55 PIT F/As Displaced

[Whatnow?]

1. Are you willing to travel?.....Yes/No

2. Are you willing to relocate?...Yes/No

Hmmm, the first 2 questions I remember when filling out the USAir application some 18 years ago. I relocated from the Western US back then, have not lived at home since then. I guess the locals in PIT can be thankful that they got to spend MOST of their careers in their hometown....if indeed it is their hometown. As harsh as it may seem, life goes on folks, you knew about this for quite some time now, unfortunately, it really shouldn't come as a suprise! Most everybody I know picked up and left PIT after about 15+ plus years being based there back in 2003-2004 because we knew then this was coming down the pike....wasn't easy leaving PIT, but quality of life with this job is ALL we seem to be able to control anymore as sad as that is! And besides PHL (the Airport that is) isn't that bad! You just learn to overlook everything....and I mean EVERYTHING! :unsure:

 

[AP Tech]

less of an impact on the rest of the bases around the system this way instead of flooding them with 350-400 displacements. Now THAT would create some havoc!

Just wait until those affected start the bumping procedure as I believe those persons are senior to most in the system. What is worse than being forced to work in PHL,BOS or LGA? Being a reserve in PHL,BOS or LGA!! All those junior folks holding blocks say goodbye and welcome back to the wonderful world of reserve!!! Its a blast sitting in the crashpad 5 days in a row waiting for a phone to ring!!

 

[beachboy]

To my understanding this will be an absorbtion displacement. No bumping.

 

[ussnark]

1. Are you willing to travel?.....Yes/No

2. Are you willing to relocate?...Yes/No

Were those questions not put to the Piedmont newhires, that the company recalled furloughees rather than displace CLT F/As, after much gnashing of teeth, crying and whining?

The problem is not the displacements, per se. I feel sorry for those so affected, having been displaced some five times myself.

The problem is the underhanded and uneven manner in which policy is executed on this property with the appearance of impropriety and outright favoritism.

Were there direct or indirect threats issued by CLT personnel? Was Tempe afraid they would lose the last employee group that does not think? Whatever.

Why was CLT treated different than the other domiciles?

 

[beachboy]

Because in CLT they are good little buttercups. But don't ruffle thier feathers because hell has no fury like twisting the bow of a southern bell. I think they thought they could steamroll right over CLT and were shocked at the response. PIT they so far have whipped into submission.
View attachment 6008
"I Just Hate That For You"

 

[EMBFA]

What is worse than being forced to work in PHL,BOS or LGA? Being a reserve in PHL,BOS or LGA!!

It may seem hard to believe but people do actually live in America's fifth largest city. While the commuters rot in a crash pad or motel in Tinicum or Chester scouring theHub for flights, trying to get released, we're living normal lives on reserve. We go running in Fairmount Park, or walk around South Street, or meet for lunch or the gym. If this summer is like last summer we'll be 'down the shore' or at Six Flags alot too. The money sucks but most of us have another gig anyway, so 'sitting around' is not that bad when you live there. And no, none of us live with our parents until we are 40 like in the burgh.

I've commuted several times in my career. With a block, OK, still a chore but worth it if your life is elsewhere. On reserve? Stupidity, I wouldn't do it again, at least not long term. I think its so depressing that people have that commuter lifestyle permanently. Its no way for adults to live especially on reserve.

It just seems like alot of Pittsburgh people are in denial and think that the hub and the base (which they consider the same thing- as if airlines design hubs around where its workforce lives) are coming back. Then they come here and bash Philly, OUR home, a major city they have likely never even seen. I mean its great to love your third tier home city but when do you start to realize its a dot on a map to the rest of America and the world. Its just not that important of a place outside of USAir history. Hubs in places like Pittsburgh, St Louis, Raliegh, Colombus, Nashville... they are never coming back, the industry has changed. Charlotte is vulnerable too depending on how the mergers pan out.

My heart goes out to the 55 displacements. I've been there several times, seen almost every current base we have as well as furloughland. So has pretty much everyone else at the airline. Yes, Philly has alot of commuters because the same thing happened to them. Only thier home is 3000 miles away instead of on the other side of the state. Thier commute is a five hour flight with limited service as opposed to a thirty minute flight, drivable in a pickle, with tons of service a day on two airlines. Puts it in perspective. And again, as much as it may shock you, 6,188,463 make the Philadelphia metro area thier home, some that are US Airways F/As!

 

[AP Tech]

To my understanding this will be an absorbtion displacement. No bumping.

Maybe no bumping, when their time comes to bid the senior persons will get the blocks they desire,and those on the bottom are going to left with the S*** schedules.

