For Andre Dose's attention

[fab40]

Mr. Dose,

Since you are taking the helm around mid April, here are a list of priorities and ideas to take us back to the glory days. These are just a few things that can make life happy. We can also give you cost cutting ideas!!!

:ouch: Get rid of all of Hogies nodding dogs....unless you want them to nod away for you. (includes Barbie doll)
:D On time performance is deplorable - it will be a miracle if you are able to fix it. Monopoly situation.
:yuk: It is tiring and frustrating when you are waiting at airports without information about delays, or without aircraft.
:mad: We don't have to tell you about the maintenance issues - just meet with SRT who are still in shock.
- Defects - defects - defects - defects - defects, need we say more.
:yuk: The food for the passengers is inedible..we lost the cream of our Arab passengers because the 'so-called 5 Star Chefs' service and lazyness. Don't let us start with the crew food - we don't eat it anyway.
:ugh: Fix the problems we are having at Staff Travel - it is not called service and we have been putting up with them for too long.
:ok: Stop the theft of airline property by the staff - and if there is a policy to sack them, then lets set the example.
:{ Insufficient car parking in the pink palace.
:uhoh: Service at the staff check in area at Bahrain airport does not follow any process - 'wasta' or knowing somebody gives you priority.
:p Good way to save $$$ get rid of all the freebies flying in first and business cabins.

[ironbutt57]

Have to strongly disagree with your comments about the first class food...up there with if, not the best in the area..sure the bloke coming is well briefed on the URGENT issues that need attending at GF...

[Panama Jack]

fab40, I don't know what your food standards are, but I am sure you must be a good cook or your wife must make a pretty good meal. GF food is pretty good by world airline standards. As far as the crew food goes, wow, sorry, but they are some of the best crew meals I've had in my career. :ooh:

Hey, there is always Jasmi's in the terminal if you are a true connoisseur.

[surely not]

Not sure what the monopoly position is that is affecting on time performance?
If it refers to the ground handler then you should check your facts. Only a very few delays are caused by the ground handler, most are tech, awaiting transfer load from Late inbound aircraft, link crew off late inbound aircraft, through check-in problems, but most of all, as first stated, technical delays!!

How will fixing staff travel turn GF back into a leading airline in the region? Is iit tied in with getting rid of all the free loading crew in the front end?

At least you accept changes are required :D

[A300Man]

Compared to other offerings in the region, the GF catering is actually NOT that good guys. Sorry to say it. It is randomly excellent, but most times mediocre.

However, from a business perspective, one assumes that IFC is a little way down Andre's list of priorities. Good, structural business planning must come first. I agree with the majority of the original correspondent's comments.

[Left Coaster]

Catering was always fine. How about getting Mr. Dose to get his company to honor their contractual obligations to their former employees? GF owes me a LOT of $$$ and refuses to pay! And before anyone jumps on me, I LEGALLY satisfied all the requirements on my contract and left fully expecting reciprocity. In fact there are quite a few who left at the end of their contracts who haven't recieved the ESB after more than two years of trying. GF's HR dept are a bunch of lying, stealing, cheating...you fill in the rest...:ugh:

[ironbutt57]

May I suggest the law partners Dewey, Cheatem,& Howe:}

[jimmyhagendas]

5 BD now to get in to BJs on thursdays...and 2.5 for a pint...
Mr Dose can you also look into this...
:O

[wastafarian]

here oldtimer crews from gulfair complainin that all minrest nightstops make it more difficult to get laid like in the glorry days of gulf air. maybe something can be done for better rested crews and greater moral. :E

[FARHOOD]

mr dose give bah pilots school fees.ths may stop bah capt and f/o leaving gf.:bored:

[MMC]

I must add my bit.

The food on GF 1st, business & economy is very good. Much better than most if not all of the other airlines I have flown with. There are problems with service but food is not one of them.

Yes I agree school fees and rent are problems, lets give the new guy a chance and see what happens.

The grass is not alway greener - its just the way the sun shines!

[Icarus]

MH: I doubt crew are leaving due to the food! Admit I have heard MK's CV is a little like something out of a Hans Christian Andersen book - but things have come on a long way in IFS when compared to the recent and longer past.

