Fewer Speakers = Fewer Recalls

[The Drunken Duck]

Had a great laugh on the bus. listening to a couple speakers talking how its all about service and this is so wrong, blah blah blah. Two I know from working flights who I have to call to remind them every time to do the PA's and listen to the huff and puffs if they have to get off the j/s to help with a problem in the cabin.

UAL 2 speakers
DAL 2 speakers
I think we will get by.

[post="275410"][/post]​

You do realize that on international flights, US airlines do compete with foreign carriers? Comparing AA's service offering to 1 bankrupt carrier and 1 soon to be bankrupt carrier seems a bit ill-advised to me.

 

[FA Mikey]

You do realize that on international flights, US airlines do compete with foreign carriers? Comparing AA's service offering to 1 bankrupt carrier and 1 soon to be bankrupt carrier seems a bit ill-advised to me.

[post="275520"][/post]​

Those are the only one I know and can say. BK or not is it pretty standard. Those were numbers even before the BK. I believe BA is only 2 as well. Since you brought it up do you know any others, and there numbers of speakers?

 

[operaations]

oops

 

[Garfield1966]

Im currious what international airlines do. Does anyone know? Seems to me that most people do not even listen to the anouncements in the first place. I the case of an emergency, most will play follow the leader. If I am on a forgein A/C and did not understand (which has happened) I just ask someone else what was just said. Speakers are (as far as I am concerned) a courtesy. I do not expect anyone on Air France to speak English. If someone does, great if not, I do not think AF is a worse airline for it. When in Rome ....

While we are on the topic, we were able to get rid of the Volunteer Speaker progam with no ill effects. That was the biggest waste of funds, time and effort that I have ever seen.

As far as El Salvador is concerned, I would be curroius to find out how many really do know English as opposed to how many pretend not to. I know in Europe English is taught asa second language and most speak it better than we do.

 

[FA Mikey]

During the average flight one speaker is sufficient. It is important that everyone understand the safety rules. Things like No smoking and the TSA;s moving between cabins, and offering updates from the cockpit and seatbelt announcements.

When we really need a speaker is in an emergency. When we need to get information to as many people as possible on what to do. In a medical situation to either the patient or to a friend or relative who can give us very important information about the condition and history.

These are time a speaker is critical.

 

[fliboi78]

If these people are worried about getting bid denied, then disqualify or drop the qual (with the exception of the junior people who are happy to even hold that line). I have never heard of the company forcing anyone to get qualified in a language, at least not in the past 10 years. I speak a few languages and am junior enough that if I did qualify that I WOULD HAVE been able to hold a few IFS trips. But I knew that if I would have, I would be stuck in doing those trips only. These people who are being bid denied decided to become pursers/speakers. I think this is one of the reasons why WE junior people mainly voted against THB. We knew she would fight for the senior people and not the junior people. I respect senior people and the work that they have done for me to even be here but I feel very much like a second class APFA member. But now that the company/apfa has initiated this "test", the company will be just loosing more money by paying someone at 34 years to fly that NRT trip instead of some junior jp speaker at maybe 5 or 6 years. But hey, like someone else said, "I am just lucky to have a job!"

 

[jimntx]

It's an outrage! An outrage, I tell you! Oh the inhumanity. Where will it all end? Expecting speakers to actually speak the language for which they are being paid extra! And, possibly have to do it off an on throughout the ENTIRE flight. Why isn't the union filing a grievance instead of agreeing to this.

Next thing you know, they will start expecting flight attendants to actually show up to work on a regular basis and on time! If that happens, I'm outta here.

 

[FA Mikey]

Jim its funny to hear some of the junior speakers complain that they have to do anouncements on both legs. I have to look at them and say hey just like me, and I dont get speaker pay.

 

[AAStew]

I think the truth is most are upset because they were finally holding some decent trips after years of denial. (and junior here is 10-15years).
For the wiseass who asked why don't they just drop the language, they can't! It is a proffer or have you missed that?
For whoever asked why did they test out, it was a condition of employment. The application asked what languages we spoke, we wrote them down. We did not know about the bid denial and all the crap that comes with it at the beginning. (yeah 10-15 years beginning). People in my class were sent home if they did not qualify for at least one of the languages they claimed they spoke.
I don't think my next comment refers to all but some of you need to get your heads out of your arses. If we can't be nice to each other and undrstanding we don't have a chance in hell of being content at what's left of our profession.

