It makes going to work worthwhile.


My favorite:

Limo to LGA from JFK, but guess what? No limo, so we call and get the usual, "We'll call you back."

7 hours later . . .

Scheduling calls and asks my favorite question, "where are you?" Now that they actually need us in LGA they finally find a limo to LGA and instruct is to go to the MAT. " Why are we going to the MAT?" we ask. "Don't question us we are the all omnipotent scheduling, we know where you need to go, never question the all powerful, pit-dwelling schedulers." (They didn't really say that, but it sounds good to me) So we go to the MAT.

2 hours later . . .

RING! Scheduling: "Where are you?" Us: "The MAT." Scheduling: "What are you doing there?"

meh

 

Delta just doesn't realize that a modern scheduling system would save them millions of dollars a year. Humans can not keep up with that many individual pilots, FA's and aircraft.

How many unnecessary DH's or reassignments are given out everyday because of inefficiencies of humans trying to put out one fire at a time instead of seeing the big picture. Which they tell us they see but with such an outdated computer system how can they.

I had a pilot from express jet tell me they have a system similar to jetblue with all drag and drop capabilities. Any time opentime is available there no waiting until 1 or 6 everyday to see if you get it. You drag it on your line and you immediately get it or you dont. Want to notify yourself of something click a button instead of waiting on hold for 30 minuets to talk to someone.

He also said that expressjet has only 2 schedulers on duty at any one time(can someone from expressjet verify this??) The computer does absolutely everything. Imagine the saving this alone would generate after only a few years.

 

These type of computer systems would be nice, but doesn't give scheduling the ability to manipulate... er, have "hands-on" control.

 

One of the biggest problems is SBS. A lot of other regionals use CrewTrac. When I worked as a dispatcher/scheduler for a 121 company we used Sabre products and they worked pretty well. Last thing I've heard (from a Chief Pilot) is that they are working on a new system that will integrate with SBS. I guess they are going to test it on the 70/90 crews first and if everything works well, it will be used for everything. Maybe ftrpilot knows more...?

 

Hey anybody had Randy Houseman for LOE latley???

any info on what to expect would be great especially how his orals go.


thanks..

 

Welcome to our modern efficient system at Comair. lol!

 

If they could replace SBS with something as nice as Fleetwatch, things would run so much better. Scheduling is definitely the achilles heel of the company. Not the schedulers themselves, but the system they are tasked to use. Luckily Maestro should be coming online very soon. FTR, I heard training has started/will be starting shortly. Can you confirm?

 

Lol, ya... the other day they put us up in a hotel an hour away from ATL, and we waited over an hour for a limo. Called scheduling to change my release time and a particular scheduler (if you want to know who he was, PM me), said they couldnt do that and I am always released 20 mins after block in. Keep in mind, that changing my release time was the difference between normal and min rest, with a long day the next day.

Long story short, our FA calls and talks to another scheduler and has his release time changed. Well, I called back, ready with my 'coming to Jesus' chat prepared for this particular scheduler, but another one answered and changed the release time..... meh... no consistency whatsoever in scheduling, it all depends on who you get. Schedulers have no idea what it is like for us and how hard we work. We are worn out after several full days of flying, especially when on reserve but they still wont budge when you need it most.

 

How do you find out who you get for LOE? Let me know how it goes, I am going in 2 weeks ahhhhhhhhhh

 

I had that happen once (and no, a hotel an hour away isn't "local in nature" when it comes to transportation for the purposes of rest). As soon as I asked the scheduler if refusing to move my release time constituted "falsification of records" per the FARs the attitude changed. Don't mess, yo.