Paid2fly

Heard the "attrition" was going up too!

ClickClickBoom

"Knight of The Long Knives" is going high into the ranks, high enough to be really surprising, shocking even. Stay tuned, notice that the shills are quiet?

ClickClickBoom

As well as the "reliability number" 2014 was the cold and flu season, 2015 will be the ________ season.

disillusioned

Been my theory for a long time that they are pushing the pain further up the seniority list. Us bottom feeders have been getting the "replaced due to line constraints" for years now and getting worse trips forced on our schedule. 3 day trips replaced with 4 day trips that would keep me away from home for an additional 30 hours. Just to add 2 or 3 more hours of credit to my award. So my award that should be working 13-15 days a month turns into 16-18 just so I can fly 7 more credit hours.

I think they are trying to make it uncomfortable up top and force people to move on to lower costs. One more reason I think we have become just another regional.

Of course this is just my opinion and there are probably some on here that will just tell me to take my almost decade of service and move on if I don't like it.

ClickClickBoom

Close, but still a miss. We are short staffed, training department is having trouble hiring the types they want. The pain is moving higher because they need the flying staffed and seniority preferences are low on the priority list of needs. Couple the fact, that sim time is becoming hard to get scheduled, new hires are requiring more sim time and they are trying to grow the seniority list equals stuffing the schedules. The reality of the situation is the average line pilot must average 83.333 block hours, minus vacations averaged in at 3.75hrs. equals 87 hours. Toss in a few sick calls and the average goes up a little more. 117 is creating havoc due to the fact that Anita cannot operate like she had been for the last 25 years. Toss in the "Night of The Long Knives" effect equals paralysis. My bet is the floors of SGU are opening up Dr. Evil style and that is causing panic in the herd. Stay if you like and it works for you, if you are under 45, bolting may be your best overall choice!

Flycameron

Couldn't agree more. They are just starting to have serious staffing issues and the more we need guys the more flying we all have to do. Two years ago Chip told me that they don't want us to be around for more than three years but as of last week I was told they don't want to loose anyone. In fact I was told just the opposite, they want the senior guys to stick around. They provide the experience and time that you don't just let go. If you think it's bad now, just wait because the staffing issues are just beginning.

disillusioned

Maybe it is a simple as that. The only problem is that they could resolve a lot of this by working with us. Just bumping up the minimum reserve numbers so you can't drop trips, just increases the number of sick calls as CCB alluded to. 2 things would help and seem really easy to me.
1- Allow us to pickup trips again on the same duty day. There is no reason we shouldn't be able to add a round trip. I'm already at the airport, let me add a round trip. They blame this on 117, but it really is because we don't have the tools to calculate this on the fly. I used to pickup stuff all the time since I was already there to pad my check. This would reduce reserve usage and free them up for other flying.
2- Proffering for reserves. Allow reserves to pickup trips and have some small control over their lives. I know that is taking control away from AS, but that is a stupid reason not to do this. Apparently, the company is trying to decide how much they need to make this happen. I think there would be a dramatic increase in flying that was covered. I know as a reserve I would much rather fly than just sit at the airport. If the first round trips are being dropped in the morning, then allow line holders to post it for pickup. There may be some reserve that wouldn't mind coming in to do that.

Funny but it sounds like the company is starting to realize that if you don't have reserve coverage, we will just call in. You can only push people so far before they just stop caring.

rickair7777

All regionals need a cadre of top-seniority lifer dogs...they provide cultural continuity and an example of maturity, and also typically help to hold the young bucks down as far as compensation goes (via the mechanism of the union or whatever). In exchange, said top dogs get comfortable six-figure salaries and good schedules, or even much higher than than $100K for sim guys.

But what you can't have is a whole bunch of mid-seniority lifers clogging up the longevity scale. SKW may well be trying to push the pain deep into the top 1000 to "encourage" attrition amongst the 1500-500 range. A consequence of the high QOL of the past, and primo western bases, is that lots of folks have stuck around here, even folks who didn't plan to.

The ideal demographic is the top 5-10 percent stays, and everybody else cycles through quickly, say about 5-6 years tops...keeps FO pay averaging in the $30s and CA pay in the $70s.

If you can't get a major job after 6-8 years, nobody in this industry wants you sticking around collecting $100K to fly an RJ...you're no longer welcome.

ClickClickBoom

The reality for me is, lifestyle. When I started 16 days off for a lineholder was reasonable. I currently haven't had more than 13 for as long as I can remember. I only bid for 700 4 day trips, that's the extent of my bidding prefs, I don't care where I go or anything else, and I still end up with CNs. I didn't get into this job for money, and won't leave for money, but I will walk away, without looking back when I am sick and tired of the lifestyle, I am almost there now. So if and when I leave it will be sudden and painless, I will call 45 minutes prior to show, per the PPM and quit, no retiring, don't want SKYW travel bennies, or anything to do with this industry when I leave it. If I never see another hub airport and the simplicity inspired mess, I will not mind one bit. If I can't get there in the car, GA plane or sailboat, I ain't goin.

DroopsN10

^ super classy dood. Smh. Sounds like a super epic quitting story, can't wait to see it hit the press. Then your lifestyle will really be rockin..