Pilot Contract Change

[Mach85ER]

Effective 1/1/2014

Deadheading on Transoceanic, Deep South, Alaska and Hawaii flights in business class or higher

 

[IORFA]

What's wrong with coach if that is all that is left?

 

[Mach85ER]

What's wrong with coach if that is all that is left?

The pilot group preferred otherwise.

 

[FWAAA]

That sounds reasonable. It can't be a very frequent occurence. Question: pilots deadhead on a long-haul flight to one of those outstations. How soon after they arrive are they legal to fly the long flight home? If they can be scheduled to fly after a minimum 8-9 hour rest period, J or F seat will help ensure that they're better rested than if they're squeezed into some random middle seat in Y.

 

[Mach85ER]

FWAAA,

I don't know the numbers off hand. there are domestic and international differences as well as old contract/new contract ones plus FAA regs. It may have dropped to 10 hours of rest, but I'm not positive on that.

You did touch part of the issue. It is of course variable how bad one's experience may be and affect the ability to get rest before duty while deadheading. One person might be 5'5" and 125 lbs, get an aisle seat near a window, have the seat next to them empty or one of the bulkhead seats with adequate legroom. Not a bad experience. Another person might be 6'5" and 250 lbs, get the center seat with two beefy 250 lb pax sitting on each side on a full flight that had a delayed takeoff, late or major headwinds along with significant turbulence preventing some inflight leg stretching. Toss in a bad back and a noisy hotel for the 10 hours of "rest", and the person is DOA for the next leg.

More than a few "interpersonal" problems occurred when crews were deadheading. I for one and greatly relieved that we will be out of that UFC cage match when it comes to deadheading.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

'Mach,.......I for one APPLAUDE everything and ANYTHING that your Strong Union can get for you guys.
NO Jealousy coming from this ol' retiree !!!!!!!!!!
If another work group has (say) NO Union, or a CRAPPY Union, and get 'shite-on', thats NOT you guys Fault.
Where I draw the line is if you and......'the FAMILY'......get preferrential priority boarding, if there is such a thing.
(Maybe I've got it confused with AA Exec's)

 

[Mach85ER]

Where I draw the line is if you and......'the FAMILY'......get preferrential priority boarding, if there is such a thing.
(Maybe I've got it confused with AA Exec's)

No no no no no no no no no.......NO.

I'm a die hard first-come-first-served non-rev, even if I have 30 years and many new hires in the next decade. If a 6.1 month employee is on the list before me and my family, they go first. I don't care if his job is assistant to the toilet cleaner.

I did support APA attempts in the mid 90's to get priority for the airline employees over all the other non-airline parts of AMR. APA failed to coordinate it's attempts with other employee groups, bad move, and it took a life of it's own as if we wanted special non-rev bennies.