Against Seniority for Non-Rev Travel

[Seatacus]

What Doogie is going to chose is what make the most sense for Doogie. In other words, what will benefit Doogie the most. He is going to do what causes the least waves in this operation. He is going to try and make this company stable and ready for anyone interested in merging or buying. <_<

 

[av60]

You are right, I think it will be better to live in a crew base rather then commute. HMMMM where shall I go. Let's see, I think I would like to live in PHX. Here I come with nearly 20 yrs seniority, just so I don't have to commute. Lets just hope that the other 3000 f/a's on the East that commute to their crew bases, don't decide to do the same thing.

Lets get back to reality. Unfortunatly commuting is a way of life on the East. There has to be a happy medium, I highly doubt it is going to be decided in this forum.

The reality is "It is the employee's choice". Ive been the victim of many manpower adjustments. Would i move for this company-Hell no. Commute to keep this job-not any more. Crashpads are not an option any more-the job just doesn't pay enough anymore.

 

[N109UW]

Let me ask you a question. What would happen if you were displaced from your current base today? Would you be able to uproot your family and move them to a new crew base? Would your spouse be able to leave their job in hopes of finding a new one in your new crew base? This company just displaced 125 f/a's June 1st from PIT. Do you know how many of those people were in a position to move to their new crew base? I do, less then 5%. The alternative, is to commute or to quit. Guess what, about 5% did have to quit because they are unable to commute for whatever reasons. Until you have walked to the walk, don't judge.
There are 500 employees that commute from PIT. That includes crewmembers, ramp, agents, caterers, and mechanics. Not just crewmembers have been thrown out of their bases. They too depend on DOH to get to and from work. This is not just a f/a/pilot issue.

Life is full of changes. When I was hired back in 1989 during the Piedmont/US Air merger, nobody told me I had a job for life ans that everything would be all roses. I was diplaced from PIT to DCA in 1991. I put everything I had in storage back in PIT, found me a crashpad inDCA until I could figure out what I wanted to do. I ended up moving to CLT and commuting for 8 years on RSV, due to the fact I would have been quickcalled every night in CLT. I waited until my seniority allowed my some leverage. I rode J/S, went up the night befor, or did what ever I had to to be where my job was. I didn't cry about wanting to be in front of other "non-working" pax. Commuters should never go infront of others. That would be a joke.

 

[Seatacus]

HELP. I'M LOSING GROUND ON THE FCFS ARGUMENT. ANYBODY ?

What do you mean? Who cares???? Arguments on this board mean nothing. This is how it has been going........... Some say FCFS sucks, then some say Seniority sucks. Then we all say why it sucks and then we take whatever they give us. Then we get out the blender and mix up some margaritas sit out on your deck and put down a few, do the Snoopy dance and ponder how great life is.

 

[BoeingBoy]

To paraphrase an former famous news anchor, Seatacus, "And that's the way it is." Truer words were never spoken on this subject (and it applies to several others, also).

Jim

 

[SegmentKing]

how about some mojitos?

 

[Barbell]

Thanks for posting this, because knowledge is power. My question is though (and anyone could chime in), if DOH is absolutely infallible, and completely incorruptable, as I've been lead to believe while reading the 400,000 posts on this topic, why then did those with better seniority (in bold) presumably get on after those with lower seniority (in italics) assuming that a "-" next to the date means they got on, and the absence says they didn't? Oh, yeah, and how did an S7 check in 24 hours prior? Oh, they must have had a friend at the gates...

Original post edited for brevity.

Here's an intersting "HP hub" to "US hub"...
flight had only 13 revenue seats open and 30 some non-revs trying to get on. NOtice the buddy pass traveler who checked in on July 19th at 10AM... and this was a flight TODAY.

13 -S3 20JUN94
T 14 S3 02JUL01
T 15 S3 17DEC01
T 16 -S3 07JUN04
T 17 -S3 07JUN04
22 -S4 29AUG83
T 23 S4 27SEP83
T 24 -S4 27SEP83
25 S4 17JUN85‡

 

[exB717Flyer]

If I were king commuters would have a higher boarding priority to help protect the operation. Commuting sucks but if I were to move to PHX I'd just end up furloughed again.

 

[SegmentKing]

Barbell, just means they weren't present to get on the flight or took another one -- I do this quite a bit if its looking tight... especially going to SE FL -- PBI/FLL/MIA are all within distance of my 'home'.

And on the east side, you can check in up to 24 hours before departure to get on the list.

 

[N965VJ]

FCFS is a cacky idea.

 

[PhxMama]

What do you mean? Who cares???? Arguments on this board mean nothing. This is how it has been going........... Some say FCFS sucks, then some say Seniority sucks. Then we all say why it sucks and then we take whatever they give us. Then we get out the blender and mix up some margaritas sit out on your deck and put down a few, do the Snoopy dance and ponder how great life is.

I'll drink to that!!

 

[ChrisUS]

The #1 issue from the westies is that "senior people" will bump them.

I don't see very many senior folks on these flights, which were picked at random.

Yeah, everyone seems to assume all us senior employees will be flying all over. I am a retiree and havent flown anywhere this year as of yet. AND I'M NOT WORKING. I'm taking a cruise in Oct but buying tickets.

 

[Dog Wonder]

Yeah, everyone seems to assume all us senior employees will be flying all over. I am a retiree and havent flown anywhere this year as of yet.

The longer you work, the less you fly. Where else is there to go, you haven't seen already?

But when you do fly, you hope there is some consideration for time spent helping this company be successful, even when it hasn't been.

 

[Seatacus]

why then did those with better seniority (in bold) presumably get on after those with lower seniority (in italics) assuming that a "-" next to the date means they got on, and the absence says they didn't?

Possibly ... they weren't issued boarding passes becauses they weren't there. Many times someone gets rolled from a list from an earlier flight and then they choose to not go or fly another airline and then notlet anyone know they want off the list.

 

[Barbell]

Thanks for clearing that up. And here's my 2 cents:

As a non-rev in LGA I approached the gate to make sure I didn't have to remind the agent I was there and had been rolled over from the 3 previous flights (revs due to wx). It was my first time and I didn't want to get left behind. He didn't clear the list, and that flight went out with 3 empty seats. So it's not so uncommon that a Sabre user fails to clear the list, either.

Then there was another time in LGA (my picture must be in the back h34r: ) that the night before there were 5 revenue seats with 3 NRSA listed. Morning of departure, same counts, as we left for the airport 2 hours prior, same counts. When we got to the airport 90 minutes prior to departure, there were now 8 NRSA ahead of us because of DOH. If it had been FCFS we could have checked at the 12-hour window and known where we stood amongst those 8. How does that make for better planning?

And I have never had trouble finding an Internet connection, even on my trips to Asia.