Apr 2 And Out Of Reserves Already?

[Finish or Ignore]

Al Crelin is the problem.

Compounding the problem are the "loyal" employees that help out. Crellin will never be replaced unless and until the employees stop enabling his incompetence. Your loyalty is misplaced mark my words.

If you truly want to help your company survive you need to understand that covering the incompetence of Al Crelin will only continue the problem. Not solve it. Houdini didn't perform magic. He performed illusions. And that is what Crelin counts on to enable him to short staff your operation into oblivion.

mr

[post="260429"][/post]​

Like ALPA and "Dave", We must demand as a group the removal of Crellin and Paladini. Or, we can continue on as we have for years.

 

[nycbusdriver]

Well, from what I've seen happening it can't be cheaper to overnite crews in LGA. They are at such a critical state of crew coverage there that they have been using TDY F/A's from PIT to go and stay in LGA for days and days at a time. This has been happening probably since the beginning of the year. We really do not have that many mainline flights out of there anymore to support a crew base....do we?

[post="261438"][/post]​

The company really doesn't have much of a choice other than to TDY flight attendants to LGA to cover reserve. There are several reasons:

1. Commuting to LGA provides for an atrocious lifestyle, mostly because none of the trips are commutable at both ends. The ones that are commutable at one end are usually one day trips scheduled back-to-back. This necessitates spending many, many nights in base even for blockholders. It's worse for reserves.

2. Airport hotels are expensive at LGA, the cheapest running about $80/night with crew discounts. Most of the crahspads are equivalent to ghetto living. The ones that are tolerable are very expensive.

3. Reserve flight attendants flat-out cannot afford the job that requires a commute to LGA due to the slave wages they are now paid and the costs involved with their forced presence in New York City.

4. The company and the flight attendants are all painfully aware of the above. With this in mind, a forced displacement to LGA for flight attendants is a virtual guarantee that most of those flight attendants will resign rather than take the transfer. (If they do decide to try it, they will likely resign in a month or two, IMO.)

The only way the company can hope to keep the LGA F/A reserve staff up to speed is to supplement the reserves who already live in the area with TDY flight attendants who have their accomodations paid for by the company. With the way the company insists on building the non-commutable trips in LGA, it will never change. That's why LGA is the most junior base by far, and for most it is the stopping off point before furlough or quitting.

 

[jbragg476]

I have to agree about the LGA base. I know as a junior man who could easily get displaced to LGA, it would not be long before I cashed out what I could in my sick bank and not even give it a shot. It simply is not worth the job to commute and go broke just to keep the job. In my opinion if I liked flying that much I would much rather take the hit and start over someplace else... or even @ a Regional where I know the pay sucks but the quality of life is better.... Anyone take a look @ what ComAir is paying nowaday... top out is $45.00 after 18 yrs... Considering what we make... no too shabby.

 

[jimntx]

For anyone who wonders what a NY crash pad costs...

I am based at STL and live in Dallas. I have a crash pad 5 minutes from the airport with transportation provided by a rental car agency's van (all we have to do is tip the driver). I share a room with one other f/a whom I almost never see because our schedules are so different. No one sleeps in my bed if I am not there; so, if there is a schedule disruption like a mechanical, I can go to the crash pad for the night and know that my bed will be available. We have a full kitchen at our disposal with dishes and cooking utensils provided. I pay $175/mo (which other f/as in STL consider expensive. Some of them share a room at the Hilton Airport and usually pay less than $100/mo each).

A friend who was recalled at the same time I was (17NOV04) was assigned to LGA. She pays $225/mo for a "hot sheet" crash pad in Queens shared with 10 other people. They sleep in bunk beds and if you are the last one or two in at night, you sleep on the floor. Beds are first come, first served. She gets to the 3 NY airports at her own expense. At times, she has to take a cab to EWR which costs around $40 which at our pay step is almost 2 hours gross wages. She is not a commuter, but at our pay rates there is no way she can afford an apartment in NYC.

I can fully understand why none of you would want to be forced to LGA.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

I thought you guys were not required to answer the phone on days off in any case?

(I know I would not answer the thing unless required to do so were I working at US right now....)

[post="261517"][/post]​

We do not have to answer the phone on our off days. If you answer it, you're bagged into a trip. Crew sched has called twice each of the last two days, so I am not answering my phone. I flew 6 days in a row; I need my time off! I am not a sky whore!