America West A Model Airline

[BoeingBoy]

JS,

Not necessarily.

While you're right when the "productivity breaks" we all know and love are the issue, but often that 5 hours sitting on the ground is an hour at this stop, an hour at that stop, and so on - and indeed the aircraft is sitting there too.

Jim

 

[Phoenix]

You're assuming that when a crew member waits three hours in an airport, there is an aircraft sitting at a gate for the same three hours.

It is no secret that USAirways flys their planes a lot less per day than SouthWest.

 

[JS]

I know. My point is that it is possible to schedule crew to fly 3 hours, sit 3 hours, fly 3 hours, and then go home, or schedule crew to fly 3 hours, sit 1 hour, fly 3 hours, and then go home, while having the aircraft fly exactly the same flights either way. It won't work with just one plane and one crew, but with enough planes and enough crew, there is the flexibility to publish a schedule and then assign crew in any one of many different ways.

 

[BoeingBoy]

JS,

You're right - it is possible to schedule the planes very efficiently yet have the crews sitting. Seems like most of the carriers that have efficient scheduling of the planes tend to schedule the crews pretty efficiently too, though. Guess it makes sense - you avoid the 1 late flight turning into 2 late flights because of a crew change by keeping the crew and plane together as much as possible.

Jim

 

[mweiss]

Ya know what? Even if the airplanes are flying at maximum, the employees sitting around costs money. Even if they don't get any paid hours. After all, the rest of the benefits cost money whether the employee is getting paid wages or not.

Not only do the aircraft need to be in the air as much as possible, but the employees need to be worked as many hours as legally and safely possible in order to squeeze out as much productivity as possible from all employees. It sure beats wage cuts.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

For just a second there, I thought I saw "a model of how good an airline can be" in the message header!

 

[Phoenix]

Ya know what? Even if the airplanes are flying at maximum, the employees sitting around costs money. Even if they don't get any paid hours. After all, the rest of the benefits cost money whether the employee is getting paid wages or not.

Not only do the aircraft need to be in the air as much as possible, but the employees need to be worked as many hours as legally and safely possible in order to squeeze out as much productivity as possible from all employees. It sure beats wage cuts.

The funny thing is there is a pay rule called RIGS that helps encourage companies to effectively schedule crews. If a company chooses to let the crew sit around doing nothing then they waste pay.

For instance, for every 3 hours I am away from home you have to pay me at least 1 hour of pay. In this case having me sit at the airport for three hours waiting for a plane would cost you an hour of pay while I sit at Starbucks. (actual rules are a bit more complicated but this is basically the idea.)

Over a month of flying the company looses a big opportunity to generate revenue and has to pay additional pay if they don’t schedule pilots efficiently. Believe me, crews would much rather fly while they are at work rather then sit around at Starbucks.

In recent years, the unions have reduced the RIGS so that the company would have more flexibility to let crews sit a Starbucks and NOT get paid on a three-hour “productivity breakâ€￾. And as you might guess, the flexibility provided to mgt has not resulted in more block hours per day for each aircraft, it has only resulted in the dramatic and gross increase of “productivity breaksâ€￾.

There is nothing in the contract that PREVENTS mgt (or costs them more) from flying the planes more—a lot more!

 

[mweiss]

There is nothing in the contract that PREVENTS mgt (or costs them more) from flying the planes more—a lot more!

Yup. You're never going to hear me say that the way the folks in Crystal City are running things is smart.

Well, not until they actually do something smart.

 

[drifterreno]

I can only speak for res. We start out at $7.65 per hour. Those of us who have been there a year--this year--will see a 4% pay raise on our anniversary date and another 3% in July and another 3% on our anniversary again. I will still not be making $8.50 per hour----but------incentives are great at HP. If I move a pax to first class--30 hours prior to departure--for $50 per every 500 miles--I get $5.00 per pax. I can make as much money as I can. The last 2 pay checks I have averaged 5 upgrades==$25 more per pay. But some are making as many as 10-20 extra upgrades. I also get incentive for first booking pax in new non refundable first class seats. I can make as much as the pax will allow me. Top out at $19 per hour???? Don't think I'll live that long but am enjoying my stay at HP. Work rules are not any more relaxed than they were at U.
However, management seems to be following the old U trends. Things have changed in a year, and seeing agents not quite as happy.
We wish we could get the scheduler by the throat today===new bid===but alas they seem to know what they're doing===they just need to see the calls on hold after 3pm.
Good luck U with the recent changes. I think of you all often.

 

[the turtle]

HP also deals with only one affiliate carrier.....Mesa.

 

[700UW]

HP also deals with only one affiliate carrier.....Mesa.

Their web page also shows Big Sky Airlines flying express flights for them.

 

[the turtle]

Their web page also shows Big Sky Airlines flying express flights for them.

About Big Sky Airlines
Based in Billings, Montana, Big Sky Airlines began operations in 1978 with passenger service from Billings to Helena and Kalispell, MT. We now serve 19 cities in 4 states.

Big Sky is committed to serving markets that are characterized by unmet demand for affordable access to airline hubs and for air travel between communities.

Facts and Figures

Cities Served:

Idaho: Boise
Montana: Billings, Glasgow, Glendive, Great Falls, Havre, Helena, Kalispell, Lewistown, Miles City, Missoula, Sidney, Wolf Point
North Dakota: Bismarck, Williston
Washington: Moses Lake, Olympia, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane
Aircraft: Fleet of 10 nineteen-passenger Metro III and Metro 23 aircraft.
Code Share Partners: Northwest Airlines, America West Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Connecting passengers to these airlines are afforded one-stop check-in service and receive frequent flyer mileage for Big Sky segments



They're not painted in America West colors, they don't work for AWA, they just codeshare.

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