Family through employee line

[jtrain609]

Honest question: are you guys not required to make your departure time? Or be at the airplane at a certain time?

We have a specified show time, and we're at the airport at that time, or earlier. But there are lots of people you have to rely on in order to have everything come together for an on time departure. If the van is late, or the TSA slows you down, or the gate agent isn't there, or the plane isn't fueled, or the lav hasn't been dumped, or the passengers aren't boarded on time, or any number of other things, then we probably aren't going out on time.

In the end, if everybody does their job, things happen on time. If people don't do their jobs, then I can't drive the van, screen myself, let myself down to the plane, fuel the plane, dump the lav or board the passengers, and thus, we won't go out on time.

 

[Ian_J]

We have a specified show time, and we're at the airport at that time, or earlier. But there are lots of people you have to rely on in order to have everything come together for an on time departure. If the van is late, or the TSA slows you down, or the gate agent isn't there, or the plane isn't fueled, or the lav hasn't been dumped, or the passengers aren't boarded on time, or any number of other things, then we probably aren't going out on time.

In the end, if everybody does their job, things happen on time. If people don't do their jobs, then I can't drive the van, screen myself, let myself down to the plane, fuel the plane, dump the lav or board the passengers, and thus, we won't go out on time.

Got it - so your show time is just to the front doors of the airport then?

 

[jtrain609]

Got it - so your show time is just to the front doors of the airport then?

Yup. After that, we're pretty much reliant on everybody else doing things properly.

And truth be told, things work the way they're supposed to most of the time.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

We are required to be at the gate at our show time (at out stations).

This means we have travel "local in nature" during official rest time to get to the plane.

Basically, when you see me at airport curb, and going through security, I'm using my rest time to do those things.

 

[Ian_J]

Yup. After that, we're pretty much reliant on everybody else doing things properly.

And truth be told, things work the way they're supposed to most of the time.

Okay - I understand now. Thanks.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

Okay - I understand now. Thanks.

What's even more amazing is our turn timeline. When it's working, that is. There are a bunch of interleaving tasks (from Flight Operations including dispatch and operating crew, to InFlight, to Customer Service above and below the wing, cabin provisioning, vendor fueling, etc.) that all happen at once and none of them interfere with each other.

When one of the pieces fails, though, the whole thing gets sent to the crapper.

 

[Duck_Twacy]

Got it - so your show time is just to the front doors of the airport then?

I've always thought of "Show Time" as a cyan message - advisory only.

And yes, I have been told to take my Family Circus through the employee line by TSA/Red Coats/whoever, so now I just do so without being prompted.

Although, I did it in Denver with just my daughter with a cast all the way up to my elbow, and the lady scolded me, and I was like "please nice TSA lady, can't you see I've got a helpless 8 year old and all this stuff with this huge cast on?" She didn't care.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

Okay - I understand now. Thanks.

I suppose it depends on the pilot contract. Until FAR 117 comes out, it's perfectly legal to use my rest time for "transit local in nature". So, until Jan 1, they can still reduce me to 8 hours per the FARs (unless pilot working agreement more restrictive), and I get to burn at least 15-45 minutes of it while in uniform.

Interestingly enough, company compliance with contract language varies widely from one subject to the next.

We ran into an issue where I was going to exceed my duty day on the return leg (15 hours, more restrictive than 16 currently on the books), and I told the company I wouldn't accept the out and back because I was projected to exceed my time coming back. They said that I couldn't do that, I could only refuse once I was going to exceed 15 on my current leg to be flown.

So the company wanted to save a reserve and knowingly strand me at an out station, pay for a hotel, and "overtime" or junior assignment pay of minimum day for a return leg home the next day.

Stepping over that dollar to save a penny since whenever...

 

[Screaming_Emu]

For the record, I'm taking my wife through the employee line tomorrow on the way to Vegas. So there!

 

[H46Bubba]

For the record, I'm taking my wife through the employee line tomorrow on the way to Vegas. So there!

Shame on you!

 

[SlumTodd_Millionaire]

Even though I paid for a full-fare ticket to Vegas, and I too will be going through the employee line in Atlanta tomorrow on the way to NJC. Suck it, whiners!

 

[BIGRIG]

You mean Obama wasn't smart enough to fix it?

Oh no he's the smartest guy ever. In fact he knows exactly how to fix it and also cure cancer. It's just that he has to put on his mom jeans and ride his woman's bike down to the golf course to try and improve his 57 handicap. So you can see there just isn't enough time in his day.

 

[BIGRIG]

MDW TSA asked me to take my family through the employee line.

 

[Houston]

Oh no he's the smartest guy ever. In fact he knows exactly how to fix it and also cure cancer. It's just that he has to put on his mom jeans and ride his woman's bike down to the golf course to try and improve his 57 handicap. So you can see there just isn't enough time in his day.

That's going to be a problem since Joe Biden is the smartest guy in the room. On the other hand, Joe thinks a lot of Barry. He said so:

I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.

 

[HRDiva]

Yesterday DH went through the known crew entrance and they told me to go to the employee entrance. So I did!