MinRest

All of the things you listed above as a counter to my argument are moot, as they were available pre FDP and remain unchanged. Which again proves my point that FDP didn't improve any of those areas. The ability to order 4 crew meals, and deviate them if needed were here before FDP. Keep grasping for something, I am sure you'll find it...

Of course the fatigue policy is no recourse, that is why fatigues were sky high before FDP. Now, there is a pay incentive to not call in fatigued. If you can't see that or can't understand that, then I question your critical thinking skills.

Das Auto

No, just reduces the frivolous fatigue calls from the guys who would find any excuse not to fly. Don't you get paid hourly in the 121 world? By your argument that itself is a pay incentive to not call fatigue.
You question my critical thinking skills? I question your obsession with a previous employer from years past. Its strange behavior to say the least. Not to mention extremely irritating.

Tippy

You still get paid if you call in fatigue if the report shows that your fatigue was "due to reasons beyond your control"

mrfishy

If you want to make FDP, its pure luck of the draw on which fleet you get, there is no bidding. If you get the Latitude or 350 out of training, 25-30 hours per tour average is pretty typical. Phenom around 15.

If you're very unlucky and get the XLS, have fun making no FDP. I have met several XLS FOs who's average flight time per week is BELOW 10.

CC76LT is the ONLY way to guarantee yourself a higher income with the increased salary.

mrfishy

This is a very common tactic. If you're coming out of a small uncontrolled field you can pretty much guarantee that you won't get crew food. Also over time you'll learn which airports don't have crew food available.

Deserthusker

Yeah I have flown with plenty of guys who I say chase the deviation. Myself I will order crew food at first available place I know I can get food. I don’t like scrambling to find food. Most crew meals are decent. If they don’t show or are inedible I will get a deviation or 2. If they are just ok I will snack on them and grab something when able. Keeps me closer to the caloric intake I should be consuming with as much sitting as we do. If I have an overnight where I want to grab food I will just buy it. We get perdiem, I have never spent more on food in a tour than what I get for the week. To each their own.

mrfishy

Fair enough, but 1 deviation is enough to pay for an uber eats delivered Chipotle meal which I would take over the majority of our crew meals. Or load up on protein bars at the grocery store.

Depends completely on what the day looks like, and when you learn that your meals aren't being delivered. I'd say on a 7 day tour I end up deviating 2-4 meals due to them being wrong or catering not available.

Deserthusker

Totally agree. It totally depends on the day. I will use Grubhub when it makes sense. For me this approach has led me to lose about 25 lbs over the last year and change. That and instead of trying to use my deviations at the end of the day I try and go to the gym.
Hopefully this LOA for crew food that we are waiting on will solve a lot of the problems people are seeing on the road.

frmrdashtrash

The fuss about crew meals is absolutely valid and I believe more of it is due to management than covid. You're correct in that the pandemic took a toll on the catering industry, but when I'm in a large market and can't get food because the schedule changed or it wasn't ordered because I didn't have "qualifying duty at the time of shutdown", that's entirely a management problem. Last tour I had a total of eight deviations, and I absolutely don't go looking for them/game the system.

Crew meals are also not a "perk". Brakes were set and delays were taken until delivery arrived with something for us to eat. Yes, that impacted trips. No, I didn't get any pushback. I will also throw credit where it was due in that the company did its level best to ensure we were fed when asap'd into a trip and no food was available. The meal wasn't what I wanted, but it was something to keep us fed and the operation going as the program is intended to do.

I agree with you base pay needs to come up, but the hotel and crew food issues also need fixing. The cost of doing business has increased.

Even with the one positive in my post, "not likely to recommend" given the current circumstances. I hope we are able to change that and believe we will.

Das Auto

We need to pick our battles. Most days the crew food is acceptable and turns up on time. Some days it doesn't. Most days we stay at a Hilton, Marriott or Hyatt hotel. Some days we don't.
But, every day we're reminded that our peers are significantly increasing their compensation while simultaneously lowering their hiring minimums. We just lowered our hiring minimums but skipped the other part. That's what our focus should be on.

I know guys that are furious because we switched to the Homewood from the Renaissance. If that's the hill you want to die on, knock your socks off. Personally, I'd rather be financially comfortable and stay at the Homeboy than be a broke a$$ F.O. at the Renaissance.