Flight Support

[red17]

Thought you people out their would want to talk about this lot so it could be interesting to hear what you have got to say..... Good luck to you guys.

[J-Man]

I have an interview with them tomorrow :cool:

[EMX81L]

J-Man - Hope the interview goes well for ya, very good company to work for, and very much on the way up at the mo, and going to start getting very busy shortly

[J-Man]

EMX thanks, i have an interview at SAS in the morning and then the afternoon to spend at the airport before my MH interview at teatime, talking with a guy tonight who booked my interview, it all looks good at the company! I really hope i get it!

[manspot]

I am led to believe Coventry Handling is now under the Flight Support wing taking their presence upto 4 airports now. (IOM, LPL, MAN & CVT) With the award of the FLYBE contract at MAN and now the capture of Coventry where next for Flight Support.

[laddie]

buy out by sevisair maybee

[ERETHERE]

Not a chance in this world!

[TechProblem]

buy out by sevisair maybee

Rofl :ugh: :rolleyes:

[the good big c17]

Why not, everyone else has at one time or another

[ERETHERE]

I just can't see it that's all.

[bmibaby.com]

Considering that Servisair have their own financial problems to deal with at the moment, still trying to integrate GlobeGround, turn around their business and deal with some financial blackholes - putting energy into buying another company doesn't make sense.

Flight Support seem to be doing a good job as an independent handling agent which is hard in these days of having the big four (Servisair, Menzies, Swissport and Aviance) and I hope they continue to flourish. Menzies and Aviance have grown to the size they're at now mostly through acquisitions so if there was to be a buyout I'd imagine them over Servisair.

[manxramptramp]

FS do have a website: www.flight-support.co.uk (http://www.flight-support.co.uk) They don't have a vacancies section as such but there are contact numbers/ email addresses for the out station GMs which you are able to drop a line to.

A great bunch to work with!

[EMX81L]

Aye they do indeed: www.flight-support.co.uk

and its all under recruitment

[cabingal]

Don't have a clue what day at is. They are a shambles.

[J-Man]

Cabingirl, im keen to know the reasons behind why you say that.

[manspot]

I believe Flight Support are doing a fantastic job under the circumstances. They were given less than 3 weeks notice of the Flybe contract meaning they had to increase manpower from approx 20 staff to over 100. With most jobs requiring a months notice it was honestly a miracle they made the start of the contract with sufficent staff. Granted they have 'borrowed' staff from LPL anf IOM stations in the interim but these should be home by this weekend.

The main problem they have had is a lack of blue passes. Anyone who has worked at MAN will know how difficult it is to gain one of these sacred pieces of plastic. Hopefully this is now sorted and over 80% of the staff online now have blue passes. It has been an interesting 3 weeks at FS and for some a culture shock with work increasing from approx 40 flights a week to over 300. I personally doubt any other handling agent no matter how established could have done a better job in the circumstances.

Flight Support have built a very experienced team in Operations / Dispatch and PHU and will go from strength to strength on the back of the Flybe contract. Keep up the good work guys. All the best!!!:ok:

[TechProblem]

Don't have a clue what day at is. They are a shambles.

Bit of a hollow comment there really, in Man, Lpl, Iom?

If you mean in Man, then your not seeing bigger picture.

Deleyed Flights is the biggest problem atm.
Mainly because they now have staff to cover everything, if all goes to plan. When it doesn't and 7 flights want to depart at the same time it gets a alitte silly.

Ringway are not helping matters as there also struggling getting staff, looks to me manly for pushbacks.

In a week or 2 you show hopefully see a differance.

[EMX81L]

Here here manspot :D

To back up that comment, I heard about the performance figure for the first 2 weeks of the contract in Manchester:

Week 1: 50% on time performance - which is fair enough cos it was a rough week for all concerned, including crews getting used to new things, and get the new staff up to speed.

Week 2: 85% on time performance - This is an acheivement and a credit to all involved to turn it around.

I am one of the staff who was 'on loan' from the IOM and we have all slogged it out over the past few weeks, and those figures show it.

We also got told, that its the highest ever percentage on-time that Flybe have ever had in manchester, with 60% being their previous!

Well Done to everyone!

[J-Man]

Yeah its taken a lot of hard work and grit but we're getting there. Credit goes to IOM and CVT crews for joining us and giving support when we needed it! Sad to see them go now :(
EMX81L Whoever you are, thankyou.

