Hp Flying.

[AL-PS-PI-AW]

As we look forward to this merge with our friends at HP, I was wondering if any HP flight crews can shed some insight into what your trips look like. Do you guys have many long layovers? Lots of red-eyes? How are your hotels? Is it true that LAS is a base for only 30 reserve FAs? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Im posting this on the US board because Im hoping some of my fellow US crews may have some info to share as well.

 

[Twicebaked]

As we look forward to this merge with our friends at HP, I was wondering if any HP flight crews can shed some insight into what your trips look like. Do you guys have many long layovers? Lots of red-eyes? How are your hotels? Is it true that LAS is a base for only 30 reserve FAs? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Im posting this on the US board because Im hoping some of my fellow US crews may have some info to share as well.

[post="292795"][/post]​

Actaully, it is my understanding that they don't even have reserves in LAS. I was told by a HP flight attendant that there are about 20 f/as, but reserves DH to LAS if needed. I know they have some 30 plus layovers in Cabo, Vancover and DFW.

 

[AL-PS-PI-AW]

I have to show my ignorance here. Are layover percieved as good or bad things by Flight attendents? Are there good and bad Layovers? How does it work?

[post="292800"][/post]​

For me...I prefer to have long layovers. After close to 9 years as a FA, im still here for the fun on the layovers. I think most can agree with me, however, im sure commuters are here for high time/short layover trips.

 

[StewGuy86]

Good layover=Nice (or at least not roach-infested) hotel in a location/city with things to do, i.e. shopping, dining, etc. and enough time to do them.

Bad layover=Crappy hotel in a location/city with nothing to do and no time to do it.

Layovers, their locations, the quality of the hotels and their length have taken a dive in recent years.

 

[PHL]

Piney - I think it all depends on where they layover is. Vegas, obviously, is probably a popular layover spot. Penciltucky, on the other hand, probably is not.....

 

[rjh]

Actaully, it is my understanding that they don't even have reserves in LAS. I was told by a HP flight attendant that there are about 20 f/as, but reserves DH to LAS if needed. I know they have some 30 plus layovers in Cabo, Vancover and DFW.

[post="292796"][/post]​

There are a few FA reserves in LAS. A few of them sit reserve at home in the afternoon; and they usually have about 4-5 that sit hot reserve at the airport from about 2230-0130 (since that's our largest LAS bank).

We just started a pilot base there, not even a year ago; again they are on reserve at night.

 

[jimcfs]

Piney - I think it all depends on where they layover is. Vegas, obviously, is probably a popular layover spot. Penciltucky, on the other hand, probably is not.....

[post="292804"][/post]​

And just where is Penciltucky? If it's somewhere near BLF/BKW, where I live, I completely understand.

 

[StewGuy86]

And just where is Penciltucky? If it's somewhere near BLF/BKW, where I live, I completely understand.

[post="292819"][/post]​

I've always spelled it "Pennsyl-tucky" and I take it to be a reference to the western half of PA.

 

[PHX-F/A]

As we look forward to this merge with our friends at HP, I was wondering if any HP flight crews can shed some insight into what your trips look like. Do you guys have many long layovers? Lots of red-eyes? How are your hotels? Is it true that LAS is a base for only 30 reserve FAs? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Im posting this on the US board because Im hoping some of my fellow US crews may have some info to share as well.

[post="292795"][/post]​

Let's see if I can answer everything. This is a public board so I can't give specifics like hotel names, etc. If you ask any reserve questions, that's out of my realm. I'm a 20year F/A and reserve back when is completly different now.

LAS is a F/A reserve base only. It is however a pilot base. Some sit for the daytime flights, but most have to cover the late night banks.

Some cities have 2 hotels. One for short one for long. I'd have to look it up, but I think the time frame has to be 14.5 hours or longer to go to a long RON hotel.
JFK is one of the exceptions because of the travel time. It has to be over 17 hours to goto Manhattan.

Long layovers constantly change. YVR (Vancouver BC) is seasonal. The arrival that allows a long layover on a day trip is paired as a turn-around. The "nite-flites" that do a flip-flop probably have some longs. YVR is one of my top favs, but I have not had one at all this summer because of the way they're built.
There is a 10 hr, and an 17 hr for September., but I think the 17 is a nite flight flip flop. Meaning you're return puts you back on days.

SJD (Cabo) is rare anymore. If there is one, it's only once a week, and is only 10 hours! Combine that with customs, and it's just a big tease.

There is a 32 hour RON for SJO (Costa Rica)

Month to month transition can cause a few "only on" trips that have long layovers.

Everyone got excited because someone saw CLT in a pairing. It turned out to be a Deadhead on US for a charter positioning.

Hotels: Some are really nice, some are pure crap. They put out electronic bids and only pound the pavement when no one bids. There are site inspections of course when they are comparing hotels. We used to have a lot of specific contracted chains, but there are no more favorites. Most hotels are franchised, so the contracts are all local. Sudden hotel changes are rare. The hotel committee puts out a memo when contract renewal comes up. Sometimes that includes a note we are changing and the new hotel is yet TBD.

Pairings: there are over 40 pairings that are just turn days for Sept. and that's all a/c.
The Airbus and 737 are mixed pairings. Meaning you coud be on both a/c the same day. The 757 is seperate. The A320/737 line synopsis for Sept shows 128 lines that have some nite flying in them.

