PIT LEC E-Line Regarding NOV F/A Transfers

[FlightChic]

I hope you'll be able to get into CLT on the DEC bid...this place sucks.

Thanks.

 

[AstroLounge]

What makes me so suspicious of this transfer of TIME , people and equipment is the FACT that there will be further reductions in the 757 fleet and of the one's that will remain, many will be converted to ETOPS (or as a Mechanic referred to them "E-flops"). We all know it doesn't require a modified 757 to fly the FLA routes. And certainly NOT Vegas. Unless they plan on utilizing all these a/c for deep Caribbean flying (Aruba,Barbados,St.Maartin etc) with additional frequencies, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. As the 757 fleet shrinks and certain seasonal routes out of PHL require the ETOPs version be flown out of PHL- there just seems to be too much shuffling of personnel for minimal gains, only to build PHL back up in the Spring.

 

[diamondcutter]

Well, i will be very curious to see the migration numbers. PIT will still be at a very high 28% reserve factor (WHY?) and yet there still isn't a further reduction. The majority of the people in PIT LIVE there and will not be leaving VOLUNTARILY. This crew movement out of PHL looks very suspicious to me.........drastically reduce PHL for the late Fall/Winter and then be forced to rebuild in the Spring for the usual TA buildup. If this isn't a concerted, devious plan to play with employees lives and uproot MANY nothing does. BOS continues to be a problem and even the furloughed will PASS until the " cows come home". PIT is not being utilized but WHY is it being PROTECTED with such a high reserve factor? PKinsey has never had a handle on Crew Planning and this latest transfer of Flying and People looks very suspicious To ME......

Pit has a higer rsv factor because the cover more out of base trips than any other base. This is to protect the operation! This comes from Mike Finn director of sched. Pit is not being "protected" !

 

[Travelpro72]

While I understand what your saying, that is the silliest excuse for keeping PIT as is. I mean really. 🙄 I think we all know that it's only a matter of time before the flight attendant/pilot base is shut down. Does it cost more to keep the PIT f/a and pilot base open or closed. We all know with this management that if it costs them 1 cent more it's the hatchet.

 

[diamondcutter]

While I understand what your saying, that is the silliest excuse for keeping PIT as is. I mean really. 🙄 I think we all know that it's only a matter of time before the flight attendant/pilot base is shut down. Does it cost more to keep the PIT f/a and pilot base open or closed. We all know with this management that if it costs them 1 cent more it's the hatchet.

wow talk about silly....thanx for the support of the pit base. If and when it does close I hope it does not affect you seniority as the get 1st pick of a base. Good luck to you.

 

[Travelpro72]

Sorry I got kicked out of there in 2003. I didn't say I'm not a PIT supporter but it IS to the point of barely existing. I'd want to hang on there as long as I could as well. Why would anyone WANT their base to close or get displaced? That is not what I'm saying at all. I simply mean that if the company bean counters figure out that it's more cost effective to close that base then keep it open for 100+ flight attendants with only say 30 some mainline flights a day they'll do it. They cut ANYTHING that is a penny more than they are willing to pay. I DO find it foolish to keep a base simply to cover "other bases trips" for the most part. THAT in itself is a sure fire example of a BROKEN system. I'm not a PIT hater nor am I one to tell you all to "get over it". I feel for all of you. It happened to me in 2003 and we that were displaced received NO COMPENSATION due to VF's going on. The company did not have to per the contract. We got moving days and that was IT. They fought us for those as well.

 

[bigbusboy]

wow talk about silly....thanx for the support of the pit base. If and when it does close I hope it does not affect you seniority as the get 1st pick of a base. Good luck to you.