[Anotherflapoperator]

I know that a lot of the IOM issues that have caused grief to the cabin crews onboard is NOT the fault of Flight Support, but of FlyBE's system generating problems. Internet checkin pax get a seat allocated to find the local system allocates the same seat. No-one behind the desks can see this until the pax discrepancy appears and Manx Regional have to sort it out. Same with duplicate baggage tags.

Airside it appears to be FS incompetence or collusion to help EMX, but the reality is nothing of the sort. For those FS staff that have received grief, I'd like to apologise for accusations that have come your way no matter where from, based on lack of, or wrong information. That's just not cricket.

Cabingal, we are all frustrated by problems, but sometimes the fault is not where it seems from our end. We all have to try to hold back from letting steam out inadvertently.

Take the time to go to the desk and ask one of the staff if you want to understand the issues, as I have. Often the late arrival of information to MR for the loadsheet is again due to problems in the check-in system, again an IT issue.

[Pass_Your_Message]

It's all just teething issues. It was easy to guess that things would go wrong, but, as far as I can see FS have risen to all the challenges set out and passed them all with flying colours. Long live FS, cracking job so far

[cabingal]

Also, I don't know about other bases but at MAN we have had a lot of flights with infants on board - all sat in the wrong rows - they need to sit where there are extra oxygen masks.

[ops-bored]

Cabingal,

Have you thought about the posibility of pax allocating / requesting seats themselves?

Maybe by booking online?

[cabingal]

Yes I have thought of that - if that is the case then Flybe seriously need to update their system!

[J-Man]

On the shares system seats especially made for infants do not show up as an I ..Like on the codeco system which would have be easier for the check in agents if it was on there and displayed.
Problems like these have been pretty much ironed out at check in and staff are getting into the full swing of things.

If pax check in online and select their own seat with an infant then that is not Flight Supports fault. Of course if asked and the seat was an error but rectified in time we would do what we could to allocate them the seat they needed with minimum fuss and disruption. For instance if they wanted to clarify the seat they selected was suitable for an infant before proceeding through security. This rarely happens as we only see those who have checked in online if

1) They get confused and still think they have to check in
2) Need to fast bag their luggage

Average joe pax think a seat is a seat (I would) but we in the industry know different.

[ops-bored]

Cabingal,

I couldn't agree with you more.
An updated system would help all involved.

[red17]

As far as I can remember the British Airways PRS system never had any indication of where infants should be sat. It seems to me that the problems are more down to staff using an unfamiliar system more than anything else. Not blaming flight support as it would be the same for any company. FlyBe weren't the smallest airline before aquiring BACON and this never seemed to be a problem.

[mansp]

The simple fact is that when all the new staff (either new to Flybe or brand new ) get to grips with the Flybe product all these small, but v annoying probs should stop.

[EMX81L]

There hasn't really been any problems pre-takeover with infant seating.

After the take over thou it was slightly different. I have been handling flybe for 2 years and there hasn't been any problems til 25th march onwards, and its to do with the EMB145 as it has specific rows for infants, as they have extra oxygen masks for the infants (as mentioned before by cabingirl). All it is now, is for the staff to become familiar with the rows they are meant to be sat in and locating them on the manifest to prebook them a seat before the masses turn up. All it is is fine tuning.

Everyone is doing an excellent job all round. Its only been a month after the change over, and it has been a big step forward for everyone, so well done again :D

[TechProblem]

Aircraft changes can casue seating problems, espcially when its done an hour before depature becasue of a tech a/c from a 146 or Q400 to a 145.

We all know there has been problems, but there are always going to be some, espcially with the size of the contract and having 2 weeks to employ people and train them up, and for some who have never worked at an airport in there life.

Its getting there and the Flight Support way is coming through.

On a better note 3W had the best Scheudled results for ontime depatures through the winter out of Manchester.
GJ Flight Support and EuroManx !!! :ok:

[manxramper]

The prob is EMX is that flight support wage stucture and conditions are victorian - good staff will never stay on the conditions they are given, half present staff are looking for new employment believe me! New staff are given contracts worse than people who were employed there last year, even though they are far more capable than those on better contracts! 21 days holiday which includes bank holidays - that means 11 days holiday per year is a joke! - overtime at basic rate!!! Which is basic rate!! Most of the guys at FS are hard working and dedicated but for how long? Most of them are lookin for new employment.

