Cabin crew base in Vancouver to be closed

[Oasis]

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3073843/cathay-pacific-close-vancouver-base-june-puttin (https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3073843/cathay-pacific-close-vancouver-base-june-putting)

What a terrible shame, a very sad day.

[cxorcist]

What a shame! Like YYZ, the YVR cabin crew are great people who are excellent at their job. This is just more proof that CX doesn’t care about the quality of their employees, but rather merely the cost. As is nearly always the case, CX is demonstrating that they know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Next...

[wongsuzie]

The base crew don't get along with the HK crew.

[cxorcist]

The base crew don't get along with the HK crew.
That’s because they are better at their job and don’t take kindly to having their careers belittled by pimple popping teenagers making minimal wages. It’s actually quite similar to the new “pilots” CX hires. In fact, there is very little difference between new hire pilots and cabin crew.

[Dilbert68]

That’s because they are better at their job and don’t take kindly to having their careers belittled by pimple popping teenagers making minimal wages. It’s actually quite similar to the new “pilots” CX hires. In fact, there is very little difference between new hire pilots and cabin crew.

100% agree with that. The YVR based cabin crew deliver a much better product than their HK counterparts and everybody knows it. Whether I'm in the cabin or the cockpit, it is always a pleasure to fly with them. I am so sad to see you go, I hope you find a workplace that appreciates you post CX.

[Dragon69]

That’s because they are better at their job and don’t take kindly to having their careers belittled by pimple popping teenagers making minimal wages. It’s actually quite similar to the new “pilots” CX hires. In fact, there is very little difference between new hire pilots and cabin crew.

It surprises me either how ignorant, or hypocritical you are. You do realize that the exact same model used to create ASL (where you even around when it was formed?) was used to create the cabin crew bases. Have a group of employees under a different sub-standard contract undermine and put pressure on another group of employees who have a better contract. I am sure it sounds familiar to you, because you incessantly complain about the tactics management uses, and berate those who join on a lower contract. Somehow because one of them got your pecker hard, all of a sudden they are an ok bunch.

That’s because they are better at their job

You're joking right. You obviously haven't flown to North America much as a pax then. Yes they may very well be more chatty, but in no way is the level of service the same. I am sure you are aware that to be promoted to an ISM in HKG takes well over two decades. You had ISMs on these bases with less than 5 years of experience total, so please enlighten me how you can state that they are better at their jobs.

[Slasher1]

If you're looking at this as a job that couldn't end in a few months, or have aspirations beyond putting away a little coin and seeing some great folks from time to time (and the world), I'd submit you're making a serious life choice mistake.

There are some very fine people here. They have little or no input into how things are run on a macro level. So while they can help within their own sphere of influence they're powerless beyond that. And that's the way it is.

I hope those working in CYVR weren't banking on their jobs being around and wish them well. In a few years I am very confident they will look back on this as a good thing for the way their life has turned out. Sometimes major changes have to be forced on us but when we look back we find out it was all for the best.

[Will IB Fayed]

I am sure you are aware that to be promoted to an ISM in HKG takes well over two decades. You had ISMs on these bases with less than 5 years of experience total, so please enlighten me how you can state that they are better at their jobs.

So by that line of thinking, the brand new capatins today (12+yrs seniority), must be significantly better than the new skippers in the late 80's/early 90's who only took 3 years to get their command?

[Dilbert68]

Dragon 69 you know nothing about the crew on the YVR base, stick to your China turns. The ISM's there have been in the company for decades and have all jumped through the hoops while based in HK, one of them has over 40 years in the company. Is that experienced enough for you?

Yes they are better at their jobs. They provide an efficient and friendly service that is better in every way to what the average HK crew provides.

Flying with them as a crew member is an absolute pleasure, somehow they manage to look after the pax AND actually serve the cockpit too! With a HK crew it is at least two hours before we even get a phone call.

[Natca]

Dragon 69 you know nothing about the crew on the YVR base, stick to your China turns. The ISM's there have been in the company for decades and have all jumped through the hoops while based in HK, one of them has over 40 years in the company. Is that experienced enough for you?

Yes they are better at their jobs. They provide an efficient and friendly service that is better in every way to what the average HK crew provides.

Flying with them as a crew member is an absolute pleasure, somehow they manage to look after the pax AND actually serve the cockpit too! With a HK crew it is at least two hours before we even get a phone call.

yvr /yyz crews are some of the only who are not afraid to talk to the pilots and act like a normal airline crew. Good times and best wishes to these great people.