As for being irrational in repsect of 'Awards for Performance' - what else would they be awarded for? You all sit their moaning about wanting your 3% performance based increment (read "award!") - I'm surprised you all haven't pulled the "Any landing you walk away from is a good one" yet so you can use that as a basis for justifiying the claim!

[Desert_Storm]

Well, I would say the food in GF ain't that bad at all but still wondering why one can't see stray dogs walking on the streets of Bahrain; we should ask our cateres or even our sky chefs to find out hahaha :\
Tail wind on CRZ mates!

[ironbutt57]

Maybe for the same reason there are very few stray cats hanging out in the vicinity of the shwarma kiosks?? :}

[Desert Diner]

but still wondering why one can't see stray dogs walking on the streets of Bahrain

Let's stick to reality. :8 Dogs are Harram. Stick to cats:ok:

[jollyikarus]

Yes, unfortunately it is the same Andre Dose from Crossair and Swiss...
With some court cases still open, I am surprised that Switzerland lets him out of the country, and - even more surprised - that the Bahreinis give him that job!
As the French would say....a non-valeur.
Reminds me of the FILTH in the 80s..... Failed In London - Try Hongkong.
Do we now have a new generation, the FIETME????
(Failed in Europe - Try Middle East)
How much money is there left to line their pockets????
And Moritz Suter has been seen in the ME recently, too....
Be prepared for another cultural clash (of non-valeurs in the BS-league)!

Good thing about it...they can't do any more harm in Europe!

Good luck to all of you in GF!

Cheers,

JI ;-)

[boeingdriverx]

I have request also.

Gulf Air has one the lowest PILOT BASIC SALARY in the Gulf (see Air Arabia Capt basic:2350 BHD, Etihad capt basic: 3300BHD, Emirates Capt basic: 2900 BHD), not even mentionning the bad allowances which don't match any reality...

So Mr Doze, if you want to keep your flightdeck working force from leaving for other airlines in a continous flow (recently 10 A320 captains resigned to join Air Arabia - to double their salary with a Bahrain base...), please increase SIGNIFICANTLY our basic salary or your airline will have corroded airplanes and no pilot to fly them !

Should I mention also that not only the Middle East is diying for pilots (see Qatar Airways) but back home too... So your pilot shortage will be for real sooner or later...

Cheers,
BD

[Panama Jack]

Looks like GF gets it's new CEO tomorrow morning (hopefully not an April Fool's joke). I guess we'll see what comes next.

[Thylakoid]

And who cares about Gulf Air?:}

[ironbutt57]

The ones whose families it feeds...thats who cares...:ok:

[LOC GREEN]

I am sure a lot of pilots in GF awaiting the announcement from their new CEO... I wonder what sort of plans he has for the future of GF and for his poor pilots who are dreaming of salary increase... but what I'm sure of that his announcement will dictate the number of pilots resigning in the next few weeks!!!!!! :ugh:

Good luck to all

[Desert_Storm]

I'm a very close friend of a guy (A320) who knows Mr. Dosé and according to him, we better don´t expect huge or dramatic changes in our salaries or allowances since that's not Mr. Dosé policy. Well, in my case, I´ll wait until july or september to apply to EK or Emirates 'coz honestly, don't think this situation will improve at all. Good luck to all of us mate. :{

[Desert_Storm]

:\ On top of this lack of salaries, let's not forget the situation arising in iran. Sooner or later Mr. Devil will attack our neighbourg and then, it'll be really difficult to persuade any expat pilot to come to this region especially for this tiny salary. My advise to all of you guys trying to join GF is that after passing your assessment read carefully your contract since, and this is for sure, they'll tell you things that won't come true when you finally join the company: Housing, time away based salary, etc
Good luck mates

[boiler]

Mr. Dose has a reputation for cutting routes and employees. Expect GF to downsize dramatically. My guess is that they will get rid of all 767's and I doubt they will be replaced. Whether or not he will decide to reduce the fleet further by getting rid of another type (such as the A340's) in order to have a two-type fleet (320's and 330's) is anyone's guess.