 

[FA Mikey]

Well you can language drop if you choose.

 

[AAStew]

No you can't drop unless you hold the proffer. This past year would of been the 1st year I could of held at JFK a languuage drop proffer. At DCA-I I still would not be able to drop it. The junior f/a's 7-10years will never be able to, until we recall or hire if it comes to that point.

 

[fliboi78]

I think the truth is most are upset because they were finally holding some decent trips after years of denial. (and junior here is 10-15years).
For the wiseass who asked why don't they just drop the language, they can't! It is a proffer or have you missed that?
For whoever asked why did they test out, it was a condition of employment. The application asked what languages we spoke, we wrote them down. We did not know about the bid denial and all the crap that comes with it at the beginning. (yeah 10-15 years beginning). People in my class were sent home if they did not qualify for at least one of the languages they claimed they spoke.
I don't think my next comment refers to all but some of you need to get your heads out of your arses.  we don't have a chance in hell of being content at what's left of our profession.

[post="276209"][/post]​

Well MR Stew. I am the "wiseass" to which you are attacking. Of course I know at different bases you have to be at different seniorities to drop a language qual. I know at JFK there were people as junior as 10 years dropping quals. Most of the people at JFK that are complaining about being bid denied are in that 10-20 year range. They are able to drop their quals. It kind of reminds me of those flight attendants who complain about the dominicans and hatians. Go back to domestic if you don't like to sit reserve or deal with a certain group of people! As for disqualifying in a language, I know personally 2 portuguese speakers and 1 japanese speaker who dropped their language qual by not being able to pass their language test. Please read my comments and understand them before resort to name calling. Wouldn't that be practicing what you preach, "If we can't be nice to each other and undrstanding..."

As for other ways of dropping quals. I also remember flying with a guy who went back to domestic so he could hold the language resignation proffer. He was qualified in something like 5 languages. He is now only qualified in one.

 

[flydcoop]

okoge1027,

I am just curious, could you have held LAX-I in the first place if you weren't a speaker?

Coop

SLT

I'm glad that it's helping you, but it's not doing anything, but disadvantage for some of us more junior speakers. Now, starting July, we will have to fly LAX-SAL or Hawaii all nighters instead of LAX-NRT. Maybe, I will become fluent in Spanish by flying LAX-SAL, cuz those Salvadorians don't speak English!!!!!

[post="275251"][/post]​

 

[okoge1027]

No. It just means that fewer of the required positions will have to be filled by a qualified speaker. Say an A/C is usually bid with 9 positions 3 of which are to be filled by a speaker, now only 2 of the 9 need to be qualified by a speaker opening up more options for non-speakers and speakers alike. So if you have a pool of speakers now not eveyone in the pool is needed to fly speaker positions. If a more senior speaker wants to bid off of a speaker line they can do it. On the A300 sometimes the speaker is the 5 (first class galley) and yes sometimes they have to drop what their doing and help with a situation. I have yet to have anyone complain about doing p/a's or helping with a foriegn language pax - I guess its because they get extra pay to be speaker qualified and don't mind doing what they get the extra $$$ for doing.

[post="274874"][/post]​

Yeah.....75 cents an hour...lol

 

[okoge1027]

Im currious what international airlines do. Does anyone know? Seems to me that most people do not even listen to the anouncements in the first place. I the case of an emergency, most will play follow the leader. If I am on a forgein A/C and did not understand (which has happened) I just ask someone else what was just said. Speakers are (as far as I am concerned) a courtesy. I do not expect anyone on Air France to speak English. If someone does, great if not, I do not think AF is a worse airline for it. When in Rome ....

While we are on the topic, we were able to get rid of the Volunteer Speaker progam with no ill effects. That was the biggest waste of funds, time and effort that I have ever seen.

As far as El Salvador is concerned, I would be curroius to find out how many really do know English as opposed to how many pretend not to. I know in Europe English is taught asa second language and most speak it better than we do.

[post="275665"][/post]​

From my experience flying SAL trips, majority of Salvadorian people don't speak English and majority of them can't read and write Spanish, so often times, they need help in filling out the forms etc. When I did the trip, we didn't have any Spanish speaker and though I can get by with my Spanish, it was tough! We definitely need Spanish speakers on those flights!