[Dragon69]

Honestly, you guys should pick a principle and stick to it. No wonder the whole industry, including your own management, sees you guys as gutless whiny little :mad: when you flip flop like a sloppy joe sandwich

You select keyboard warriors must be in complete denial if you don't see a parallel. While the based crew might be a swell bunch, and stroke your ego, the fact of the matter is that its inception goes against the very principle that you supposedly uphold. Imagine if the company starts promoting within bases and making you operate with a based Captain that's 10 years junior to you. I am not so sure if you would be as complimentary to them as you are to the based cabin crews. Yes I know, you would come on this forum with a fury of posts, but in the end you would take it up the a## like you always have.

[Oasis]

Honestly, you guys should pick a principle and stick to it. No wonder the whole industry, including your own management, sees you guys as gutless whiny little :mad: when you flip flop like a sloppy joe sandwich

You select keyboard warriors must be in complete denial if you don't see a parallel. While the based crew might be a swell bunch, and stroke your ego, the fact of the matter is that its inception goes against the very principle that you supposedly uphold. Imagine if the company starts promoting within bases and making you operate with a based Captain that's 10 years junior to you. I am not so sure if you would be as complimentary to them as you are to the based cabin crews. Yes I know, you would come on this forum with a fury of posts, but in the end you would take it up the a## like you always have.

yes that would make sense if cabin crew and pilots were the same job, but they’re not.
I’m sure you don’t have to have that explained to you.

[Slasher1]

What really sucks is there are powerful few that actually stand up for themselves when the chips are down. People whinge and whine but many cave where the rubber meets the road. Over the years this has resulted in a divided workforce (this concept being exploited) and continually declining conditions and will continue to do so in the future. New hires on all sides undermine existing contracts and few really do anything but whine about it. Some do, but not many. Not enough to matter. And these few get excoriated by scaredey peers for rocking the boat.

It's no wonder that the vast majority of those who HAVE moved on (at least facing a longer career of having to do this for decades rather than months or days) regard leaving as one of the best decisions of their lives. Perhaps not so much on a strictly money basis but on a happiness and quality of life perspective.

So while I feel for the cabin crew in this case, I am fairly confident that many of them downline will see this as a blessing. Sometimes folks get trapped and need a nudge to find the grass is sometimes really greener.

[wongsuzie]

I am with Dragon69 here.

For goodness sake.It's about efficiency and professionalism not being 'chatty' and feeding you on time.

[Bangaluru]

They serve meals and open doors.

[Dragon69]

yes that would make sense if cabin crew and pilots were the same job, but they’re not.
I’m sure you don’t have to have that explained to you.

WTF??? They both work on the principle of DOJ and Seniority for protection and carreer advancement. Do I really need to have that explained to you???

[bm330]

Based cabin crew are being eliminated for control - nothing else. The cost to the Company of closing the YYZ base is $30,000,000Hkg/yr. The hotel+allowances in Toronto are multiple times that of crew in the Headland. Vancouver will be even more.

Toronto, now Vancouver. London? US? How much it costs is irrelevant.

[wongsuzie]

Any response to that comment about junior basing FO getting their commands before their more senior HK FOs?. Gone very quiet...

[Cpt. Underpants]

Imagine if the company starts promoting within bases and making you operate with a based Captain that's 10 years junior to you

Not quite that scenario, but CX did hire DEC's for the freighter (no money in freight) and tried to make FO's many many years senior to the "flotsam and jetsam" fly with them.

The resultant "PRA's" caused a rethink of RP's and CX FO's weren't obliged to fly with them. Callouts were refused (legally) and the whole freighter only crew thing turned into a dog's breakfast.

[MENELAUS]

Not quite that scenario, but CX did hire DEC's for the freighter (no money in freight) and tried to make FO's many many years senior to the "flotsam and jetsam" fly with them.

The resultant "PRA's" caused a rethink of RP's and CX FO's weren't obliged to fly with them. Callouts were refused (legally) and the whole freighter only
crew thing turned into a dog's breakfast.


Not quite. Until the Faca was finally resolved, many senior F/O’s were being obliged to fly with Captains’ some years their junior. And being checked by individuals who lacked pax seniority, however went in to training nonetheless. Only so many PRA’s to go around.
Such is the legacy that the creation of ASL, early
freighter commands etc, left behind.