Rates In The Sewer

[CHEVY II]

Flight pay?? away from base?? 57K for half the year?? WTF?? :blink:

And all you had to do was fly?

Just a minute...checking my math

 

[Albert Ross]

Hey Chevy - How's it hangin'? BTW there were a lot of guys getting more than that!

Phil

 

[Stumped]

.

 

[T-rex]

Here's my storey!

On this past Thursday, an Alberta Gov't dept (Agriculture) phoned on the availability of an Astar. We had the aircraft that they were looking for.The person asked the common questions about rates,fuel,speed, and passengers, etc. We quoted the 2004 Alberta Gov't published rates. We contacted the fellow yesterday, as a follow up for the Monday AM flight. He stated another Calgary operator gave him "a much better deal"
Is that egg in your face or what?? If there is anyone on here from that company shame on you!!

 

[407 Driver]

Which Calgary operator would CUT the AB government published rates?
Hmmmm, Only one comes to mind as a confirmed rate-cutter ?

 

[CHEVY II]

Hey Phil...things are starting to wind up, extremely busy for me(kind of like that avatar you use with your name). :blink:

 

[Blackmac]

I'm probably getting into something I should stay out of, but having said that, I will go on to say the following.

If the Alberta government is willing to pay xxx$ for a given requirement and ask you to provide it at the stated rate and go somewhere else at a lower rate, somebody is either getting paid of or really stupid. If such is the case you should have been given the opportunity to meet the other persons bid. Also telphone shot-gun bidding is illegal by most government departments, except of course the PMO.

I would take this up at a higher level, including your area MP.

IMHO

Don

PS: Years ago I advised the industry when I was working for the feds that Coast Guard would be taking over most of the Fisheries contracts, that were originally being flown by commercial operators. I advised HAC at the time that the government was not mandated or allowed to take work away from commercial operators. I advised them at the time to contact there respective MP's and raise a stink.

How many Fisheries contracts do you see these days??????

 

[407 Driver]

You are VERY correct Mr BlackMac.

T-Rex, I smell something rotten, and it's not at the SaddleDome this time 😀

 

[T-rex]

Ya, one could complain!

It's only three hours, the charter conflicts with our training schedule anyways, but never the less, published rates are rates!

 

[T-rex]

407,

I SMELL MacKay all over it! :wacko:

 

[407 Driver]

desperate people do desperate things......

 

[MagSeal]

is "desperate" the politically correct term we're using these days??? 😀

 

[GoldMember]

I have to agree with Blacmac on this one, published tarriff means nothing. The average rate, not including fire work, that your company flies for would be a more realistic view of how important "getting top rate" is.

None of us that make salary and flight pay have the intestinal fortitude to take the moral high ground and demand top dollar from our customers when the competition is very willing to cut rates. As a base manager, I have to balance high hourly rates with putting food on the table. I work in an area that boasts seven operators within a one-hundred mile radius, some consisting of only one or two aircraft while others have many. I could bid all jobs at between full tarriff and one-hundred bucks off and not fly at all. It would be very easy to demand top dollar if I were the only service provider around.

The only way that rates will come up is if the industry is regulated somehow, or if there winds up being a huge demand for helicopters.

Here's my reward package: $3,200.00/mo, $50.00/hr, safety bonus, medical, dental, nice hardware, great people.