IrishSheepdog
Sitting in the median
I have decided that commuting really sucks. Especially to EWR where a bird farts and there is a delay.
Yesterday, I was trying to commute in to EWR for my 6:30 pm report time. I decided to try a 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm flight (listed on all) to get me to work on time. The earlier flights were all overbooked, so I was worried about getting bumped to the 1pm anyways, and figured I'd just try that one.
Well, I show up, and it's on time. While standing at the gate, it changes to an hour delay. Ok, that will still get me in on time. So I'm on the cockpit jumpseat, since the gate decides to put people from the next flight on this one. Well as they are boarding first class, the gate runs down and says, "You'll never believe this." Another delay. 3 1/2 more hours. We'll be departing AT my show time.
So I start going to American and United, seeing when their flights will leave. All delayed. Won't make my show time.
So, a decision to make. Just call in sick, collect my 22 hours of pay, and go home with a six pack and lay by the pool? Or be honest, tell the company what is going on, let them reassign me, and I'll hope for the best. Well, what seems like a dumb decision now, I tell them the TRUTH. I hate people who abuse sick time, because it's crying wolf and makes life difficult for those who are REALLY sick.
The truth got me a missed trip, and 22 hours of pay off my minimum guarantee for June AND July. So I had to do the carpet dance with the Chief Pilots. I called the CPs right after scheduling, and told them what was up. They just said ok, you should have come in earlier, maybe even the day before. Nobody makes us commute, which is true. So now I sit in EWR, trying to rebuild my schedule to get up to minimum guarantee for pay, watching my Hawaii trip get screwed!
I'd have to say the coolest person I have ever met in my life was the United Captain who came up to myself and my friend, and International FA trying to make her 9:30pm check-in. Just came up, and was more proactive in trying to get someone to work than I've ever seen. His comment? "We gotta look out for each other. You're ALPA, right?" Then made a comment about the two pilots who were at the opposite end of the spectrum...
As I'm waiting for the delayed EWR flight at CAL, so I can still come in for the evening for possible reassignment (saving face), two CAL pilots come and take the jumpseats. They had show times the following day, and wanted to get in as early as possible. Them AND two F/As with the same deal, show the next morning, with my friend and her 9:30pm show getting left behind. What ever happened to this "brotherhood?" Give me a break! I even mentioned the fact we had to be there that night, not the next day. They didn't care. Even were former Express pilots.
So what did I learn?
- Commuting sucks. Bad.
- There is no longer ANY type of brotherhood in aviation. Well, there is for a select few.
- Honesty will get you NOWHERE. Like I told the CAL pilot who said "you should have called in sick", I'd rather have my integrity than this job.
- Take the first flight out, or the last flight the previous day, for the rest of the summer. This summer is going to be BAD.
- Keep the crashpad.
So, where in NJ/NY should I start looking to live?
Oh, the earliest any flight arrived was 11:30pm. We pushed at 6:00pm, sat on the ground for 3 hours, me in the second jumpseat of the B737. I am not in a good mood.
Yesterday, I was trying to commute in to EWR for my 6:30 pm report time. I decided to try a 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm flight (listed on all) to get me to work on time. The earlier flights were all overbooked, so I was worried about getting bumped to the 1pm anyways, and figured I'd just try that one.
Well, I show up, and it's on time. While standing at the gate, it changes to an hour delay. Ok, that will still get me in on time. So I'm on the cockpit jumpseat, since the gate decides to put people from the next flight on this one. Well as they are boarding first class, the gate runs down and says, "You'll never believe this." Another delay. 3 1/2 more hours. We'll be departing AT my show time.
So I start going to American and United, seeing when their flights will leave. All delayed. Won't make my show time.
So, a decision to make. Just call in sick, collect my 22 hours of pay, and go home with a six pack and lay by the pool? Or be honest, tell the company what is going on, let them reassign me, and I'll hope for the best. Well, what seems like a dumb decision now, I tell them the TRUTH. I hate people who abuse sick time, because it's crying wolf and makes life difficult for those who are REALLY sick.
The truth got me a missed trip, and 22 hours of pay off my minimum guarantee for June AND July. So I had to do the carpet dance with the Chief Pilots. I called the CPs right after scheduling, and told them what was up. They just said ok, you should have come in earlier, maybe even the day before. Nobody makes us commute, which is true. So now I sit in EWR, trying to rebuild my schedule to get up to minimum guarantee for pay, watching my Hawaii trip get screwed!
I'd have to say the coolest person I have ever met in my life was the United Captain who came up to myself and my friend, and International FA trying to make her 9:30pm check-in. Just came up, and was more proactive in trying to get someone to work than I've ever seen. His comment? "We gotta look out for each other. You're ALPA, right?" Then made a comment about the two pilots who were at the opposite end of the spectrum...
As I'm waiting for the delayed EWR flight at CAL, so I can still come in for the evening for possible reassignment (saving face), two CAL pilots come and take the jumpseats. They had show times the following day, and wanted to get in as early as possible. Them AND two F/As with the same deal, show the next morning, with my friend and her 9:30pm show getting left behind. What ever happened to this "brotherhood?" Give me a break! I even mentioned the fact we had to be there that night, not the next day. They didn't care. Even were former Express pilots.
So what did I learn?
- Commuting sucks. Bad.
- There is no longer ANY type of brotherhood in aviation. Well, there is for a select few.
- Honesty will get you NOWHERE. Like I told the CAL pilot who said "you should have called in sick", I'd rather have my integrity than this job.
- Take the first flight out, or the last flight the previous day, for the rest of the summer. This summer is going to be BAD.
- Keep the crashpad.
So, where in NJ/NY should I start looking to live?
Oh, the earliest any flight arrived was 11:30pm. We pushed at 6:00pm, sat on the ground for 3 hours, me in the second jumpseat of the B737. I am not in a good mood.
