American To Hong Kong A Better Deal For Employees?

[AAirMale]

Just wondering if anyone else has been hearing about American's plans to fly into Hong Kong. Supposedly they're going to be required to make efforts to drastically improve its relations with labor groups. AGAIN, so far this is only galley banter, but what they would be offering the flight attendants sounds great but might be a little far fetched.
I know they've been testing flights from JFK on the 777 and it works out well with load factors. No refeuling stops means the flight could be anywhere from 14 to 16 hours. But could their government make stipulations, such as improving employee-company relations before allowing said airline to fly there?

 

[jimntx]

If you mean the U.S. government, I doubt seriously that the Bush Administration cares that the poor company does not have good relations with the evil unions.

The issue that must be overcome is (as I understand it), there is no agreement with the pilots' union regarding super-long-haul flights--staffing, hours on duty, in-flight rest periods, etc. The company already has an agreement with the flight attendants.

 

[JFK777]

Every time AA launches a longer flight the pilots & FA's have to negociate for the new "painful" hours they will have to work. Isn't this what they signed up for when they took their jobs? They should be behind any effort to spread the AA map furthur west in Asia, but they are going to want something for what they
"gave up". The economics of the airline business changed with JB and 9/11, be grateful to have a job at 75% of your old pay. I know Walmart has jobs But would you want to take one, I wouldn't.

 

[jimntx]

Every time AA launches a longer flight the pilots & FA's have to negociate for the new "painful" hours they will have to work. Isn't this what they signed up for when they took their jobs? They should be behind any effort to spread the AA map furthur west in Asia, but they are going to want something for what they
"gave up". The economics of the airline business changed with JB and 9/11, be grateful to have a job at 75% of your old pay. I know Walmart has jobs But would you want to take one, I wouldn't.

I don't know about the pilots, but long-range flying is covered in the flight attendant CBA. It does not have to be re-negotiated "Every time AA launches a longer flight.

 

[Winglet]

The government doesn't give rat's butt about employee relations. The FAA doesn't even care about pilots getting rest before an international flight. Reserve international pilots have no rest requirements according to the FAA. They can be on reserve 24 hours a day for 5 days in a row before being called for a 16 hour flight on the 6th day.

 

[mjk]

The government doesn't give rat's butt about employee relations. The FAA doesn't even care about pilots getting rest before an international flight. Reserve international pilots have no rest requirements according to the FAA. They can be on reserve 24 hours a day for 5 days in a row before being called for a 16 hour flight on the 6th day.

Then perhaps the government should prevent lineholders from commuting SEA-ORD in the morning, then flying ORD-FCO that afternoon.

It's a two way street.

 

[LiveInAHotel]

We need to see HKG on our route map. This would bring more money and pax to AA. In turn this means more people back from furlough.

jimntx is correct that the flight attendants already have a "long-haul" agreement in our CBA.

Maybe we will see HNL-HKG along with HNL-NRT???

 

[JFK777]

WE need mainland to Hong Kong service. Honolulu to Asia is mostly low yield Asian tourists. They spend money in the Duty Free shops not on airplane tickets.

 

[jimntx]

WE need mainland to Hong Kong service. Honolulu to Asia is mostly low yield Asian tourists. They spend money in the Duty Free shops not on airplane tickets.

Can I have an AMEN from the choir?

 

[LiveInAHotel]

WE need mainland to Hong Kong service. Honolulu to Asia is mostly low yield Asian tourists. They spend money in the Duty Free shops not on airplane tickets.

Gee really? I was speaking with addition to ORD-HKG. I hope to see HKG flown from all of our key hubs.

 

[AAirMale]

If you mean the U.S. government, I doubt seriously that the Bush Administration cares that the poor company does not have good relations with the evil unions.

From what I understood, it was the Chinese government that wants American to improve relations with it's employees. AGAIN this is speculation. As rumor has it, American would offer the flight attendants the old contract again, but renegotiations wouldn't begin again for another ten years after that.
Sounds pretty far fetched, but this company never ceases to amaze me.
Hong Kong is a very profitable market and I would love to see AA begin flying there.

 

[Oneflyer]

From what I understood, it was the Chinese government that wants American to improve relations with it's employees.

This is one of the most obsurd statements I have ever heard in my life.

 

[Winglet]

The Chinese government cares about as much about the morale at AA about as much as they do about morale in their prison labor industries. Like corporate America, they want meek, compliant, non-organized serfs that will smile happily after each wage and benefit cut.

 

[AAmech]

What adds to the absurdness is that Labor Relations at HKG based Cathay make AA look like the workers paradise!! Nobody in Bejing has been losing sleep about it either.