Bid packages publish on the 13th, due by the 17th, finalized by the 19th. We bid positons A, B, C, or D. WE DO NOT USE PBS. And our crew management software really sucks. I'm not sure I should say who the vendor is, but SWA uses it too.

I'll stop here so this is'nt too long, but ask more questions and I'll try to help out.

 

[Twicebaked]

L If you ask any reserve questions, that's out of my realm. I'm a 20year F/A and reserve back when is completly different now.

[post="292842"][/post]​

Let's just hope the "new" US Airways doesn't go with the "old" US Airways system or you WILL be a reserve after 20 years. Our system sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We have 16 year reserve in PHL for Oct and 21 year reserve for PIT. CLT is somewhere in the 80s as well.

 

[AL-PS-PI-AW]

Thanks for the input PHX-FA!!
Now my next question is about what flying will be like after the merge takes place this October. We are all aware that come OCT there will be a fence around PHX and LAS for US crews and around PIT/CLT/PHL/DCA/LGA/BOS for HP crews.
Here at US, its not uncommon for a PHL crew to fly flights that go in and out of the CLT base(ex. PHL-BOS-CLT-FLL). Its just part of our pairings. We are not based here, we just fly through.
So come OCT and later on while the fence is up, can say US PHL based crews work a trip like..PHL-PHX-LAX,PIT-LAS-OAK? HP Crews can fly say PHX-CLT-BDL,LAS-BOS-FLL. Just curious what the pairings are gonna start looking like come later in the year.

 

[tahitigirl]

On average how many days does take to fly 80 hrs?

What are most of your trips worth? (1day=5hrs, 2day=10hrs.......)

 

[Twicebaked]

Thanks for the input PHX-FA!!
Now my next question is about what flying will be like after the merge takes place this October. We are all aware that come OCT there will be a fence around PHX and LAS for US crews and around PIT/CLT/PHL/DCA/LGA/BOS for HP crews.
Here at US, its not uncommon for a PHL crew to fly flights that go in and out of the CLT base(ex. PHL-BOS-CLT-FLL). Its just part of our pairings. We are not based here, we just fly through.
So come OCT and later on while the fence is up, can say US PHL based crews work a trip like..PHL-PHX-LAX,PIT-LAS-OAK? HP Crews can fly say PHX-CLT-BDL,LAS-BOS-FLL. Just curious what the pairings are gonna start looking like come later in the year.

[post="292847"][/post]​

This question probably cannot be answered by a f/a. This comes from marketing and corporate planning. What you mention is possible, but it is not likely for many years to come. As of Oct/Sep we will all be US, but the 2 (let's call them Western and Eastern divisions) will still operate seperately. Since the "old" US doesn't fly to places such as Oakland, Reno, etc.....I doubt East coast bases will see that flying any time soon.

 

[Travelpro72]

I was thinking the same exact thing about the trip pairings in the future. I know I have spoke to a few f/a's that said back in the day they would fly the md-80 PIT-MCI-LAX then fly up and down the west coast then back to the east. The two days you flew over there was crazy because you were on east coast time. It was hard. So I wonder if they will mix the trips around a bit. As long as you are flying on your respective a/c from your company I don't see what would prevent the schedules being built that way. That would create a huge amount of possibilities for schedulers to get creative. Hmmmmm.

 

[desertgal]

Thanks for the input PHX-FA!!
Now my next question is about what flying will be like after the merge takes place this October. We are all aware that come OCT there will be a fence around PHX and LAS for US crews and around PIT/CLT/PHL/DCA/LGA/BOS for HP crews.
Here at US, its not uncommon for a PHL crew to fly flights that go in and out of the CLT base(ex. PHL-BOS-CLT-FLL). Its just part of our pairings. We are not based here, we just fly through.
So come OCT and later on while the fence is up, can say US PHL based crews work a trip like..PHL-PHX-LAX,PIT-LAS-OAK? HP Crews can fly say PHX-CLT-BDL,LAS-BOS-FLL. Just curious what the pairings are gonna start looking like come later in the year.

[post="292847"][/post]​

This is a big ??
Who knows what shuffling of routes and aircraft will occur?

We do a lot of deadheading in and out of LAS to support the operation there. The last flight out LASPHX is known as the "crew hauler". There are also trips that leave PHX and don't come back thru till you're done.
We used to have a full crew base there from 90-92. Its cheaper to DHD than pay for the extra facilities and staffing. However, in Jan., they did open a small airbus pilot base. They did this without adding any facilities, and adding only one admin support shift at night. I'm sure this saves a lot of $$ for pilot DHDs.

Average time on reserve in PHX is 3yrs.
There are some 17yrs who choose to be LAS reserve.

We expect a trip to average 5cr per day. Usually a one day trip will be worth a little more than that.
This month I'm flying a very nice 4 day worth 21:45. Day 1 PHXPIT Day 2: PITLASBOS Day 3: BOSPHXONT Day 4: ONTPHX done at 8am.

We have a lot of 11hr or less l/os.
My favorite trip would be a 3day w/a late start and early release, TAFB less than 48hrs. So I end up with two very short l/O, but I don't care, just want to get home.