Curtain,
a few facts.
It takes 3 LHR-HKG-LHR patterns for UK based to get 84 credit hours. So whether it is crammed into 21 or 27 calendar days doesn't really matter. They(CX) will get their productivity.
The summer schedule fully complies with AFTLS. It does NOT comply with the company's own NTC limitations.
The waiver you speak of is for a company imposed, 3 man trial to UK limitation. It has NO effect on AFTLS - so has no effect on any other 3 man flights.
The decision to do this was made non industrially by non industrial representatives who are responsible for safety not politics....and they are/were in a minority on the FRMSC.
This change has NO effect on HKG based pilots flying to LHR as part of the trial.
The only pilots who lose/gain from this are the EUR based pilots who are on that particular pattern.
You talk about the Canadians having excellent protection - they have RP07 - I don't know what additional protections they have above that (as pointed out by CPDUDE) but I do know they were pressured into doing 3 man flights on occasion. In exactly the same way as HKAOA pilots were when RP07 was in force. It was legal to operate iaw AFTLS but against the letter of the contract.
I'm all for calling out CX when it is warranted - but this seems to be a rant without a reason IMHO!
Last edited by Numero Crunchero; 4th May 2016 at 13:51.
Reason: cpdude rightly called my statement's veracity about AOAC into question. Edited accordingly