[manxramptramp]

Where are all these people at FS that are wanting to leave? The people that I know are happy at FS and enjoy what they do.Pay is an issue at any ground handling agency but at the end of the day loving what you do is part of the package. The guys at FS work hard and the change over with Flybe has been a test which is starting to level out. It seems that some people are only too happy to find fault, when in fact the vast majority of the guys and gals are hard working, dedicated and enthusiastic in what they do.

keep up the good work FS:D

[Pass_Your_Message]

That's wierd, as far as I was aware, no-one is looking for another job.
I think the staff we have now are the best set of guys we have had in a long time, all of them seem up to the challenge and none of them seem to be to fussed about the present holiday or overtime structure, so I am rather sceptical about where you got your information from.

I only remeber a couple of staff ever complaining about that state of the contracts, the only two to have left over the situation. Everyone else seems content and are getting on with the job instead of complaining.

We are all very happy with our work, and are looking forward to the future and, what should be, a good summer.

[red17]

I have heard that Flight Support are looking to review their contracts with improved conditions. Is there any truth in that? A growing company will always have problems

[MancRed]

is there any current vacancies at MAN for FS?
i have seen the Operations Supervisors position advertised i gather that is over dispatch/operations?

[J-Man]

Still looking for pax agents i believe. And yes, its in the ops world.

[MancRed]

any idea of the pay?
shifts?

[J-Man]

A good idea, lets just say it beats most handling agents, shifts can vary in length. Earliest start is 0400 latest rostered finish is around 2200. Although sundays are different with the earliest time being 0700 start IIRC. Thats based on a passenger agent. Dispatch is different to which i have no idea about pay. I think they do 4 on 4 off 40hrs per week. Maybe we'll get a guy from the ops world who'll come along and clarify it.

Great guys and girls at the company to work with too! You know who you are :ok:

[TechProblem]

Ive been told there are 3 rosters in Dispatch, Ops, and 2 lines for dispatch.

4 0n 4 off for Ops and some dispatchers, rest are 6 on 3 off but they would be shorter shifs ie 8 hours instead of 12.

Ops are 2 days 2 nights.

Pay is around 16G for Dispatch and I "think" 20G for Sup - Although that might have been filled.

Best way to find out for sure is ring them :)

[serviceairlpool]

i work for serviceair lpl,and i can tell you this,flight support are doing very well indeed,the just won a number of contracts for full handling from ourselves,and i can honestly say that they will give a better service/ faster turnarounds than serviceair,these guys/girls work like a team,good luck flight support,any chance of a job!:ok:

[manxramptramp]

Serviceairpool. If your really interested in joining a great bunch get your CV in! :ok:

[J-Man]

I second what manx said, get your cv in and im sure someone will get in contact :E :cool:

[Maude Charlee]

Wasn't aware anyone worked at Servisair in LPL. I always had the impression they just stood around looking at you like they'd never seen an aeroplane before, then gave up and wandered off somewhere else.

:}

[Pass_Your_Message]

"If your really interested in joining a great bunch get your CV in! :ok:"

Maybe in the IOM, not sure about LPL though ( he he).:)

[laddie]

if anyone has any sence dont go and work for the circus in liverpool you will be underpaid and over worked and treated like rubbish. serviceair have drove the wages down in the airline industry over the last 5 years doing everythink for no profit. work for any other handling agent but dont work for service air you will only get shafted belive me i should no :ok:

[aspaceman]

Low wages and poor conditions are not Circusairs fault - they are the passengers fault! Every time a passenger buys a low fare ticket the groundcrew are subsidising it. Easy and Ryan have driven the hard bargains with the airports and handlers due to the demand from the passengers for cheapie tickets. You ground handlers are working hard so that the pax can enjoy their well earned holiday!!

[TechProblem]

FS sold to a cleaning company in LGW, more options for FS now.

Also the Flybe operation at manchester seems to be going for strength to strenght. Apart from the tech problems im well aware of with the EMB145's and Q400's (wonders when flybe will base a Q400 engineer on days), FS are handling the pax and operations very well.

Ringway are getting there to but are laggin behind, roll on FS getting there on ground crew (if ever :S).

[manxramper]

Wait an see what happens, FS IOM starting to get their act together after threatened major staff walk out, Manx Regional having probs filling a vacancy after one of their staff has handed in notice, staff made redundant are refusing job offer because of middle management probs, all is not rosy in IOM