DEN Doubletree
 

Nice of the company to (not) put out a note informing us that the hotel-airport shuttle is no longer running. Waited for an hour before getting frustrated and calling them.

No info in the training support section of Content Locker either.

I could have sworn I read something about the hotel shuttle was going away. Not sure if it was on here or maybe a FOU. Sucks to lose that transportation option incase you missed the TK shuttle by a few minutes.

They did take the time though to inform us via CCS that the shower door in the men's room IAD downstairs lounge was OTS. Guess that was more important. 🙄

A firm grasp on the nonessential's! Did we by chance get some Cathay Pacific management recently? That's just embarrassing.

DT Hotel discontinued their airport transportatation as of January 1st of this year. The company put out several CCS messages regarding the cessation of services.
ALPA has reported on this numerous times since the situation started to develop. The last time it was mentioned was in the March 16th MEC Update: Hotel Committee Report.
The information has been out there for months.

Hog

It's been published by ALPA and the company for a couple months now, started the first of the year.

I was there in mid-December with no mention of it.

I also couldn't find any reference to it on CCS. Guess I missed it in the ALPA mailings though. My bad.

Two other people waiting didn't know the status either.

The info is in my Training Support in the content locker. Have you updated it? That one is not automatic.

Also, the ALPA mobile app has the info as well.

Shuttle Service:
***ALPA IS AWARE OF CHANGE IN DOUBLETREE AND TK TRANSPORTATION. WE ARE RESEARCHING UPA COMPLIANCE CONCERNS.****

Ace Express Coaches Transportation Schedule
DIA pick up – West-side, Level 5, Island 5, Door 512
For questions call Ace Express Coaches dispatch at (303) 421-2780 ext. 100

Lee

The other important part in every email regarding this for the last couple months is the reminder that after 30 minutes from block in you can expense your cab ride to the hotel. And between the doubletree and TK if you can't get on an over crowded Sheraton van. Sounds like people are having no problem getting reimbursed.

Credit where credit is due:

I logged onto the new MEC site and typed "Doubletree" in the search box. The first hit was info on this transportation issue in Denver.

I did check Content Locker and the version of training support I had was current. It does give the schedule for the Ace shuttle service. It did not mention that the Doubletree no longer provided shuttle service.

Can you drive to recurrent instead of a PS seat and get paid for it?

^^^^^^^^^^^ He speaks truth.

Mileage reimbursement instead of a PS seat? Nope. If you live local they give you $15 I think and you don't get a room.

The level of uninformed as a PDR volunteer continues to AMAZE me.

You have a nice color coded contract in the content locker. It is interactive.

If the answer isn't there, then the concept of "reasonable" applies.

Don't make it more than it is.

Lee

There was no mention of it in mid-December because it was literally an overnight decision with no warning to anyone. But as has been mentioned before, there have been numerous ALPA and Company messages about this.

Hopefully that will change in the future because I don't think they make the spoon needed for these folks big enough. I just donated my parents old fashioned huge wooden spoon they hung on the wall to help y'all out :eek::p

Agreed. But not in ways you are guaranteed to read. Like a CCS message. Or an Ops note. Or an email made when they make your training hotel reservation.

Make sure to follow up with your local flight office. The company owns this one.

Our union has certainly fulfilled its obligations.

My parents had one of those hanging on the wall as well .. they used it for "attitude adjustment".

Which would also infer that there are those who disregard or refuse to read the information published by the UAL MEC in the weekly updates.

True, the company owns this fiasco since the Doubletree stopped serving the airport, and it is their responsibility to communicate the transportation options. I completely agree that an email or CCS message to each pilot assigned training explaining the transportation issue is warranted. However, ALPA can't be faulted for trying to get the word out through its own communications either.

Did it work ? LoL

Fiasco?
The transportation details changed... there is still service from the airport to the hotel and training center...
... and it's a fiasco?

I'd have to agree with the word "fiasco". Where else in our Pilot world, do we have to take a bus from one place in order to connect to another while doing something for the company? I'm taking Uber and expensing it and not traipsing around TK's unsafe outer boundaries. Absolutely ridiculous.

I've got a PT in a couple of days: Can we use the Pedestrian gate again and walk over to TK from the Doubletree?
So if the DoubleTree is not picking up at DIA what routine do I follow after arriving at DIA?
I would really appreciate the info. Thanks

Was just there. The pedestrian gate is not usable due to the construction. You have to use the main gate.

Ace transportation leaves from door 514. Walk out to the furthest island and look for the overhead "Crew Shuttle" sign. Leaves at 15 and 45 min past the hour. They will drop you off at TK. The Doubletree van will give you a ride to the hotel from there.

Details are in the training support document.

Cool. Thanks a million!

Why on earth would anyone take one van to catch another. Do yourself a favor and Uber from the airport directly to the Doubletree and expense it. If we start accepting nonsense like this now, we're sure to see it in multiple other places later.

Will they pay it?

Each to his/her own. When we got to TK the Doubletree van was waiting for us. The transfer didn't take more than a couple of min.

I'm not a company guy by any stretch, but having been thru three furloughs and two airline bankruptcies I am not inclined to spend mine or the companies money without good reason.

Let us know how it works out next time you go to TK and expense the ride when van service is available.

Will do and thanks for defending the contract !!

Yes, did it just last week.

I have a room in my house for rent, about 1 block from the Double Tree. The house is quiet and located a block away from resteraunts, coffee and a grocery store. If any one is interested, please contact me at [email protected].

I wasn't aware that this situation was covered by the contract. That puts it in a different light.
What is the pertinent section?

I'll expense it and you keep on enjoying the 2 leg commute to the Doubletree. I believe it can be found under Hotel Transportation if that helps and as others have previously pointed out, it is expense-able.

Could not find a reference to this situation. If the company is reimbursing the ride I guess it's ok to do.

Enjoy the Uber ride.

Well, not exactly correct. Even the MEC has stated that they are investigating for UPA compliance concerns.

The problem is.....how long have we been doing a TK van swap to go to the long term training hotels??? You say that's different? Really?

What changed was the DoubleTree stopped their bus service to the short term training hotel. That's it.

Just like training travel (section 9) isn't the same ROE as DHDs (section 5) perhaps, neither is training accommodation ROE. Precedent is set with the established and accepted procedure for the Sheraton Downtown. Just playing a littles Devils Advocate with you.

FWIW, I did the ACE van and the DT van was there in the TK parking lot. Took 2 extra minute. They run to/from TK on the hour and half hour.

Seek self help and expense but I have a feeling that it is going to start to be declined in the near future based on the fact the union has to date failed to state unequivocally that it is in fact in violation of the UPA.

Cheers,
Lee

a) no call required
b) after 30 minutes, a cab or limo

Train to Double Tree
 

The train from Airport to Central Park Station costs $9, Double tree has a shuttle that runs every 30 minutes between the hotel and the station for free. Beats the $55 cab fare.

USource the 55 buck fair plus 15% tip - done.