[Ray Darr]

PLEASE STICK TO THE TOPIC HERE, EVERYONE, and HELP FIX what could be A REALLY GREAT COMPANY to work at. It had so much potential when I left. It was truly sad to go!

Having said that, I address this to my friends and co-workers who are still with Gulf Air...and your new CEO.

You really need to let Andre know what MUST be fixed at your airline. Make him know loud and clear things MUST be fixed or you will continue to bleed away while many more leave for "elsewheres".

Why do I care, you ask? First off, I lived there for quite a number of years, and put my heart and soul into the place. Crew left (and continue to leave) Gulf Air for many reasons. It is a shame to leave places where the PEOPLE - locals and expats - made the difference. They were the reason that many of us stayed there so long before finally saying "ENOUGH!!". But unless things improve, there will not be many left to drive the machines, mate, since so many say "enough" and walk out. To those of you who are going to leave GF soon, LIST your reasons LOUD AND CLEAR so that you don't just say
"ENOUGH!" and walk out, too! MAYBE it will change. I just wish it had changed before I threw in the towel and left for much greener (green-backs) pastures. I care, because of the people I got to work with who are still there, still hoping, and still waiting. My family LOVED Bahrain (so did I). My children LOVED it there - we all had many great friends - locals and expat - and found it to be such a pleasant place to call home. I left (on good terms) for money reasons. We even enjoyed the short-lived fiasco that had us in the UAE for a while then back to Bahrain again.

I have no regrets leaving (my bank account loves me!). My family loved our time there, and even some of the schools are good there (NOT the School FEES GF says you get, mind you!). Sadly, because of various reasons, mostly INEPT departments and senior managers, we had to go!

Andre, you MUST listen to these complaints. What you hear will only be a fraction of the story on what needs to be done. Start by cleaning the rats out of that pretty pink house you have inherited. I've heard all of the VP's are gone or going (Are they?). Well, that sounded like an intelligent pre-arrival move. Good on ya, mate.

There are so many departments that must be fixed that have been brought up in numerous postings here but LISTEN to the concerns of your crew, and take action on these things - fast.

I've also heard that FIFTEEN LOCALS ARE LEAVING now (and who knows how many more expats)?!! Maybe many more have already either been interviewed elsewhere, and more awaiting their interviews. Isn't an instant 60% raise a good reason to leave? Start by fixing your pay issue, and you won't spend so much money being a training facility for everyone else's crew!

Eliminate the garbage that is screwing your airline up, and aim high. Higher than your now-leaving HOFO, PM, who so correctly chose to walk out of that mess there. Damn fine person to work with, and he supported every reason why I left. Losing him is one huge loss to your company. I bet if half of the headaches he faced there were FIXED and not just mindlessly given the reply of "we'll think about it" whenever he tried to correct wrongs, PM might have stayed. Aim higher than your now-leaving HOFT, CR, who also chose to leave after being there for many, many years. Another loss to GF.

Good luck, Andre, with your seemingly-useless "BORED" of Directors, too. Simply clean the house of the poor performers that infests that place. While the biggest cleaning could take place with the higher-ups, look way down, too. On average, MOST of the workers there does maybe an hour of honest work. YES, there are a great many who are dedicated. However - many arrive, swipe in, park their cars in the car park (or go shopping and return at swipe-out...). It was PATHETIC to see!

Many of us who left to better places will remember the many great people we got to work with. What is happening there is no fault of the people that FLY there, but of those higher up who are responsible for the stagnation in that place. THEY are the real targets Andre. THEY are the reason you are losing more good people!

Ask yourself why so many of us left, and so many others are going to. It gets scary when the locals are leaving, and I am glad I left when I did.

Issues at Gulf Air still:

Pay!!! There are airlines that pay 50% better with 100% better equipment! WAKE UP GF - no wonder people are leaving, with the $hit pay that is still being offered, and NO WONDER people still change their mind about going there!

