Originally Posted by
Aimpoint
at least you've got light at the end of the tunnel, eventually.
And with respect to communication from management - would you rather they come out with a plan that is 70% certain, get everyone's hopes up and then have to advise everyone with a revised plan a week later because the situation is so fluid? Or do you want them to line up the ducks properly to either get the Classic back flying or work out a transition to the 400?
Is there light at the end of the tunnel though?? There certainly was light earlier when there were 'no plans for redundancies', the new network was apparently just a couple of weeks away from being finalised, and we were all on 2-week stand downs in anticipation of an imminent return to flying... but now? The tone has certainly shifted a little. And yes, there will always be pilot groups around the world who are in a worse situation than others, covid or not - but that doesn't justify the poor handling of the classic crews. "But hey, it could be worse" is terrible leadership in any organisation.
I can't speak for everyone, but personally I would rather we were given half an idea of what things
could happen. Something like: "Details and timings are yet to be finalised, but we're mostly considering between [insert Plan A here] and [insert Plan B here] or anywhere in between. Some of the issues are x, y, z which we're working on. When we reach [% demand /target /milestone /date] we'll be in a position to lock it in and put the plan into action." Given the situation is so fluid as you say, will the 'ducks' ever be perfectly lined up? At some point, near enough has got to be good enough. With three different fleet sizes available, the company would have greater flexibility and opportunity to right size the sectors and maximise profits.
Communication can still be effective without having all of the information at hand. It just requires a certain level of honestly and openness, which I believe would in turn restore some of the trust, respect and morale that has been lost. ("Actively promote open and timely communication, even in challenging situations"). If it's communicated correctly, I don't think anyone would blame management for tweaking a plan in response to a changed situation - on the contrary, that's good decision making! Saying nothing except "we'll have more for you in a couple of weeks" and then repeatedly not delivering, is not good communication.
On a tangent, no one in their right mind should be willing to accept any future roles on the classic fleet when they see how dispensable they are.