Zapatas Blood, cx is not a low cost carrier. Given your description of an "East Coast day" perhaps your's is. Would you have us come down to your level of conditions or would you prefer your conditions to be improved to that enjoyed by others. Is this not why most aspire to the majors in the States? We have all done our apprenticeship of "Easy Coast "days to get here, is it not incumbent of us to see that those conditions are still here when your time comes?
At present our conditions (both policy and contractual) are under attack, some of it in areas that we believe has safety implications. In this I do not talk of menial items of discontent like meal breaks etc but, by way of example, proposed changes to FDP limits for Ultra Long Haul ops over multiple time zones with reduction to our layovers / rest / number of crew / quality of accomodation etc. It would be wrong of us to idly stand by and see those conditions eroded without raising a voice.
You quote an arduous 5 day pattern. Perhaps you could ask yourself how you would deal with a HKG JFK HKG with rest periods that have you reporting for the last sector in a "comfortably numb" state of consciousness with the deicing and taxiing debarcle that is so often the case in NY. Conversely try a six day pattern HKG ANC DFW ATL DFW ANC HKG with lip service being paid to physiological rostering.
A rising tide raises all ships. The opposite also holds true.
Last edited by fire wall; 3rd Feb 2010 at 03:28.