So many other companies have an organized Staff Travel. I asked this in an earlier posting, but is the Staff Travel Manager still there? Nice guy but in the wrong position. He's bloody useless in making effective changes for the better!! And CLEAN ALMOST ALL of that p!ss-poor Staff Travel STAFF OUT!! What a joke it was to stand in a non-moving queue for HOURS while EVERY Staff Travel staff-member except for Abdulla and one guy (another local Bahraini - Mustaffa?) who knew his stuff, and WORKED, while the rest sat and pecked messages on their mobile phones while the queues kept growing!! Is it still as bad as a couple of years back? Is it??

School Fees! Need I say more?

A decent RETIREMENT FUND.

So many other airlines have non-corrupt housing departments (Mr "T" had a shady background and yet he still oversees the housing contracts? And can you say 10%???!!! Kick-backs are a crime, aren't they?) And how about the paltry amount that they give to find your own place (nothing is "provided" like they said in the contract...). Get one of the "BORED" of Directors to find a place with what GF thinks ANYone might find with the money they say will get something decent. NOT!! NO WONDER people are pissed off about their housing - and still leaving! (Read what is in the contract and what they "offer"!!!).

So many other airlines have a true HR department - USEless - "Human Remains", not Resources! It was a slide downhill when Ali S was moved from helping the pilots - what a terrific, sincere gentleman he was - only to be shoved into a corner by some pathetic ex-secretary-now-manager who she thinks she now runs the place (is she still there?? BAD APPLE!!!). I hear SHE ("A") SELECTS PILOTS NOW?? How sad is THAT?!

...or an engineering department that can hire and retain a legitimate amount of engineers. The poor blokes there can hardly cope. You have a dedicated group in engineering - treat them well and things can be fixed - with enough engineers needed to do the job!

...or a medical clinic that WORKS (unlike the mess that GF has. Are your Doctors still quitting in frustration?! Ever wonder why the clinic is open 24 hours then not then 24...? The doctors know it is spiralling out of control, too, and they end up QUITTING!!)

...and with this latest fiasco you are dealing with...who oversees the maintenance there now?! At least someone had the balls to bring them in for checks. (Oh and your acting big-boss said it was "minute traces" of "minor corrosion" in his letter to everyone that someone posted here?! HAH! He needs glasses. LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND READ THE REPORTS of what sure is NOT "MINUTE TRACES of MINOR CORROSION"!! Minor my eye. Glad I am not driving those Boeing's there anymore...!)

If these issues would be addressed, instead of being mindlessly ignored, your company would retain ALL of the people that left, and attract lots more.

As I said before....and I sincerely mean it: Good luck, GF. You truly are a great bunch, and I will never forget the people there. It's too bad that those at the top have left it rusting too long in the sand. It could still be a great place to work.

I can't watch this thread from afar without tossing in some legit comments about other areas that have been touched on briefly by others. Please feel free to respond back to whatever I say, and good luck to all of you there.

Time for a SERIOUS clean sweep, Andre.

Cheers,
R.D.

Comments?

[Speedbrake Lever]

Ray

Good Post but I'm afraid a complete waste of your time

Do you know the history of this new CEO ?

Yes we can but live in hope, I'm afraid i've being doing that too long here

S.L.

[tbaylx]

That about covers it :) the only thing that needs to be added to that list is the leave tickets. We're getting bumped on our "guaranteed" annual leave ticket home, totally unacceptable.

Like many of my peers i'll stick around long enough to give Andre a fair chance to sort some of these issues out this summer, if it's not significantly better by Sept. or so, halas, time for a new job.

[wastafarian]

http://www.fbuch.com/images/korda_che.jpg

here is a recent picture of ray.

[ironbutt57]

Nice pix wasty...not far off:} ...second sand dune??? all i have here is dirt and the occasional Juffair dirt blizzard!!:( tried to live "in hope" speedy, but she wouldnt let me, had faith for a while..now it's time to jump for joy...:hmm::cool:

[Trader]

Staff travel and BAS have now been informed that staff are NOT to be bumped. Bumping is done on a first come basis so if you arrive at the airprt early enough your travel class is identical to that of any other pax.

If the flightis oversold those that arrive oo late will be bumped regardless of whether they are an employee or not.

