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Old 22nd Aug 2004, 20:50
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abra
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: SE England
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Nope..you are wrong.There are two sets of cabin crew working there.Excel crew who fly the 767on long haul routes..and Air Atlanta Europe/City Travel Direct who are crewed by Air Atlanta flying the 747.The Excel 767-300(there is only one) has been doing Caribbean flights for the last year or so.At the height of the season,the trips have been what the crews call 'Bullets,'straight there,20hours or so off,with perhaps some inter island positioning and then back.But there have been many longer trips on the 'shoulders' of the seasons.3 and 5 day lay overs are not unheard of,and there is/was a 7 day Puerta Plata.The new Indian/eastern trips will be done using a second 767-300 aircraft.There is no positioning being talked of at the moment..so it is likely the eastern trips will be crew hungary by having longer layovers.But just as the planned Cuba routes were lost at the last minute..don't hold your breath..believe things when they happen.And just remember,Air Atlantic Icelandic have a long history of making good money as an ACMI provider,overseen by the almost imperceptably light hand of the Icelandic CAA.They are now trying to become legitimate and are suffering the inevitable soaring costs of dealing with the UK CAA,and three inefficient levels of management,one in Iceland,which is youthful,inept but politically required;one in Air Atlanta Europe,which is between the rock of the UK CAA and hard place of its Icelandic masters and is legally required,and Excel..which is trying to continue the sucessful business it began until the fishy fingers of the new Icelandic 40% owners started fiddling with its innards and is probably the only one who knows what it is doing and is commercially required! Interesting times!Rumour has it on the Z carpark bus,that Excel crews have a good time.
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