Ek Crewing Calling Pilots Before Standby Even Begins

[Wordsworth]

Whats the story with EK crewing callling me and fellow colleagues before standby even begins?

Quite often several hours before it even starts!!I realise they are only trying to to their jobs with what resources that they have but waking households up in the early hours is unacceptable.Not too mention the very fact that rest has now been disturbed.Luckily most guys have the numbers stored in their phones so as to know who's calling.

I for one now never answer,I hope no one esle does either.Its a slippery slope when they start getting away with this.

I know it often see as you scrtach my back etc but whenever I have done a favour (in the past and when it suited me) I never seem to get the same crewing guys on the phone when its my turn to ask for the favour to be reciprocated.DoHHH!!


Your thoughts gents/ladies please.


Over and out

[777-200LR]

I agree that it could become the norm if they keep getting away with it..

I for one have been called before the actual stby period begins. Luckily for me it wasn't the early hours of the morning. I don't think i would answer if i were to be woken up at some crazy hour.

Sleep Well!

777-200LR

[CT7]

Make sure wifey and rugrats are well trained too!

[Vorsicht]

I would happily answer the phone and then inform them that not only would i not do the trip they requested, i would also not be available for standby for another 12 hours due to interupted rest.

A few guys doing that will snap them out of it soon enough.


V

[GMDS]

Had that. Answered stiffly to get lost. Then called the FDO, complained (it was 5am) and said going to rest again for at least 10 hours. Worked just fine.

[fractional]

It works both ways. It's a give and take. You have to know the border line and you have to tell them where that is (for you) if and when they don't. It's one's choice not to answer the phone and train those at home too. Hang the phone on the ceiling.:E
Certainly, a wake up call at 4AM isn't welcome when my stand by starts later. They are pushed, get pushy and get nothing back in the medium/long term. Lack of skills and poise to make it happen.

[Backwater]

Unplug the phone, switch off your mobile. Set the alarm for the start of standby, when alarm goes off plug in phone , switch on mobile.
If you get the order right they shouldn't bother you outside the standby period again.
Failing that I agree with Vorsicht.

[PositiveRate876]

Everytime they called outside of the standby duty is was actually in my favour.

Ex. Standby starts at 2AM, get a call at 6PM the day before telling me of a 7AM departure.

I prefer to know the night before that I have to wake up at 345AM rather than get a 2AM wake up call telling me I got a couple more hours of sleep, or worse yet, Get a call at 415AM telling me the car will be waiting in half an hour.

I agree that if they called outside of decent hours then it wouldn't be right.

[BritishGuy]

This practice just reminds me of what the Regionals (eg MESA) do as a way of life in the US. Sick!

[poison]

To those of you who think that the only reason that a company will call you before your standby duty begins is to relieve themselves of having to do it at a later time is such nonsense. I don't work in crew control and I can tell you that any pilot who calls themself a pilot would always like to have proper advance notification. However it is the responsibility of the crew controller to exercise advance notification with proper discretion. For example, if your standby time begins at 11am and at some time throughout the early hours of the morning a flight has been assigned to you for a 12.30pm departure and this flight has been put onto your AIMS as well, then it would not be appropriate to advise the crew member at 4 am. However a call at perhaps 8 am would be more appropriate if the crew scheduler sees that you have not picked up the change on your AIMS as yet seeing that you would need to get ready for your flight within an hour or so. Or would you prefer for them to call you at 11 am when your standby is suppose to start and your departure is at 12.30pm? Yes I suppose for most of you who have posted replies to this thread you would like that seeing that the majority of you are not in favour of proper advance notification. But then you've been like this from day one and I can only assume that you are the ones who whine about every little thing that imposes on your life. Grow up boys or should I say suck it up. Go out to your flight prepared for it rather than scrambling for your things at the last moment.

[Backwater]

Poison - appropriate handle.
The example you describe is not the issue.
What is not acceptable is to be woken in the small hours to be advised of a flight requiring pickup before the start of your standby duty. Rest is compromised totally, not to mention the 12 hour rule if the pilot is exercising that option.
Before I permanently disconnected the bedroom phone I was woken a 2am on a day off and asked if I would do a flight. Iaw Chap 21 FOM I declined.
Crew being phoned during the normal day in Dubai to either bring forward a duty or to advise of a change is acceptable practise in my view.

[alghazal]

And what do you think EY is doing for the last 4 years ....????

[Placido]

Just get a second phone, make sure that it's the only number crewing has for you.

Switch it on just before duty starts.

[menard]

Poison,

If the flight leaves at 1230h, cc should not use the 1100h standby, but an earlier one. If they don't have an earlier one, then the flight should (and would) simply leave late. Those standby rules are not courtesy, they are regulations. You can cheat regulations if you want poison, but most people don't.

[AA717driver]

There is no difference between this practice at EK and that of AA, UAL or NWA when they get short staffed. Nowdays, short-staffing is a way of life at the U.S. airlines.

Don't answer your phone if you don't want to fly on your day off. Don't answer your phone before your standby period begins if you don't want to be disturbed. Don't expect management to act like they have your best interests at heart. Don't expect management to interpret the rules in YOUR favor.

Don't disregard the above and then whine about it...:= TC

[mensaboy]

I have had problems in the past with crewing calling at inappropriate times. I told them matter of factly that I do not pick up the phone but if it is something important then they can leave the details on my answering machine.

Since then, I have had no problems. I return the call if it is to my advantage and ignore it otherwise.