OK, who's going to do it?? [Archive]

star84

22nd Dec 2005, 03:48

Im on call Christmas day and Boxing day this year. Hopefully I dont get called but if I do, thats life as they say.

I would rather get called in to do the morning shift than someone who has young children, because thats the best part of Christmas is watching them open their christmas presents in the morning.

Apparently the late flight on Christmas day only has 4 passengers booked on it, so they will probably cancel it.

DarkStar

22nd Dec 2005, 05:59

Overheard in the singles bar in Compass.....

...'well, I'm partying all night long and I'll just call in sick when I get in on Christmas morning'

...I'm all Jack! :hmm:

straightnotlevel

22nd Dec 2005, 15:31

im working xmas day, anybody else??

theskyboy

22nd Dec 2005, 16:17

Well I would be calling in sick, but unfortunatley I'm off. Do I still get a prize?

Happy Christmas And Happy New Year :ok:

Oh yes I'm off for that too!

virgincrew99

22nd Dec 2005, 20:29

whattimedoweland

22nd Dec 2005, 21:03

If I dived into a swimming pool full of nipples I would come up sucking my thumb......luck has never really blessed me,I'm in Christmas day and flying through the night New Years Eve into New Years Day:( .

There is a good side to this I'll save money buying drinks for people I won't see to next New Year and I won't wake up with a hang over.Just the smell of a cooked breakfast as I walk out of the crew rest area:ugh: .

Who the hell flies through New Year's eve!!?. My duty free P.A. will be ''If you would like to get a life they are for sale from our duty free bar ''!!.:p .

Anyway may I wish all you ppruners a great Christmas and New Year.

WTDWL.

hottowel

22nd Dec 2005, 22:03

I am off for Xmas thank god... I was working last year and had a 3 day layover in Venice.... lovely meal in a michelin graded restaurant at Lake Garda.... In Berlin on 30th then AMS for new years eve.... nice variety (not)....

So Iain... are you flying now?? Hope you are?!

Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy Flying New Year

Love Hottowel xxxxx

TightSlot

22nd Dec 2005, 22:41

Thanks virgincrew99 for your post, which is almost identical in content and message to every other post that you have made since joining us at PPRuNe - and so refreshingly free of punctuation and grammar apart from punctuation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Normally I wouldn't contribute to a thread dealing with domestic matters in another company - however, on this occasion, your post has irritated me enough to do so - probably unwisely and I'll probably regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are advising your colleagues to report sick at Christmas: This will inevitably result, at best, in another person's Christmas being messed up, and at worst, in several hundred passengers as well as their crews having their Christmas ruined in some way. In short, your suggestion is irresponsible, childish and selfish

It is your perogative to post bile about Virgin on PPRuNe (provided you observe the forum rules) even though the manner of your posting reveals far more about you than about the airline. However, there is a line, and you have just crossed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On behalf of all of those crew out there who will be called out this year, to cover the social sickness of those such as yourself - May 2006 offer you everything that you deserve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:rolleyes:

discostu

22nd Dec 2005, 22:55

Disco's working Christmas Eve eve, on standby for the big day then back in @ 5am Boxing Day :(

Still look on the bright side, I could be working New Years Eve & then @ 5am on New Years Day.

Oh wait........just remembered that I am :{

(Much muttering under breath)

OzzieO

23rd Dec 2005, 06:32

Enema Bandit's Dad well your posting is full of Christmas Cheer!!

Although I slightly agree with your posting I wouldn't have used the wording you did!

And Virgincrew99 do Virgin a favour well in fact do the whole airline industry a favour and resign. Your post is full of negative angry content.

If it makes you that unhappy work for a different company or leave Virgin. It really is as simple as that. Get a job in the outside world and see how you like it.

I went through a patch of disliking flying with the airline I am with at the moment so went of and tried something else in my free time and let me tell you it left me feeling humble and grateful for what I have.

Enema Bandit's Dad

23rd Dec 2005, 06:55

Edited for abuse/irrelevance/profanity/stupidity

Madam Dash

23rd Dec 2005, 07:42

I actualy don't mind working Christmas, you get heaps of sympathy and appreciation off the pax. They are usually in a jolly mood because they are on their way to meet family and freinds and realise you are missing an important day because you are stuck flying. And best of all my mother makes sure the family have a dinner to make up for the fact that I couldn't be home for Christmas.

Merry Christmas everybody and enjoy whatever you end up doing!

OzzieO

23rd Dec 2005, 08:18

Enema Bandit's Dad - Come on calm down!! Its two days before Christmas chill out!

KTPops

23rd Dec 2005, 12:45

Hey guys! I'm flying over Christmas and I can't wait! I have my musical antlers and my sparkly tinsel to stick all over me!! I get to spend Christmas with my friends in New York, I love my job!!!!

Virgincrew99, do every crewmember at Virgin a favour and **** off!! I hope I never fly with you as I'm sure it would be like pulling teeth! Life is too short, why not make your new years resolution to leave VS and find another job to whinge about!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

KTP xxx

Eddy

23rd Dec 2005, 14:06

haha thats all i got to say! call in sick who cares the company doesnt give you anything extra for working christmas!! except you missing out on spending time with your family and friends screw them that what i say if they gave me a decent incentive to work i would but paying for a crappy standby that costs you £150 out of your pocket and some allowance increase that wouldnt even buy you a burger on the hotel menu! go sick all virgin crew go sick am i sure many will!!! happy christmas to all!!!

I think you ought to quit your job you selfish cow.

When you applied for your job, you took it on knowing that it was a 365 day-a-year thing. No airline ever makes any suggestion to the contrary. WHY should the airline have to pay you more to work over Christmas? It's in your contract that you may have to so any refusal to do so is a breach of your working agreement.

If your company start paying you more to work Christmas, where will YOU stop before you're happy? Will you need an extra payment to work Easter Sunday? New Year's Eve? How about Thanksgiving? And your birthday is worth atleast an extra couple of hundred, surely.

I feel sorry for the people who have to work with you. If this is the kind of attitude you extend at CHRISTMAS TIME, you must be the real spawn of satan in the middle of July when the sun is shining and you want to be on the beach.

I wonder why standby costs you £150.00. Is it because you live away from base? Well, that's your decision. If it's that terrible, why not think about moving down south to be nearer work? And don't come the old "cos I couldn't afford anything as nice as I have here in bitchyville", that's just what your colleagues have to deal with EVERY SINGLE DAY.

One thing I'm truly thankful for this Christmas - the fact that I don't have to work with people like you!!!

Merry christmas.

The Royal Family

23rd Dec 2005, 18:46

Do they have to fly every day of the Year?? Just one day off out of 365...please

Eddy

23rd Dec 2005, 18:53

:cool: In an ideal world, my friend. Sadly, as mentioned before, different countries and cultures celebrate things differently. This is a global industry and as much as it would be fantastic to have New Year off each year, it's just not practical.

If you're working, I hope you enjoy yourself and are able to make up for being away when you get home!

All the best.

chuks

23rd Dec 2005, 20:09

I was rostered for Christmas in Isolo, Lagos, Nigeria. That would be the place they put the hose if they ever need to give Planet Earth an enema.

Then I lost my job. Now I am off to go skiing in the Tirol, Austria. So, all you poor devils who have to work over Christmas can envy me while laughing at my jobless status. Back to Earth with a bump, indeed.

I don't know how to feel about all this, whether to laugh or cry, except that I plan to enjoy my Christmas with my family rather than sat down there in Lagos wondering what the point of it all is.

I have to fly Big Airways back from Munich to London on New Year's Day. I want to see every one in uniform standing tall, bright-eyed and cheery, not sullen and hung-over like a close friend of mine often appeared when rostered on a holiday!

Meanwhile, cheer up! Think about how little traffic there will be to cope with as you ply the airways or the aisles. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Enema Bandit's Dad

25th Dec 2005, 08:42

And all I did was speak the truth.

sydney s/h

25th Dec 2005, 08:46

the c*nts drafted me yesterday (24th) after my trip to do an airport reserve today and totally f*cked my day off as i had no time to rearrange anything for today.

Oh well....didnt want to have lunch with my loved ones....much rather sit at work all day.

Bus429

25th Dec 2005, 09:24

I sympathise with all working over Christmas (I'm on station but not at work) but that's aviation. Not only are cabin and flight crew working but maintenance engineers and other ground support staff (not forgetting ATC) are also at work.

Throughout my shift-working career, most guys would, where possible, re-arrange their shifts to allow those with small children or long-standing family commitments to take XMAS off, even if rostered on. The compromise would allow those working XMAS to enjoy the New Year celebrations.

Virgin99, get a life and an evening course in English.

Floaty

25th Dec 2005, 19:25

This is a special message to thank all my fantastic colleagues in BA Eurofleet LHR working over Christmas!

Because of YOU GUYS, I could fly (in Club Class) yesterday to Switzerland and celebrate xmas with my 93 y.o. grandmother, (which is something I may not be able to do next year or any other year for that matter). You made both of us very very happy and without you being on duty, I wouldn't be off and wouldn't be home either!!!...

Have a cracking chrimbo boys and girls!!!!! Your 'sacrifice' made someone really happy!

fj xxx

p.s. I worked last year, took my partner on a nightstop, nothing wrong with that!! The year before we had cod and chips at home after a Lapland flight coz' I was too tired to cook anything! :} THAT was charter life...

tart1

26th Dec 2005, 01:48

I just flew in from Taba (Egypt) with Astreus (AEU 296). We landed at about 10.15 so the crew must have not had much of a Christmas Day.

They were extremely good ........... cheerful, efficient, lovely people. It was a very smooth flight and arrived 20 minutes early.

Thank you to Mark and his crew - they were great!! :cool:

bartygwailo

26th Dec 2005, 15:14

I have a poorly baby at home. I was called from standby on Christmas Day for a five day trip and now my roster has changed so I am on standby on New Years Day too for another five day trip. I work in a small base and have a pretty good idea that the reason I had to work and will have to work on my new standby is due to social sickness.

Standby is a part of our duty, and if I am called, the moment I receive the call I feel utterly miserable, but then when I come to work I am cheerful and enjoy the atmosphere with my colleagues. I am pretty sure I will get called again on the first. I feel pretty miserable about it. But again when I get to work I will make the best to enjoy the camaraderie.

I think it is odd that anyone would think that chucking a sicky on Christmas Day/ Eve, New Years Day/Eve etc is justified, because of bitterness toward their airline managment. I have been trying to work out how the airline managment suffers if you go sick. Isn't it our colleagues and friends who's plans ( not that I make any when on standby) are buggered?

Even though I am not a single parent and there is care for my baby at home I feel particularly uncomfortable with the thought that I can't be with her when she is legitimately ill, but the social sickers can enjoy their self rewarded day off.

I am trying not to sound bitter, because all the people writing about how we must grin and bear it and how it is just part of our job are 100% correct.

But I can't help but feel just a little less seasonal cheer this year.

sukigirl

26th Dec 2005, 16:22

barty im sorry you have had a rough deal this year and its understandable to feel less seasonable, your right it is part of the job but it still sucks. You are probably the first person i have heard of with a child who doesnt feel that you are owed xmas of and that only people without children should work xmas as they dont deserve to be at home. Its an attitude i come across regularly and have known of many crew to go sick cos they want to be at home with their baby and have no consideration for their collegues being called out. This is not an attack on people with kids, its just an observation i have made. We all have to do our fair share of xmas, new year, standbys etc.. and it sucks but there are good parts to. I feel lucky to have been in vegas for this xmas and LA for new year but hope next year to be off like you probably do barty so fingers crossed!

Enema Bandit's Dad

26th Dec 2005, 19:41

Just keep a little list of who does the bludging so that next time they ask for a favour from you, like a trip swap, you already have the answer at hand.

