OET class...Surprised.
 

So I attended one of the first OET2 classes this week. On reserve next month and have a line this month so might as well get paid having to sit there for 6 hours. I have to say that while the class is about as exciting and energizing as watching grass grow. OET2 did a nice job of explaining what steps are being taken and what training is being given to the other players. Ramp, dispatch ETC.

That in my opinion was what was severely lacking in the previous fuel efficiency classes at UAL and that is what killed the previous programs credibility with line pilots. Amongst other things like no contract Tilton robbing us blind, a complete and total lack of respect and one of the most hated, self important, (the fuel Nazi extraordinaire) in the company running the program.

(Natural born UAL guys will know who I am talking about.)

OET class...Surprised.
 

I agree. I think it was good to see the specifics on what we are doing now and going forward to make us competitive.

Did you guys remember to wear your hats? :D

This was always the "Continental" way...letting us pilots know how and why we are doing things makes us a better pilot group and helps the company in the long run, hence the success of the Airline now and before the merger....

Oh please not this crap again. We both sucked, now we both suck more together.

Kilder,

The guys on the Blue Team already went to fuel school years ago. Now, we get to go through it a second, mind numbingly boring time because "Continental" management wants it to be a group hug. They want it to be a team building exercise so the guys on the Black Team don't have to do it by themselves. I can understand this logic and look forward to the delicious and nutritious "box-o-crap" and a soda. Oh, and the fuel saving tips.

I submit that the vast majority of pilots on this property need zero education on how to save US tons of fuel. They only need the incentive. Unfortunately, as long as the golden shower continues, there isn't much incentive. Brow beating ultimately costs fuel, it doesn't save it.

For example, the Blue Team had the opportunity to show the old UA management just how fuel frugal we could be just prior to the bankruptcy filing. Back then, most of the employees were pulling hard on the rope and were scared little sheep. After all, who wants to lose their job? No one. From what I recall, our burns decreased significantly and this was well before "fuel school". All the while the company (and the pilots club) were telling us that the A fund was sacrosanct. What a bunch of suckers we were.

Then FRONTLINE (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/retirement/) publishes a bit with James Sprayregan smirking as he explains how the pilots were duped and it was planned all along. We sure showed them.

Fuel school.
APU on a hot / cold day.
Constant light chop at Cruise or smooth as glass 4K below?
Pilots discretion on a descent clearance or start down now?
Direct or FP route?
SE Taxi or not?
Fly schitt or pepper?

Believe me, I want this place to be a steamrolling mofo so they have to dig deep to make those PS payments. I just think they're overlooking some really obvious ways to maximize profits while licking their pencils.

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Hmmm that's strange. When I got hired in 1997 at UAL, CAL was on the skids and an absolute non player as far as employment goes. Prior to that it was an absolute nightmare, disaster of an airline. So when you say "always" just exactly what does that mean?

CALs boom years of 2010-2013.

Continental was a good airline for many years before Lorenzo Hoss...the Lorenzo years and the bankruptcy years were a terrible cost to a proud airline, but it did have it's positive attributes after, like the Newark and Houston Hubs...

Once the "Lorenzo wa"y was replaced by the "Bethune way" Continental became the darling of Legacy airlines...since you were probably blinded by your love affair with United, while it was preparing to ruin the careers of thousands of pilots, Continental was winning award after award, making money, growing it's route network and more importantly it had won the hearts of its employees, something United lost...

All major airlines tried to do something creative after 9-11, airline within an airline (TED, Song) while Continental stayed true to its business plan of a good, solid Trunk carrier, providing a known product with happy employees.

Continental was innovative in its use of its fleet (757 to Europe, 737 to Hawaii, and maintaining the youngest fleet), instead of antagonizing its customers and humiliating its employees through concession after concession with no sense of ownership on their career and airline.

So Hoss, this new United will use the legacy created by "The Continental way" as it forges a new path to success...enjoy the ride as we have since joining Continental....

Interesting twist of some facts and omission of others. Enjoy the Koolaid.

Mako,

This isn't about a group hug, this is about a rally, a rally to build the strongest legacy in America...

We have to build a legacy within our ranks, a way of performing and trying to manage our flying that will create a brand that will stand the test of time....we all need to learn new ways, technology changes, procedures and styles must conform and evolve to these new changes. Whether it's new software on our fleets, new types of aircraft and new ATC formats, the dynamic art of flying changes and we as pilots are in the forefront of this change...

So take it as you wish, make it boring and dull if you wish or look at it with a different set of eyes, willing to change old modes and begin something new, better and stronger than we have seen in our careers....

This is not about legacy Continental or Legacy United but about the New United, one that incorporates the proud history of United and Continental with the realities of today...

Where is Staller when you truly need him?

Not going to happen with the current clown show on Wacker Dr.

Maybe that's why we have the current clown pilot costume they make us wear. If it falls apart they can blame us for not wearing hats.

So just to put this in context....I come on here and make a comment about how OET2 has some positive attributes. And you immediately try to turn it into a my dog is bigger than yours and if it wasn't for my side you would still suck. Now get unified because I'm awesome?

Does that about sum it up?

Uhh huh. I'll start pulling on the same end of the rope when management stops abusing every employee group on the property, and blatantly violating the contract on an hourly basis.

This management has had multiple opportunities to show some credibility and has out done the previous level of stupidity every time. When they want to run an airline, so will I. Not about ual vs. co, it never was. :eek:

think you nailed it Airhoss.

My thoughts exactly.

I like the part about the "success of the airline now and before the merger." Last time I looked CAL didn't exist. And UAL was profitable before the merger and CAL wasn't, so I'm not sure which episode of Fantasy Island he was referring to.

Hoss, don't take the "bait"! It was a clown comment by him! I like your original post!! Encouraging that you got something out of the class!! In my book all this mine is bigger than yours passed about a yr ago!! I'm sorry someone couldn't even let a benign "Good" post go one day before making a stupid comment!! :o p.s.- I'm former LCAL which nobody exspecially new-hires could care LESS about!!

Personally, I'd like the highjack this thread and start ripping on Delta!! :) And ask why they still wear double-breasted jackets!! That style left with the L-1011!

But you can't wear double breasted unbuttoned. Suppose that's why the company got them?

Because only one pilot group can be awesome! Oh, and because of. PS!


(All above is in good fun. Looking forward to you guys bringing it.)

Ugh, :rolleyes::rolleyes: and sigh :(

Day #1 of the merger Jeff announced to EVERYONE that he did not need labor to make this merger successful. So I will take him at his word. He doesn't need my help or yours.

Bottoms,
You are correct. I think that is why you will see Jeff pull back from direct employee contact and have Greg Hart step in. Jeff knows he stepped on his @&$ and needs to let better communicators step in. It is a good move on Jeff's part.

Jeff doesn't need our help (actually he does) but we do need each other's help. CEOs can come and go but we are here. We need to post profits often to keep from getting killed as a combined pilot group. Kilder is right. We need to work together and make United the great company again. Yes I realize that there has been a lot of suck and guys burned too many times. I do believe that the ship is turning and we will see good things.

This board is so pathetically predictable. Thankfully 99.9% of the actual line pilots lack the teenage boarding school mentality we see here frequently. Ironically I'm on an ID with a guy about to turn 65 who frequently disparages our super guppy while wearing his L-UAL wings yet tells of how happy he is doing what are very quality trips at his seniority. Happy retirement mate. The rest of us are moving on with a bit more class.

Funny, I see CAL on every walk around, even the LUAL 73's. Except for a few that had the CAL scratched out.

Which certificate do we operate under?

hum...no...it seems to me that you get a little sensitive when we notice Continental culture being used in the new United and how it was positive back then and if applied well now could be a positive aspect as well.

I'm sure that when you see LUAL culture being used today and you felt it was positive then and could help today you would also point it out...I wouldn't see anything wrong with that since LUAL had many positive things that were, are, and could be helpful as we move forward....

HaHa, have you been to charm school?

If trolling is your game expect to catch some flak.

Unfortunately, what made ual profitable was going through bankruptsy and ridding itself of employee pensions and salary. They also outsourced 1,000 plus pilot jobs to the likes of GoJets. More "profit" was found by failing to invest in infrastructure and product.

The reality is that ual and cal combined is starting to work. Get on board and enjoy the ride.

This alone would have been perfect and said everything needed without any verbal fragging. :)

Airhoss, did they mention anything about why they are putting so many ord ramp folks on part time status and now having trouble loading the a/c on time? Did anyone ask any pointed questions? Been an issue lately and late departure followed by more fuel being burned enroute.

Wouldn't matter. Those folks don't move fast enough anyway. They have two speeds; Stopped and barely moving.

I wonder why they're so apathetic? I'm with Syd on this. I've seen it too many times.

Does anyone remember a few years ago when they let all those guys off two weeks before Christmas? Good luck getting a bag loaded! How about when they fired the fuelers the year the Bears were in the playoffs. It took an hour to get gas, meanwhile AA's planes were rolling down the runway.

Does anyone wonder why our service is so horrible (now) at the Canadian stations and why it was abysmal after they fired everyone?

Is it because they talk funny and nobody can understand them?

Ok there Aye? ;)

Take a shot at anyone you like but yes it does matter when they don't have enough people to properly load the bags and cargo. Seems like they tried this same move a few years ago in denver.

You guys rah rah all you want over UAL. I'll sit in the cheap seats and watch.