Originally Posted by
BAvMan
Care to elaborate further?
Once the doors are closed I get to work with a good bunch of crew. The SOs don't know much about aviation, but by the time they reach SFO they are generally good. Some JFOs are released to the line and don't know how to land (most mechanically flare a bit at 40 feet and let the rest just happen).
The rest of the structure around FOPs is toxic. Just a few examples follow:
If you go sick (even with a med cert from a CAD approved AVMED Dr) it is reviewed by a growing department of administrators (with no medical training). You may be called in to explain yourself (pure intimidation). If they deem that you take too many sick days you will be delayed getting promoted.
Silos. FOPs has to pitch the cost of upgrading existing crew against the People department pitch on cost of direct entry recruitment (so much for a senority list). To be competitive FOPs has had to cut back on upgrade training - hence the inability of some JFOs to land, a bunch of heavy landings on the 74 from pilots forced over from the 777 and a new Capt on the 321 achieving 3.5G on landing trying to keep the 'bird' on the aim point and not flaring (some accounts say he had fall forward stick on touch down). I guess the heavy landings some out of the Eng Buget, so it's ok for FOPs.
A roster system which doesn't enable a high rate of success bidding for trips or for swaps once the roster is published.
During COVID crew were 'offered' COS18, a new contract which isn't really a contract at all, as all terms and conditions are subject to change by the company at their sole discretion without prior notice. We had just over a week to accept the new COS or 'resign' (by 'resigning' no redundancy was payable). The new COS meant an income cut of 40 - 60% in one the world's most expensive cities. 3 pilots committed suicide. I believe COS18 was a large factor in this.
For decades CX had based pilots. Many joined CX with the expectation of taking a base at some stage. As COS18 would be illegal in any 1st or 2nd world employment environment all bases were closed. If you had a
PR you could return to HKG on COS18. If not you were terminated. If you returned you were treated as a new joiner. Your sick day allocation was zeroed.
Senior management lie. One example is the introduction of 'special' crew only menus at layover ports. These new menus reduced the allowances, which many crew treat as part of their income. When confronted by crew the CEO said that the hotels set the menus, not the company. Talking to hotels it was clear that this was not the case, the new menus where from CX. Another example is that from time to time HKG airlines can apply a fuel surcharge to tickets. This surcharge was also applied to staff tickets. Company said they had no choice. HKG CAD who approve the application of the surcharge, when asked by the HKAOA, stated that it was up to the airlines how they applied the surcharge, airlines could choose not to apply them to staff tickets.
Overall FOPs is a good little department, but the rest of the company treat us with contempt and our managers have less and less power to do anything to assist us or to improve the operation in general.
Swire turn over their managers every 2 - 3 years. To get your bonus and a promotion you have to show value. Each generation of manager focuses on making cuts. They may appear to be small (or the in the case of COS18 massive), but over time they accumulate and undermine the product (from safety of the flight up the front to the service and food in the back).
They recently announced a pay increase for some aircrew. At the same time they increased the thresholds for getting productively pay. When you also consider inflation, overall this was another pay cut. They are always screwing us over.
CX has made money over the years because its hub home city has grown, not because it is a well run airline.