will take done getting used to (from both groups). I do expect the first one will be a mess.

-One annual bid will theoretically help leadtimes and allow pilots to pick when they want to go to training.

-yes, supplimental bids are allowed. No displacements until 2020, however.

Waiting by the phone haven’t heard a thing. VDA every day off no response, things can’t be that bad..

CA side or FO side? What plane?

Not important,the point is the operation is running smoother then I’ve seen in a while. Last year I was getting 2-3 VDA calls per month, not 1 all year this year..

Things seemed to shift once April ended, at least from my vantage point. Things could change quickly once summer rolls around. Although I thought after the weather and delays yesterday the operation would be crumbling today....doesn’t seem like it so far.

Agreed. I know this is a ***** board but I see guys line P-3 rightfully complain but they wouldn’t be calling him unless he is on VDA. They won’t be emergency calling right now as the operation is running about as smooth as JB can operate. The comment “please help” is very misleading.

CA live in base but super junior on the equip/seat😎 so I know the operation is stressed when they get to me on the VDA list..

Might be smooth on the CA side, but I have talked to FOs on both airframes who did 2-3 VDAs each month in March and April.

I miss those days. I like the chaos, only because I make a lot of money as a result. Picking up the pieces is my specialty!!

Yes sir! It's nice how the industry can accommodate so many various situations and desires. Might add a little stress to one's life, but it adds a lot of dough to the bank account as well.

I haven’t gotten a call for anything extra for a while. I got called Easter weekend and not since or before that. So much for the chaos that the runway closure and operational inept Jetblue has. Looks like the negative guys on this board think they know more than they do....

You got called on a VDA? Then why the Incentive Pay debacle?

I didn’t put for VDA. They called me still. I didn’t go. There’s more important things than money. I like the option to make more IF I want and I don’t have anything better to do. Rather that than not have the option to.

Yes, Easter was a debacle. I was on Vacation in the 🇧🇸. 😎

Well to be fair, if you’ve been here a few summers you’ll know that every summer during peak travel days if there are ATC delays in the northeast our operation has crumbled. Management has communicated they’re very aware of our operational problems. We’ve all heard that from many different people in management but see the same results year after year.

So when we hear about summer construction (ATC delays) we all assume the worst. Can you blame us?

When I hear of summer construction all I hear is 💵💰

Yup plenty of opportunity to make money. Great for us, not so great for passengers.

Vda is seniority based. What I have noticed is the senior guys are all in now.

Which could mean others are not getting called.

Which means the operation could still be in tatters.

So yes context does matter.

The point of the reply is that don’t put yourself on VDA and then come on here and complain when they call you. Not saying you are doing that but the thread was started on that premise. And yes enjoy the calm before the summer..

I can’t blame you. Absolutely understand your point. I’m hoping I get a little bit of those opportunities. I thought I was gonna be getting calls and watching the show unfold on my time off.

The cash is great but my life is better. Playing a championship golf course and hitting up swim team practice is better than a midnight SYR run. Or a ferry to CHS. But if the worlds align take it.

I agree things have been more fluid lately. But the pairings are still jacked. 3 hour sits just weren’t there pre-cba. I heard a Chief in MCO say “there’s no Captain staffing problem.” So that’s where we’re at. Let’s see what the June bid brings.

-Bubs

What do you want? 3 hour sits to provide cushion for when you're late, or efficient pairings that break all the time?

You can't have it both ways. Either the schedule is tight and fragile or loose and durable.

But then because of that 3 hour sit in the morning you run into the 14 hour max duty or Pt.117 duty later on when the thunderstorms roll in.... pairing broken. In the end no pairing can be built perfectly for all 365 days.

Correct. The way I recall, the pairings didn’t break all the time before the post cba reconstructions. However, now you’ll see the first day with a light credit then last day massive credit and max 117 duty day. Put some sits in and it breaks.

-Bubs

For this reason, I'd rather not have a 3 hour sit. Shorter duty day if the weather is good.

I had plenty of 3 hour sits pre-cba. I haven’t noticed much of a difference there. But I’m on the 190. Maybe different for the bus.

3 hour sits were a product of PVC scheduling surveys. The narrative from the 160 hours of monthly credit project pilot wonder boys was would the pilot group be willing to hang around longer for higher Block/credit hours.

The “alternative” was told to us as less credit per day.

We said: “thank you”.

Then our former NC “codified” the DR work rule into our CBpeA.

I'm a 190 guy who rarely sees more than 5hours average daily credit on my trips. Yet I do see 4 legs a day spread over max duty day minus 1 hour. My trips frequently break.

It does not matter how long the sits are, the legs are too many and the duty day length is too long.

There is a very good way to build trips that almost always survive almost all types of weather except the worst of the irops:

LESS LEGS PER DAY.

MUCH SHORTER DUTY DAY LENGTH.

The credit doesn't matter because it can't go below 5, and it sure as hell isn't going above 5, so who cares?

Oh man. Rough night last night. 0300 Please Help call.More drama today.

This all after our 13th JD Power TIE!!!! We did it!!! Great job!!! Super passes on the way. Free MINT. New profit sharing for your efforts.

Keep helping them out. CBA 2022!! We’ll get’em.


-Bubs

I’m sure Blewjet paid for that JD power award. Hell, southwest blew a person out the window and doesn’t have near the product we have....
And we still tied? Bahaha....

Enjoy that seniority. Haven't gotten a VDA call since February. Must be nice, making all that extra cash!

I’m not on VDA. They just call and hope that I help. 2 calls today. 0300 and 0730. Im at Mathnasium with my girls and next stop Yale for a swim meet.

Check the RSV grid in the Daily brief today -7 E190 BOS CA RSV. 12 that’s right 12 open trips. We are severely understaffed in that seat. Let’s see what comes out of the System Bid. I bet it won’t reflect the underlying need.

-Bubs

I haven’t received a VDA call since last year. I was getting 2-3 calls a month until the new year.

Hahahahaha, I’m on STD and got a call to help out this afternoon.

We have a trip...
Me : hang on you guys know I’m out on std right?

Yes captain but we need to cover this trip.

Me: Ok I’m sorry. I have to stop you there.

Does penicillin still knock it down? Asking for a friend...

I don't understand, Cool relates a recent event about JB and you insult him?

Unfortunately no. Penicillin will not fix a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

I wish there was a ineptitude shot. We could probably all benefit from it.