Comair updates?
12-27-2009 | 05:33 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 349
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From: CRJ Seat 13D
I also thought the letter was insightful and respectful. I might suggest proofreading it a few times before sending it off (few spelling mistakes, etc. in the last paragraph), but I'm just being anal. I am confident you will receive a response upon his return to work this week. Thank you for voicing your concern and hopefully something (more) can be done about those problems, because they are PROBLEMS.
So I wrote my first email to the president today. Don't know how the response will be but I think I summed up everyone's frustrations at the moment.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
12-27-2009 | 06:13 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,531
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From: FO4LIFE
Good e-mail and I'm sure everyone else feels the same way, however I really do not see anything changing at Comair.
With the rumors of recalls in the Spring... well, the only way I could see that happen would be a good increase of block hours for the summer, which the timing for Spring recalls would be right. However, as we all know once Fall comes around the corner, hours will drop again, add-in contract negotiations and there is "no reason" for Management to recall, because "the Delta flying is too unpredictable, and we do not want to recall, train and have pilots fly the line for a few months, just to furlough again a few months later". Why did I put it in quotes? Because I've heard it too many times already.
With the rumors of recalls in the Spring... well, the only way I could see that happen would be a good increase of block hours for the summer, which the timing for Spring recalls would be right. However, as we all know once Fall comes around the corner, hours will drop again, add-in contract negotiations and there is "no reason" for Management to recall, because "the Delta flying is too unpredictable, and we do not want to recall, train and have pilots fly the line for a few months, just to furlough again a few months later". Why did I put it in quotes? Because I've heard it too many times already.
12-28-2009 | 06:05 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 836
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From: EX - OHJFKCRJFO
12-28-2009 | 07:55 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 229
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From: CRJ FO
So I wrote my first email to the president today. Don't know how the response will be but I think I summed up everyone's frustrations at the moment.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
12-28-2009 | 08:05 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,454
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From: A320 FO
So I wrote my first email to the president today. Don't know how the response will be but I think I summed up everyone's frustrations at the moment.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
12-28-2009 | 08:08 AM
Furlough line holder
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: CRJ2, ATR, CRJ7, E145, 737
12-28-2009 | 09:24 AM
What's A Weekend?
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 803
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From: Big...So Big
Bitter: Very nice email. I am glad that someone, who actually still works there, decided to write. I met JB just before I was furloughed in January and he gave me his email address, telling me to keep in touch. I took this to heart and have emailed and spoke with him several times over the year (Holy Crap, it's been a year already!). He has always seemed honest and up front with me. He has told me several times that he does not see us being recalled any time soon. The last time I emailed him was when the few recalls were announced. I basically asked "Can you make it 55 recalls, instead of 23?" (Heehee, that would bring me back!). He replied within an hour, and said "I don't see any more recalls in the near future, but then again, if you asked me 5 days ago, I wouldn't have seen these recalls coming." My thought: Comair works day to day, adapting to stay just at the minimum required to meet Delta's schedule. They also seem to have no real goal, except a minimalistic survival. A far cry from the regional that grew from a few Navajos into one of the largest airlines in the country.
When you go cheap on maintenance, you wind up in trouble (not that Comair is doing that). When you go cheap on crewing your aircraft, and your operations, you wind up with another problem. You have unhappy workers, over-worked workers, cancellations, and delays....which all lead to - - - Unhappy Customers! Given a choice, those unhappy people will fly OTD next time they travel. (my new term, OTD= Other Than Delta)
It is sad that the airline has forgotten that they are a Service Industry. Their only product is the service they provide, and that service at Delta and it's regionals sucks.
12-28-2009 | 10:24 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2008
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So I wrote my first email to the president today. Don't know how the response will be but I think I summed up everyone's frustrations at the moment.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
"Dear Mr Bendoraitis,
I wish to voice my concern over current staffing levels. I know you said we were properly staffed in the spring. I would like to respectfully disagree after having expierenced the recent events that have happened at Comair. I am a 3rd year FO at Comair. I am on reserve which I accept but that is not the problem. I realize the current state of affairs with the airline industry and the current challenges.
I think I speak for my fellow reservists who have been turned into zombies or robots with the current schedules. Between December 18th and January 13th I have one day off between blocks of 5 or 6 days on reserve. Most of us at JFK commute and we hardly get enough time to go home and reload for the next block of days on and deal with normal lives. The 5 on 2 off schedule was working very well. I wish that would reappear. The average FO cannot afford to live in the New York area so we are left with no choice to commute. We are burned out and morale could not be any lower.
Today was just like any other day at JFK. We ran out of FO's as usual. The captains side I hear is just the same. This is also happening in CVG. I have done more flying out of CVG than in my base which is JFK. I know CVG is short staffed as well. Something is not right.
I know the recent weather events have greatly contributed to staffing lately but that should not be an excuse. I am tired of being yelled at by passengers because they cannot get home because no one is available. That storm happened a week ago and from my observation the company has still not recovered. An airline should be properly staffed for events like this. The weather forecast for New Year's weekend is about the same. I would imagine we will have another meltdown.
I know we recalled a small amount of pilots but I fear it is still not enough. I feel that scheduling has cost Comair millions of dollars in revenue over poor decisions and canceled flights due to lack of staffing. The average hold time to return a scheduler's call is 30 minutes and I have heard up to an hour even 2 hours. We are allowed 15 minutes by contract to return a call or suffer a penalty.
You have been the first president that Comair has had in awhile that actually communicates with the employees. I express my appreciation for that. I know you answer's are influenced with decisions made Delta in Atlanta. I hope you can do something to help make this company return to it's former greatness. "
We will see what the response is. I doubt anything will change. Something has got to give. Everyone needs to send him an email with the current scheduling horror stories so that something may change. Doubt it but it can't hurt.
I hope you get a similar professional, courteous response back. I am sure you will.
Not that it will make you feel any better, but reserve FOs, CAs and low seniority FOs & CAs at Skywest are getting the screws put to them as well right now. I have no room to complain given your 5 on 2 off schedule, but mine for this month and January (low seniority, ORD CA) is 4 on 2 off, 4 on 2 off, 4 on two off, repeat, repeat, repeat all through Feb. 1st. No ability to drop or trip trade in our PBS. sCrew Support has denied all my attempts.
So goes the aviation business.
12-28-2009 | 04:49 PM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 411
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From: EFFO (eternally furloughed First Officer)
that made my day
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