Originally Posted by 6Chimes
...The trouble with using the 'you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' approach is that it almost always works one way. After all in a larger airline how do you repay the favour? So if you are not careful you build up a certain amount of antagonism against you (crewing).
Valid points all.
Once you've been doing Crewing a while though you build up a mental 'Black Book' of people you know will help out for a favour which you can repay immediately by removing them from a future duty date of their choice and giving them an extra day off, etc.
Whenever someone agrees to help out like that I always ask them there and then what I can do for them, and do it while they're on the phone. That way there's none of this "I did Crewing a favour three months ago and now I want Saturday off" business that no-one will remember anything about.
You also build up a mental 'Black Book' of people you know will only give you trouble and to steer clear of!
Originally Posted by Boredcounter
Trust me the goodwill worked both ways, it is the only way it does. Perhaps you work for a larger airline than I ever have, but I honestly prefer the smaller ‘family environment’. The last time I worked with Cabin Crew, I guess we peaked at about 250 of them on paper rosters...
yes, I'd say that mine is a little larger than that - but we're still in four figures!
... A mutual swap was never met with no without a reason, and where at all possible other names to try and swap with.
Same as me. If they want to swap and it's illegal we'll tell them why it's illegal so they can find someone else to swap with and try again. Some crews have trouble understanding the fact that it's actually easier for us to swap and approve a duty than it is to reject it and have to call or email the individuals concerned to explain why we've rejected it!
...All Crew were actively disturbed on their rest period to stop them leaving home when flights cancelled over night and put on standby, etc etc.
Yep. We do that too. I have no problem disturbing rest if there's nothing for them to fly when they get there! May as well call them early and let them have a lie-in.
In fact a number of grounded Cabin Crew assigned to us changed their views on almost everything when they worked with us, contact before standby one of them.
That is a very good point, and one which I'm glad you brought up. We should do a quick secondment to each other's department on a regular basis. When the two groups spend their working lives totally apart there's always the risk of alienation.
I know there are certain Cabin Crew members who regard Crewing as being nothing but sad, miserable gits with no lives so they just want to wreck the lives of others by giving them unpopular duties, etc.
I also know Crewing guys who regard Cabin Crews as little more than inconsequential biscuit-chuckers who do nothing but whinge about having to fly for a living and spend the sunny weekends going sick!
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. I love in when Cabin Crew guys pop over to see me because I can show them exactly what happens in crewing. And how little we have to work with sometimes!
I'd be interested to spend a day in a Crew Room too so that those with gripes against Crewing can tell me to my face rather than moan to their mates. That way the problems could be addressed and we would all have easier lives.
I somewhat disagree with Picasa’s comment that Crewing will always win, it is more a case that they are a good friend to have, who, will play harder by the rules when required and know the rules that bit better.
I always think it's not a matter of which 'side' wins. If the plan works and the flight goes then we
all win. That way we've all still got jobs.
I too now work with online roster access, albeit in box hauling now, not the passenger world. It amazes me how many roster changes are accepted on days off and during rest periods, so thinking about work whilst on all periods free from duty.
You're right again. I'm not at work again until the end of next week, but here I am writing about Crewing on a web forum!
... I should get out more. 