Omni Air International
- Thread starter Dan208B
- Start date
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
Omni is a crappy place to work, but it's a decent stepping stone. Get your time and bail. Lifers mostly have skeletons, and there are a number of scabs.
dasleben
That's just, like, your opinion, man
It's not the union...I've worked for three IBT 1224 carriers, and it's fine.
The company is simply openly hostile to its employees. For example, an Omni pilot's wife recently had a stroke while he was in SNN. The company refused to pay for his ticket home to see her, citing the CBA. He had to pick up a $2000+ ticket to go home during a family emergency.
I could go on, but Omni is the lowest of the low. The only reason I was reasonably happy there was because I had decent seniority in the right seat, and could avoid going to work a fair amount of the time. It got me the time I needed to move on to a good company, but it is no shortcut. If you have no other option and can stomach it, pull the trigger.
chrisdahut1
Well-Known Member
I'd like to point out something I feel any potential new hire should know about working life at Omni:
Earlier this year (in March), the company announced a TDY base in Madrid, Spain in order to cover flying for a long-ish term contract with Boliviana. The company had the option of making the TDY UP TO 90 days, and chose 90 days, right off the bat.
The language in the contract concerning the TDY is incredibly weak and vague in terms of protection for the pilot group, and has led to some real heartburn. As a new hire, you can fully expect to be junior assigned to one of these 90 day TDYs, which have proven very unpopular with FOs (less so for Captain's, for some reason). Here are the details:
-The company will provide a hotel and per diem for the full 90 days. However, they have not used a hotel that would be adequate for a long TDY....they've been using your regular, good-for-an-overnight-stay airport hotel. There are no suites (kitchenettes etc). There are no laundry facilities within walking distance of the hotel.
-You must check out of the hotel before every turn. Some pilots considered bringing over family to stay for a while, but having to check out in this manner makes it unfeasible as family would essentially have to pay for their own room while the pilot is completing his/her Bolivia turn.
-The initial lure for some who bid the TDY was that they built lines with flying that averaged close to 90 hours a month. Productive lines are non existent at Omni, and flying enough to break guarantee is very very rare, so the appeal of making that much overtime while actually flying meant the TDY had some takers. This was great, until they reduced flying with little notice, which greatly reduced block hours flown. This coming January, with the new Part 117 rules, they'll be diluting the flying even more, and you can expect to make little to no overtime pay and essentially only be working for guarantee and per diem.
-Lines are not built in the normal Omni way, which is typically 18 days on and 12-13 days off. Days on and off are split up in a more normal airline way: ie- 3 day trip, followed by 3 to 4 off. This obviously would make jump seating home on off days very difficult and tiring, if not impossible.
In Summary: You'll be gone, overseas, for 90 days and in less then adequate accommodation for such a long stay. There will be little to no opportunity to return home, or to have family come and visit, unless it's all on your own dime. You can expect little to no overtime pay.
While the Union is trying to work with the company to make some improvements in QOL, there's little they can do and the company is taking a "We'll provide the bare minimum that (we interpret) the contract requires us to provide, and not one thing more". This includes making pilots buy their own tickets home from overseas, at great personal expense, in order to tend to a dire family emergency.
Just thought I'd let everyone know.
Earlier this year (in March), the company announced a TDY base in Madrid, Spain in order to cover flying for a long-ish term contract with Boliviana. The company had the option of making the TDY UP TO 90 days, and chose 90 days, right off the bat.
The language in the contract concerning the TDY is incredibly weak and vague in terms of protection for the pilot group, and has led to some real heartburn. As a new hire, you can fully expect to be junior assigned to one of these 90 day TDYs, which have proven very unpopular with FOs (less so for Captain's, for some reason). Here are the details:
-The company will provide a hotel and per diem for the full 90 days. However, they have not used a hotel that would be adequate for a long TDY....they've been using your regular, good-for-an-overnight-stay airport hotel. There are no suites (kitchenettes etc). There are no laundry facilities within walking distance of the hotel.
-You must check out of the hotel before every turn. Some pilots considered bringing over family to stay for a while, but having to check out in this manner makes it unfeasible as family would essentially have to pay for their own room while the pilot is completing his/her Bolivia turn.
-The initial lure for some who bid the TDY was that they built lines with flying that averaged close to 90 hours a month. Productive lines are non existent at Omni, and flying enough to break guarantee is very very rare, so the appeal of making that much overtime while actually flying meant the TDY had some takers. This was great, until they reduced flying with little notice, which greatly reduced block hours flown. This coming January, with the new Part 117 rules, they'll be diluting the flying even more, and you can expect to make little to no overtime pay and essentially only be working for guarantee and per diem.