Capn Notarious

26th Dec 2005, 22:53

The essence of this thread is to
Out / reveal and cause disquiet to those whose personal standards are so low that, they call in to say that they are sick, when workshyness or self induced malady is the true cause.
Without the eighty year olds and the dead; who gave us our freedom in the 1940's. None of these, could not care types, would be here; talking and walking.
My compliments to Enema Bandit's Dad.

Flying_Sarah747

28th Dec 2005, 12:53

Well I was on 2 hour standby and suprise, suprise, got called out to do a lovely Seattle nightstop on the 24th. Couldn't take anyone cause I only found out 2 hours before that I was working, and nothing was open in Seattle, so thank-you to who ever went sick on that trip!

New Years eve, well, I'll be flying through that too I think, although this is now subject to my standby decision day on the 30th, which I want to be in the country for, cause my boyfriend is over from Oz!!! If all goes to plan though, I'll land up in Accra sometime after the new year has come.

Not to worry though, there's always next year! :)

Merry Xmas and happy new year everybody!

SkySista

7th Jan 2006, 15:42

Bus429, like you, I too try to swap shifts with colleagues who have kids or lots of family commitments. Being in my early 20's, single (well until recently :D) and not really having a big deal over Xmas, I didn't mind switching so someone's little boy or girl would have mummy or daddy home on Xmas eve. It's all about karma eh - coz said Mum or Dad would be so grateful I'd get New year's or the next cople of Friday nights off!!!! :p

Well done to all of you who had to work Xmas and NY away from your family but didn't call in sick. As someone said above, you can't pick and choose in this job...! :)

Full Emergency

7th Jan 2006, 16:14

Overheard in the singles bar in Compass.....

...'well, I'm partying all night long and I'll just call in sick when I get in on Christmas morning'

...I'm all Jack! :hmm:

There's a singles bar in the Compass Centre ??

:cool:

Full Emergency

7th Jan 2006, 16:19

As of the 20th December I worked 12 hour shifts solidly until the 2nd January.:(

Worked Xmas Eve night into Xmas morning (1900 - 0700) and was back in both Xmas Day night shift and Boxing Day (1900 - 0700).

Also had to work 1100hrs - 2300hrs on New Years Eve and 1100hrs - 2300hrs on New Years Day.

Oh well. At least the overtime will pay for to go to Oz next year ('07). Don't know what airline to fly with though.

FE

flyblue

7th Jan 2006, 16:29

Good girl SkySista :ok:
My Company every year around October sends us a paper asking if we volunteer to work for XMas/NY. I think it's quite clever, because as you say some people have priorities over those days and some don't. I personally never volunteer, but neither request either XMas or NY off. As a result I almost always get both off, while people who made a request didn't :confused: go figure
I must say that if it wasn't so depressing to be in an empty hotel with minimum staff and the shops closed on Christmas Day, more people would be willing to fly on that day.

The Voice

7th Jan 2006, 17:33

Even though I'm not CC, I work alongside them. I worked the days surrounding chrissy day, but managed to be on call at home with the phone for the day - which duly rang 0610 local. I am pleased to say it was a false start and it was the only time it rang. I also lucked out and scored NYE and NYD ..

Thankfully, none of my crews rosters needed rejigging at either time!

SkySista

8th Jan 2006, 01:09

flyblue... if the airlines made it a bit more 'worth their while', i.e. bonuses or organising something for them to do while on layover, maybe more people would fly... yes, it is part of the job and people should expect to work it once in a while, but... humans are humans and being recognised/commended for 'playing by the rules' and working the 'undesirable' days would probably convince the majority considering calling in sick not to....

Or perhaps they could wait until after the day and give everyone who turne dup for their allocated roster a big fat bonus :E

And, in this day and age, not everyone thinks Chrissy is the be-all and end all of the year... so here's my tip... find someone who's not Christian/doesn't celebrate Chrissie, and arrange if they work Chrissie for you, you'll work their important day.... she'll be right then!!!! :D :) :ok: