I don't really care to waste my time on this fight as i think you get the most of it. Hey, if you want in on their gig, apply, there's sure to be more help required down the road, especially with 500 or so newbies coming in the next two years (or so they hope).
But i must quote a few things -
So don't be too grateful towards the two individuals who average..... one CRS training day (6 hours) each month and it is ROSTERED!
Yep, they go into the office for one day a month AND spend hours of their own time to try and help the pilots understand what went wrong, as that's their core task with the job.
The system is simple and if you are in doubt, or even NOT in doubt about your bidding abilities, run the analyzer and it should give a relatively good idea of your next month. Unfortunately, the analyzer has little to do with reality
Their fallback line is always,''you must have bid incorrectly''. What a load of crap! I bid my months and then punch out the analyzer and it shows me exactly what I should expect to receive based on my seniority. Yet when the roster is published, it bears little resemblance to what CRS should have assigned.
I have to make sure you understand the analyzer - you do realize it operates in isolation to show you what you're feeding the computer, NOT comparing you relative to your seniority for that month? For example, there's gonna be no VIE, HAM, BKK etc in the bottom few bids as nobody but training leeching them out, gets them (outside the odd fluke).
I don't blame these 2 guys for taking advantage of the situation, but I do have a problem with the fact that they are not honest with us...... THEIR COLLEAGUES..... regarding the company manipulation of our rosters. I would hold them in higher esteem if not for the fact that they have found a niche in life and have become all to eager to BS us, their colleagues ... about how CRS is being utilized.
Seems to be pointing the finger and calling people "liars" to me. You obviously haven't got to know either of them, one i know for sure is a stand up guy.
Gotta hand it to the CRS boys, they have found the one and only crack in the Emirates punitive rostering system (other than being in management).
Why don't you start hounding whomever is in charge of this department, you might as well try to slip through the crack too!
Hey, i think rostering is a joke too. It's manipulated with way to much and hence, doesn't function very well. But that's all done from the companies' side, not these guys. Do you even know their function? I'll spell it out - to help fellow pilots iron out their personal mistakes from the system so as to acheive the highest roster satisfaction they can. These guys spend probably 5-15 hours a month of their own time above the office day in exchange for ONE flight choice a month. Kind of a "you scratch my back, i'll scratch yours" situation. What's the alternative, some indian doing SFA for you in the office when you try to comprehend why you have 6 night turns AGAIN? Good luck with that.
You also have to realize at times they're banging their heads against the wall. We pilots can be stubborn (dare i say closed minded?!) about being told we're wrong. I remember a guy bitching on a flight how he had 12 days off (the good old days), then a europe trip, then his leave - he was insensed! So i called one of the guys to find out what happened and he said he bid his string towards the vacation, instead of starting the string at the vacation and working backwards. I happened to run into the guy a couple of weeks later and told him what happened and he categorically denied it! His work and obviously crap memory versus what was evidence in the computer. I'll take the computer.
One of the MANY stories about it. Honestly, if you get a crap sched, go in one day and have them explain why, you could learn something and apply it to future bidding.
As for me, i've taken in some advice, learned from my mistakes and had the best rosters in the last year; aside from the 90+ hours that i don't want to fly and honestly, is unsustainable.
You need to rethink where you're throwing the mud. IT IS THE COMPANY 100%. Their planning or lack thereof, lack of respect for us and general desire to treat the "hired help" a certain way is what makes working here a chore a lot of the time. They have no desire to help us, even in trying personal times, except for some good doctors at the clinic. Expat management has sold their soul to the devil for $$s, doing what will get them the short term attention, promotions and bonuses and totally ruining our lives in the mean time. And totally compromising the long term viability of this company. If it weren't for some strategic benefits that we have here (geographical location, very cheap labour, probably cheap fuel), we would've faded into the desert long ago. Worst management I've seen, mainly on the human side of the equation.
When i came here many years ago, it was good, not great, but good and had lots of potential. That potential has all but been crushed in to the sand that this place will return to in the long run. The writing is on the wall and after i milk it for what i can, i'll be heading home to enjoy life in a society. Until then, I'm sure you'll agree, rostering is critical for that, I'm thankful to have some help that truly understands both sides of the fence.
Good luck, I hope it all works out for you.
CO