-Lines are not built in the normal Omni way, which is typically 18 days on and 12-13 days off. Days on and off are split up in a more normal airline way: ie- 3 day trip, followed by 3 to 4 off. This obviously would make jump seating home on off days very difficult and tiring, if not impossible.
In Summary: You'll be gone, overseas, for 90 days and in less then adequate accommodation for such a long stay. There will be little to no opportunity to return home, or to have family come and visit, unless it's all on your own dime. You can expect little to no overtime pay.
While the Union is trying to work with the company to make some improvements in QOL, there's little they can do and the company is taking a "We'll provide the bare minimum that (we interpret) the contract requires us to provide, and not one thing more". This includes making pilots buy their own tickets home from overseas, at great personal expense, in order to tend to a dire family emergency.
Just thought I'd let everyone know.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Honestly, sounds pretty good for a single guy. I'd jump on an opportunity to spend three months in Spain, even at a crappy hotel. But if you've got a family, pretty much impossible.
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
I always thought an extended-stay would be cheaper... go figure. Though I'll admit I know nothing of hotel fares in Spain. Just curious, whats the route based out of Madrid?
Finding a cute Spanish girlfriend sounds like the way to go.
Finding a cute Spanish girlfriend sounds like the way to go.
surreal1221
Well-Known Member
Take the per diem money and rent a place through AirBNB
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Really? I'm home almost every single day, and I still eat out for just about every meal.
learhawkerbe400
Well-Known Member
I see where he's coming from. Way easier to eat clean when you're cooking.
chrisdahut1
Well-Known Member
Yes, it does all sound very exotic and not a bad deal at all for a young single guy. But I feel the company should at least make some effort to provide a lifestyle to it's pilots that befits grown men and women with families or those who just want a semblance of a life at home, rather then a 21 year old roaming frat boy.
Keep in mind that life outside of a 90 day forced TDY is no real picnic either. 18 days on the road, every month. Frequently out the first day, home on the last...whether they need you or not. And 18 days (as well as split lines, but those are generally senior) are for the lucky ones. If you happen to be junior, and end up, say....getting the last 18 days on of the month, and then junior assigned a line with the first 18 days of following month, you get to enjoy 36 days straight out on the road. And no, they won't take pity on you and send you home for a few days in between. It happens frequently, and it's not unusual for me to fly with someone who tell me ".. I've been out for over a month and ready for this trip to end".
I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom here, but I feel these are details that anyone who wants to work at Omni should think long and hard about. I've too often flown with new hires who either weren't aware of how Omni/ACMI life really is, or were just too enamored with the prospect of flying a big jet overseas to really think it over when they got offered a job. While some (make that most) were unemployed and took the job for the paycheck, type and currency, I don't think they really thought through what havoc the time away would wreak on their family lives. The work rules are frequently much worse then those at a regional. The pay and experience, however, are better.
As for our hiring situation....we've been told that hiring would resume in January, and that all furloughs have been recalled (and just yesterday most were involuntarily assigned to the December to March TDY!).
Oh, and FYI; the hiring is strictly for attrition. We've lost 6 planes in the last 19 months, and received none to replace....no new deliveries appear imminent, either.
Keep in mind that life outside of a 90 day forced TDY is no real picnic either. 18 days on the road, every month. Frequently out the first day, home on the last...whether they need you or not. And 18 days (as well as split lines, but those are generally senior) are for the lucky ones. If you happen to be junior, and end up, say....getting the last 18 days on of the month, and then junior assigned a line with the first 18 days of following month, you get to enjoy 36 days straight out on the road. And no, they won't take pity on you and send you home for a few days in between. It happens frequently, and it's not unusual for me to fly with someone who tell me ".. I've been out for over a month and ready for this trip to end".
I'm not trying to be all doom and gloom here, but I feel these are details that anyone who wants to work at Omni should think long and hard about. I've too often flown with new hires who either weren't aware of how Omni/ACMI life really is, or were just too enamored with the prospect of flying a big jet overseas to really think it over when they got offered a job. While some (make that most) were unemployed and took the job for the paycheck, type and currency, I don't think they really thought through what havoc the time away would wreak on their family lives. The work rules are frequently much worse then those at a regional. The pay and experience, however, are better.
As for our hiring situation....we've been told that hiring would resume in January, and that all furloughs have been recalled (and just yesterday most were involuntarily assigned to the December to March TDY!).
Oh, and FYI; the hiring is strictly for attrition. We've lost 6 planes in the last 19 months, and received none to replace....no new deliveries appear imminent, either.
Last edited:
chrisdahut1
Well-Known Member
The route is Madrid to Santa Cruz, Bolivia (LEMD-SLVR).
HVYMETALDRVR
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the info!
bretthullrampage
Well-Known Member
This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Thank you all.