Just checked out loads for many outports, and Hong Kong outbound. What I found MOST interesting, are the loads to Australia.
Sydney and Melbourne, just to name these two only are showing RED for what seems an eternity, and this raises a question : How the F&*% are we, STAFF of THIS company supposed to travel around the network to our homes, wherever that may be, if under 'normal' circumstances we're downgraded to Economy to allow Check-in staff to look after 'their own' and where Economy is showing as TOTALLY RED for the whole period around Chinese New Year and after !
Does this mean, because the locals have their New Year coming up, that the rest of us will suffer ??? Does this mean, that for someone with 1-3 weeks holidays around that time, wishing to visit his family for a SUPER-BELATED Christmas or a chance at some kind of New Year ('cos he/she HAD to work both of them!!!), that they stand a chance of NOT being able to get home ??? Some f*%^ing Travel system we have in place !!!!
Oh let me see, but of course, just as 'Travel Desk' suggests, let's use the Jump Seat section if we're having trouble finding a seat on a flight... like that will work, considering how many of us there are, competing for sometimes ONE seat because the Airbus (for Oz routes, as an example) is either overbooked (classic line they use at Hong Kong check-in) or weight-limited...
Then again, there's the FOC, the one that's NOT free anyway, but moreso seems to get people BUMPED OFF a flight, rather than confirming anything as concrete in the first place.
It's either the a**holes upstairs DON'T know what they're doing, or there's LOTS of bullsh*t being fed to staff ("Treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen" MIGHT work in a relationship, f*&^-knuckles)...
It's times of the year like this where we're being screwed over, again and again ! We work for you over Xmas and/or New Year - at least send a priority travel note to check-in staff to get us on the flights we need to see our families, for f*&%'s sake !!!
Rant over.. Merry Xmas ? Bah humbug !