Had a ca do that **** to me as well! ****ed me off to no end. Completely agree with you. Total disregard.....

 

What is the pay difference of flight planning early versus in the 45 minute report time. I thought we were on per diem and rigs on layovers and flight time at brake release. Am I missing a pay that only starts at 45 minutes before departure?

 

As far as I know, there is no pay for duty, or report time, but I am, in general, paid to be available for work, particularly if you are on reserve. But, Why in the world would I do that work for free? I'll start at the appointed time for me to work.

Preparation time, looking at the flight plan, is all included in the basic pay, in my opinion.

Everyone needs to remember, these are the good times. When, not if, things change, for the worse and management is looking to cut pay and benefits, you will see exactly how much management values your extra initiative, meaning, not much.

One of the dangers here is, there are things in the contract that are new and now required based on past practice. If the company can point to 80% of the pilot population doing flight planning on the hotel van--which is tracked on the iPads, they can cite past practice, and the next contract might require a 15 min show time. Now, you don't get that duty day extension pay at the end of the day....

 

Yes, I'm on the 777. But alas, my seniority sucks. I'm flying mostly domestic, but that is besides the point. No HKG for me!

Short flights? No, I still feel it's important to work only when paid to work. Back in the day, Shuttle, we flight planned 5 legs a day in the morning. But we both looked at it, and did it together, not in your room even before the van. In fact, I would say, it's almost more important to do it together at show time on narrow body, because you are flying with new hires, and guys with much less experience, and lots more can happen. Thunderstorms over ORD? What a mess, that taxes anyone.

Don't underestimate the importance of eating a crew meal!

I'm not opposed to the shorter report times, just understand, it will lead to a few late departures, I don't want to make up for stuff that management won't pay for, hence working for free. If they really want the on time departures, then they have to pay the cost of doing that business.

 

Or 95% volunteering for SRM or VDO. When push comes to shove that will be a status quo item to the court.

You may not be aware the majority of the airline doesn’t get anything for extension of the duty day. It’s only paid for international flights.

 

Yes, actually I am aware. Another thing that needs to be fixed in this contract. Good catch.

 

Hopefully no one is extending on domestic multi leg days. We refused the other day and capt told me the crew desk was baffled...their plan depended on us extending. Oh well.

Dave I see your point about looking at the flight plans at the hotel. I understand both viewpoints, and if a capt told me he wasn’t going to look at till we got the airport, I have no heartache with that. I would probably still look at it just so I know the day has in store for me.

 

Another worthless 2 cents of entertainment . . .

To the OP . . . I'm a new captain myself and stuff like what your captain pulled is why I'm a captain. Absolutely he should have had a conversation with you.

In general on this thread . . .

Legacy UAL ingrained the concept of not doing extra because the company was putting the screws to us so we should only reciprocate, but our new CEO is wholly different. We now work for a company that tries to do the "right thing". The 45 minute report is a bad hold back of a previous LCAL "efficiency" issue, but I earn close to $300k now and I will review a flight plan in the van whilst telling my union that this needs to be resolved. If or when the company tries to put the screws to me again I will stop reviewing the FPF in the van, but until such time I will give this NEW United 110% because I believe we CAN be better and we finally have management that is willing to work WITH us and not against us so for that reason I am willing to go the extra mile.


Like I said, if times change I will adapt, but today that's how I feel.

 

Not trying to pick a legacy fight. The idea of meeting as a crew to brief a domestic leg was never practiced at any airline I have ever worked. Is this just a LUAL culture deal where that is just the way things were done? The crews at Delta, American, Southwest...... just meet at the plane and go from there. Just trying to figure out what needs to be done in a weather room for a leg from EWR-BOS that can’t be done at the plane. If you’re flying EWR-PVG up over the pole then obviously that’s a little more involved. Not poking fun at either side. I’m actually curious since that’s something that we don’t do in IAH.

 

Ewr is also the odd man out here. We generally meet at the plane. The same leg distance lax-sfo or reverse would almost always meet in the briefing room. I like getting to the airplane as soon as I can so I can get the ball rolling on handling the little nuisance items like cabin temp and flight attendant inspection write ups.