[Speedbrake Lever]

Trader

That has always been the case but not too many people actually know it

Priority B1-B3 must travel

Priority B4-B9 are treated the same as Commercial Pax

so last to check in first to come off

I have that piece of paper for well lets say 8 years or more

but if you don't know it you'll get bumped

simple check in early

nothing to do with the Swiss Criminal

S.L.

[pullup hard]

Quoting boilermaker: "Mr. Dose has a reputation for cutting routes and employees"...

I don't know where you have that one from, but the only thing Mr. Dose was famous for is: Doing NOTHING!!!
He did not even have the guts to lay off people where as it probably would have been the only right way to go.
His latest Job was director of the Board of a TRAMWAY company (YES , you've heard right, but after he almost ran Swiss Intl. into the ground, there was no other job left in Switzerland for a looser like him...) and guess what, even the Tramway company found out he was good at..NOTHING!!So, where does he end up? In the Gulf!!
Sorry GF guys, wish you all the best and hope you can get him out again soon.
Just make sure you cut his direct telephone line to Mr. Moritz Suter, ex CEO Crossair....a :mad: man!

[Goldstone]

I presume Pullup Hard and Speedbrake Lever are flight deck. All you guys do is moan, moan, moan. Mostly because you have far too much time on your hands and rarely do a real day's work. If you had proper jobs you'd have less time to think of new things to complain about, less time to sit in front of your computers between flights thinking of more negative bulls**t, less desire to refer to people you don't know as "criminals" (which, by the way, I find pretty unacceptable).

May I, with due respect, suggest that the new GF CEO be given a chance to prove himself. He's been in the job two days, he's got a real challenge on his hands and needs to be given time to sort out the airline's problems.

Thank you.

[Stratosphere6000]

Well Goldstone, yes any smart punter should realise that the new boss must be given some time to correct things. However I hope you also realise that some areas are CRITICALLY lacking! (read the above posts to get an idea of a few). Lets hope you're not planning on giving him more time than should be necessary. Both GF and Bahrain have tons of potential, but you cannot point fingers at people who are getting a little frustrated and running out of patience. Most of them have been around for a few years and can do nothing but keep their fingers crossed and that in my opinion is unacceptable.

[ironbutt57]

Thanks for the comment goldstone when u sit at your desk and go home every day, and have reasonable hours and sleep patterns...and dont let little problems like enroute storms, defects repeatedly signed off, slippery runways, and the rest..our life is basically "swing shift"....I do agree that lets give the fellow some time to have a look and get things sorted, but your denigrating comments regarding flt deck are out of order...so next time you show up for a staff travel flight, think about the crews that are making it happen for you that day, and all the GF team for that matter...

[bus787]

Its not the pilots who do not give a chance.
Its the higher managment of the company.
Any time someone tries to sort out things which was what JH tried to do he finds all the Bored directors against him.
They dont want to change it.its gud to be able to s... form the countries money.

[gulfboy]

Hello Speedbrake Lever

That piece of information abour staff being/not being bumped sounds interesting.
(And what is the case with staff on confirmed leave tickets being made to sit in jumpseats all the way from SYD to BAH with several seats available in J-class? Not that I am suggesting to put staff in J-class seats, but why not upgrade some lucky punter from EY to J and let us have a seat in zoo-class?)
And who has any idea WHAT all those lovely codes B1-2-3-etc actually MEAN?
We certainly weren't given any explanation and don't know where to look things up...

A scan of your "piece of paper" on these pages would be most welcome...

Cheers!

[stator]

Hello Gents,
Can anyone tell me the real deal about the bond that GF makes you sign for your type.

How leagal is it? if at all! And can they enforce it internationally because I'm comming to the breaking piont with these guys!!

\cheers.:=

[tbaylx]

It's not really enforceable outside Bahrain. You can forget about your leaving indeminity if you bail while under your bond, and may or may not have issues getting your last paycheque once you give notice (if you do).

It's more of a proffessional thing. It's a bit bad form to just disappear while bonded, and you certainly burn a few bridges. That being said there are several people that just have had enough and go, there isn't much GF can do if you have no plans of returning to the ME to work.