What?? :blink: This has nothing to do with support for the PIT base what so ever. Facts are facts. Travel is correct. PIT is no longer a part of the "big picture" for whatever reason. It doesn't matter if we agree or disagree with a base closing. Bases open and close all of the time in this business. It is merely a business decision. You seem to suggest all other bases should be "punished" with PIT's senior f/a's because they will be forced to transfer. If you are a PIT based f/a, I'm sory for the decisions you will face in the near future. I am a 24yr PHL f/a who was based in PIT for 21 years and enjoyed every day of it. Nearly every f/a left in PIT right now is at my seniority or senior to me. If you or any other PIT f/a chooses to transfer to PHL, WELCOME!!!!!! I and everyone else I know here in PHL will welcome you irregardless of your seniority and do what we can to help ease your transfer. I am sorry if I sound like I'm taking this too personally. I'm really not. It's just that bases close all of the time in this industry, not just at LCC: EWR, HNL and CLE for UA, DFW for DL, SEA for NW, LAX, SFO and SAN for US, the list could go on. I'm sure I forgot a few. I'm just tired of listening to the bitterness and the tales of woe from all of the PIT f/a's because of their situation.

 

[AstroLounge]

Pit has a higer rsv factor because the cover more out of base trips than any other base. This is to protect the operation! This comes from Mike Finn director of sched. Pit is not being "protected" !

Keeping the HIGH (and no other base has a Reserve Factor at that %) numbers to "protect the operation" is PURE BS! And we all know it. With such reduced service out of PIT, HOW EFFECTIVE is it in having surplus F/A's sitting around in a location where the level of service can't M-O-V-E them into position even when it is necessary. All the way back to 2002 there has been a severe OVERSTAFFING in PIT and their minor tinkerings here and there until displacements occured have STILL NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I am NOT Bashing PIT by any means but when hundreds have already been displaced ovber the years, WHY hasn't the situation been addressed? (IF the flying ISN'T THERE, why are the PEOPLE?)

 

[EMBFA]

Just close it. The company and workgroup would be better served with a full LAS base, preferably an east one opened there pre-merger. This would empty out a lot of east bases, eliminate the transcon commuters, and somewhat protect PHX. Everyone would benefit. Vegas has over a hundred mainline flights a day, PIT has 30 and shrinking.

Base closures suck, I feel sorry for the PIT folks. But they don't seem to realize that nearly everyone else has gone through this AT LEAST once in thier Airways career. I don't remember the PIT F/As offering vocal support and outrage for SAN, SFO, LAX, MIA, BWI, MidAtlantic.... I mean come on.

 

[bigbusboy]

Base closures suck, I feel sorry for the PIT folks. But they don't seem to realize that nearly everyone else has gone through this AT LEAST once in thier Airways career. I don't remember the PIT F/As offering vocal support and outrage for SAN, SFO, LAX, MIA, BWI, MidAtlantic.... I mean come on.
[/quote]


My point exactly!!!!!

 

[flybynite]

PIT was a great crew base and a wonderful airport. The only problem was it really didn't have much originating traffic which is being seen now.

I really feel for the remaining f/a's that are there.

I think it's being kept open as a back up for this winter as it is one of the most functional airports in the northeast in the winter in the USA.

I for one would love to have the company shift our international traffic into there and take some of the pressure off PHL.
Yeah..like that's going to happen!

 

[songbirdstew]

Keeping the HIGH (and no other base has a Reserve Factor at that %) numbers to "protect the operation" is PURE BS! And we all know it. With such reduced service out of PIT, HOW EFFECTIVE is it in having surplus F/A's sitting around in a location where the level of service can't M-O-V-E them into position even when it is necessary.

Actually no, it's not pure BS. LECP Mark Gentile e-mailed Mike Finn to ask why PIT was not offered the VPLOAs in October since CLT and PHL were---but we in PIT have the highest percentage of RSVs so we should have been offered the VPLOA.
I also wrote to Mike Finn and asked the same thing. I am more than happy to share the portion of his response below that will answer your question. If you would like to see the whole e-mail, feel free to PM me.

From Mike Finn:


"I realize that the reserves in Pit are looking for VPLOA's, but remember
that we displaced in order to right size the base. I did not do as many
as the model showed because I use the PIT reserves to cover out of base
and protect the operation. Even though I am still over per the model, I
still want to retain the additional F/A's to protect the system. That
is the reason I did not go deeper on the displacements. I really do not
feel comfortable loosing that ability to cover out of base if necessary."

Sorry __(insert my name here)__

Mike

The other statement that you make about them not being able to M-O-V-E us when they need us is way off the mark. The other morning I was sitting OPR and was sent on the 7am flight to DH to DCA to cover a trip for them. Also, before they recalled to BOS and LGA they used to DH 10,15,20 of us at a time on the 17:45 flight to RON in either one of those cities and start our trips the next morning.

If you have any doubt that they can M-O-V-E the PIT people when they need them just check out option #18 for the first week of every month when they send us to cover all the out of base trips due to NFL days....trust me, we ARE needed and that's how the use us. They keep flights departing PIT to the bases that need coverage at the crucial times that they need to. In that respect, they know what they are doing.

My argument to the union is that a RSV is not to be used as normal coverage for out of base trips but that is how they are treating us. The contract states that a RSV should cover an OOB trip when coverage is temporarily inadequate at another base....however, crew planning knows they will be short---as they are at the beginning of every month---and COUNT on the PIT people to cover for them. Finn's above e-mail blatantly states it. I think the union should insist on TDY to the bases that are short for the first week of every month. Just my opinion, but the way the company is interpreting out of base coverage is skewed....just wait until PHL has it's TA flying gone in the fall and they are the most overstaffed...talk to a PHL RSV about it then. PHL has even more flights to more destinations to cover out of base trips.....you'll really see some M-O-V-E-ment then !!!!

That being said, I do think there will be further reductions in PIT because even though a few RSVs might even break guarantee this month, some of the the time made was from out of base trips........however, like it or not---makes sense or not----Finn DID say that he uses PIT to "protect the operation."

 

[missthe727]

PIT was a great crew base and a wonderful airport. The only problem was it really didn't have much originating traffic which is being seen now.

I feel bad for the PIT people too but isn't this thread about the fact that an MEC E-LINE was not put out yet and transfers closed on Monday night---it is now Friday???
From what I understand the transfer info can be viewed in your local crew base---they used to post it on the HUB but no longer...what's up w/ that ? Now I have to drive to the airport and go through security to find out who transferred ???? WTF ??? :angry:

 

[Travelpro72]

See how high tech we are here at Usairways? I think management is trying to figure out how this thing called a "wheel" might work. 🙄

 

[ClueByFour]

PIT was a great crew base and a wonderful airport. The only problem was it really didn't have much originating traffic which is being seen now.

It has more than CLT does, and yet the hub in CLT survives. Amazing.

A little birdie (tm), one who is very much involved in operations and crew scheduling at US, told me the following:

As long as there are 20-30 mainline flights/day in PIT, you will continue to see a crew base, for the following reasons:

1. There will always be some RONs at PIT due to the MX base and as such, they need people for the originators.

2. Hotel rooms are expensive, commuters are troublesome, and the vast majority of PIT F/As and pilots seem to live there. This suits the company fine, because, in my contacts words "it does not turn into the clusterf**k that is PHL with commuters."

3. The utility they get from being able to move people to cover OOB trips as mentioned above. In my contact's words "that crap will continue until ALPA and AFA grow a pair at the grievance or negotiation tables."

4. The don't want to deal with the fallout as they push that many people with that much seniority out across the system, particularly on the AFA side of things. Apparently, it has not sat so well as it has continually happened in the last few years, particularly in CLT.

All of this made some sense, even to a non-airline employee like myself. My contact pointed out that they keep a base at say, LGA, for instance, almost exclusively to keep the shuttle operation happy (and because hotel rooms in NYC are expensive). While the room costs are not as great in PIT, they have other drivers, apparently.

Now, I get it if US drops it's mainline presence at PIT any further--a move which I don't get. Everytime I'm up there, anymore, it's all O&D traffic and it's all jammed. A former colleague of mine is pouring $100k/year at UA commuting to the west coast, and pointed out that on a route like PIT-LAX and PIT-SFO, US is not even offering half of the number of daily seats that the BTS data indicates exists for O&D in the market. Amazing.