 

[beachboy]

Oh we are used to that. At a certain point in PHL you never move anywhere. In the summer you hold a SEC line if lucky and in the winter you watch the paint peel. Same old story. It's like the locus every few months we have the swarm that eat the crops. No worries as long no bumping fine . I feel bad for PIT but time to face the reality. This slow death is just too sad to watch. On one side the company killing it little piece by little piece. One the other the Flight attendants picking at every little pebble for survival refusing to accept what is coming. I find it fascinating that these PIT 25 year girls would rather sit RSV than have a block. Something 10 year people in PHL would give there two arms for! Even with the 45 min commute.

 

[Itestwell]

Were those questions not put to the Piedmont newhires, that the company recalled furloughees rather than displace CLT F/As, after much gnashing of teeth, crying and whining?

The problem is not the displacements, per se. I feel sorry for those so affected, having been displaced some five times myself.

The problem is the underhanded and uneven manner in which policy is executed on this property with the appearance of impropriety and outright favoritism.

Were there direct or indirect threats issued by CLT personnel? Was Tempe afraid they would lose the last employee group that does not think? Whatever.

Why was CLT treated different than the other domiciles?

CLT was treated differently than PIT because the company confirmed that their data was flawed, and those FA's will again be needed in CLT. In fact, the VPLOA's they were going to offer in CLT to offset the summer overages has been canceled, due to an increase in block hours in CLT. PIT will never again need the FA's it is displacing, plain and simple. What is so hard to grasp?

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

Maybe no bumping, when their time comes to bid the senior persons will get the blocks they desire,and those on the bottom are going to left with the S*** schedules.

Well, from what I've heard from the PIT commuters, you may need those people with S*** skeds or new RSVs to cover flights if either PIT or PHL has weather.
For those just getting displaced-it's probably not polite to complain too loudly around people who have been doing this 10 years longer and from a far greater distance. And by the way, Philly is a pretty cool city if you take the time to actually visit.
I was told once by a junior PIT F/A (who probably is no longer here)"you should live where you work." Some people should move to Philly-you might like it.

 

[ussnark]

CLT was treated differently than PIT because the company confirmed that their data was flawed, and those FA's will again be needed in CLT. In fact, the VPLOA's they were going to offer in CLT to offset the summer overages has been canceled, due to an increase in block hours in CLT. PIT will never again need the FA's it is displacing, plain and simple. What is so hard to grasp?

Absolutely, wrong. It was an off-handed excuse and apparently you really don't test very well.

One, you rarely put a domicile in the middle of your route structure. It creates soft time, a lot.

They are forcing time into CLT, anyone can see it from the trips. A lot of deadheads and soft-time for short origination days as well as short termination days.

With a six day international trip, there is no reason for a CLT intl domicile.

There is only one reason for CLT. A thorn in the side of ATL. A Florida domicile makes much more sense for points south.

 

[ALCARLOS]

By dragging it out, and continuing to displace flight attendants (and probably pilots), the company can get the base down to double digit numbers before it closes it. That way, they pay much much less out-of-pocket for closing the base (relocation, etc).

Sounds like a good business approach, and allows time for the PIT based employees time to understand its time to relocate their families.

 

[EMBFA]

There is only one reason for CLT. A thorn in the side of ATL. A Florida domicile makes much more sense for points south.

OH MY GOD

Do you really not understand the dynamics of your industry?

Lesson #1. Airlines are not run on emotion. "A thorn in the side of Atlanta" ? Are you serious? Yes, thats the only reason we maintain our largest hub. To bother Delta.

Lesson # 2. Airlines are way more than pilots and flight attendants. Hubs are not dertermined by, oh, lets set up fort here and shift people through it. A Florida domicile? A domicile has nothing to do with where and how a company flies. Crew bases and hubs tend to be concurrent but don't have to be. Piedmont has a crew base in Salisbury MD, does that mean its a hub? Northwest has a domicile in Boston, United has one in Las Vegas, does that mean they are hubs? No.

Lesson # 3. The US airline industry is mature and well over its capacity. There are too many hubs as we speak, even after most of the airlines has either elimiated or dramatically reduced one. There's no "starting new hubs" at this late state in the game. The true effects of deregulation took a long time but the industry is in dramatic shift. Consolidation is coming and you will only see major airline hubs in major O&D cities. The network carriers in thier current condition can scarcely comptete in thier own fortress markets, much less randomly jump into new ones.

They can't just wake up and say La di da, isnt Florida nice. Lets set up a domicile in Tampa and randomly go into the LCC staurated Florida market, for 'points south'. While we're at it, move the planes out of Philadelphia to Pittburgh. Its a prettier airport and lots of employees live there. It'll be great!

Please explain "You never put a domicile in the center of your route structure". I am really looking forward to hearing what on earth that means. Please enlighten us.

 

[ClueByFour]

CLT basically only exists to connect people, if you believe a hub requires great O and D numbers.

 

[Be Careful What You Wish For.]

What ever happened to that south Florida hub we had? Was that when we had the "Florida Shuttle"?