[fab40]

Well rumour has it in the pink palace (and also in the arabic press ite seems) that the axe has fallen on VP/S, VP/F and the other one in charge of Cargo. :D Whats the status of VPO? And all the other mafia ....come on give us hope . At least the most positive indication is that locals are not a protected species anymore (read Bahrainis and Omanis):ok:

I guess he had to start at the top and make way for his own team - just as JH bringing his Aussies when he first came in. At least lets hope that ADs team are professional. Lets hope the buck doesn't stop here as there are more on the next few levels that GF have been harbouring.

Remember Mr. Dose...there are still a lot of JH campers on site...blondie....MK our favourite topicc...the other one that used to be in airports and was then hanging around the USA and then brought back.....Guess their holiday should come to an end sometime. Hey, what about bringing on someone proactive in HR and a decent Staff Travel Manager.

Any ideas where one can attend German language classes? :hmm:

[MikeHunt]

In the realm of the blind, the one eyed is King!

So it was and so it will be, man has never learned from history, nor will he prevent it from happening again.

JH, MK, Blondie are all but one facet of the same problem, lack of professionals all the way through. And it shows in what GF has to offer.

Don't know how you guys live in this disaster area, seems to be the same problem repeating itself again and again and again and again.......and again.

good luck!

[LOC GREEN]

seems to be the same problem repeating itself again and again and again and again.......and again.


Well said MikeHunt... I wonder what sort of posts will be here in 3 years from now :suspect:

[boeingcrap]

Etihad FO makes 24500 basic, better housing allowance, better school fees plus, plus. Come on James Hogan, lift the GF pilot recruitment ban and we will be knocking on your doorsteps. GF is not worth the slavery life we are living.:ugh:

[Stratosphere6000]

Since the turn of the year EK announced salary rise. EY was next with their bumper package last month. The latest from the vines is that the rice at QR has also turned into a payrise. Interesting....GF anyone? That would be asking for too much now right?

[commander38t]

My humble advise to Mr. Dose, is to get rid of the VP`s especially the VPO and his friends and then start building a new team.

You cant teach the old dog a new trick and they are not willing to learn or change.



A380 commander

[Desert_Storm]

It's funny how we all are concerned now because of the possible or well deserved salary increase in GF. Mates, we better start worrying about keeping our job here; GF getting rid of the 767's, well, we'll be redundant and it also means pilots seizure. God help us all.
P.S. MR. AD has been famous (notorious) in Europe because of this. One single decision: dismiss redundant pilots and HALAS!!!!!!!!!!
:{ :{ :{ :{ :{ :{ :{

[crab angle]

Very good Dose! Next step HOUSING DEPARTMENT.

[jimmyhagendas]

Andre Dose if you are to get rid of koruption in the company you should have a closer look at T...Q at the housing department...
Him and his department are a major factor of staff leaving.

[birdog60]

I don't know where you have that one from, but the only thing Mr. Dose was famous for is: Doing NOTHING!!!
He did not even have the guts to lay off people where as it probably would have been the only right way to go.
His latest Job was director of the Board of a TRAMWAY company (YES , you've heard right, but after he almost ran Swiss Intl. into the ground, there was no other job left in Switzerland for a looser like him...) and guess what, even the Tramway company found out he was good at..NOTHING!!So, where does he end up? In the Gulf!!
Sorry GF guys, wish you all the best and hope you can get him out again soon.
Just make sure you cut his direct telephone line to Mr. Moritz Suter, ex CEO Crossair....a :mad: man!


didn't he suggest that swiss should go to lufthansa instead of BA.... and was hindered by the swiss pilot union?
do you blame him for that too?

[ironbutt57]

Think you will discover they are making every effort to allow attrition to cover any possible redundancies, and it seems to be working...fleet transfers to the 320 for 767 folks are in full swing..and the more senior folks who hold out will more than likely find themselves on the 340 as well..(maybe even the junior ones..some missed the boat already)....oh well....it's off to the sim at "o-dark thirty" bye bye 767 gonna miss ya loads...of to something new and exciting...:ok: