Looking forward to a month off!
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Asia
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Looking forward to a month off!
Just wondering how many are pushing 900 hours for their twelve month block.
I was only prompted to check my own hours after receiving my lightest roster in three years, including previous months with leave. I wasn't that suprised to see that at the end of April I was within an hour or two of 900 hours and I suspect that there are many more in the same situation.
I believe that a respected fleet manager, after crunching his own figures, determined that critical mass for crew/aircraft ratios, even with DEFO's and RA 65, would be sometime around April/May.
The simple fact is that if you break 900 hours before the end of your twelve month rolling period you are out of the system for a month.
As a slight aside, Geoff Dixon was quoted as saying that QF had hedged fuel at $90 a barrell for 2008/09, was expecting oil prices to drop back to sustainable levels within 6-12 months, and was still expecting a 40% increase in profit over the last financial year.
While our weekly updates continue with undertones of doom and gloom CX is surely in a similar position to QF. I am sure we are well hedged for fuel for the next 12 months, a substantial proportion of our costs are in USD while much of our revenue is in strongly performing foreign currencies, and we are slowly gaining access to the worlds two fastest growing markets, India and China. Add to that the "opportunities" that will exist with demise of airlines, low cost or otherwise, that cannot sustain high oil prices and CX is among only a handful of airlines well placed to succeed in the current environmet.
I admire anyone that puts their hand up for the AOA GC or President position, it is a thankless task. The recent outcomes regarding RA65 have shown the Company that there is a great deal of complexity in some of the issues currently on the table, and if imposed rather than implimented in a fair and just way, the ramifications can be deep and long running. The AOA should be congratulated for their part on the RA65 issue. I do however have to wonder why, with the Company well placed, crew streched to the limit, and more aircraft coming, we are even having further discussions on the issue of RA65 and even considering the up coming discusions on RP and housing.
We have met (bowed) to the Company's demands every step of the way, increasing the renumeration component of our COS should not be subject to any further pre conditions. Any move by the Company to place further pre conditions should be met by the AOA simply walking away.
Of course solid support for the GC by the majority of the pilot body would help, but that's another story.
I was only prompted to check my own hours after receiving my lightest roster in three years, including previous months with leave. I wasn't that suprised to see that at the end of April I was within an hour or two of 900 hours and I suspect that there are many more in the same situation.
I believe that a respected fleet manager, after crunching his own figures, determined that critical mass for crew/aircraft ratios, even with DEFO's and RA 65, would be sometime around April/May.
The simple fact is that if you break 900 hours before the end of your twelve month rolling period you are out of the system for a month.
As a slight aside, Geoff Dixon was quoted as saying that QF had hedged fuel at $90 a barrell for 2008/09, was expecting oil prices to drop back to sustainable levels within 6-12 months, and was still expecting a 40% increase in profit over the last financial year.
While our weekly updates continue with undertones of doom and gloom CX is surely in a similar position to QF. I am sure we are well hedged for fuel for the next 12 months, a substantial proportion of our costs are in USD while much of our revenue is in strongly performing foreign currencies, and we are slowly gaining access to the worlds two fastest growing markets, India and China. Add to that the "opportunities" that will exist with demise of airlines, low cost or otherwise, that cannot sustain high oil prices and CX is among only a handful of airlines well placed to succeed in the current environmet.
I admire anyone that puts their hand up for the AOA GC or President position, it is a thankless task. The recent outcomes regarding RA65 have shown the Company that there is a great deal of complexity in some of the issues currently on the table, and if imposed rather than implimented in a fair and just way, the ramifications can be deep and long running. The AOA should be congratulated for their part on the RA65 issue. I do however have to wonder why, with the Company well placed, crew streched to the limit, and more aircraft coming, we are even having further discussions on the issue of RA65 and even considering the up coming discusions on RP and housing.
We have met (bowed) to the Company's demands every step of the way, increasing the renumeration component of our COS should not be subject to any further pre conditions. Any move by the Company to place further pre conditions should be met by the AOA simply walking away.
Of course solid support for the GC by the majority of the pilot body would help, but that's another story.
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Hong Kong
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Compo man, thanks for a very balanced and realistic post. I agree 100% with what you said, i would love to see the final report to show what they have hedged at, what they are paying and what revenue and in what currenct they are using for fuel!!! Dont think it would be as bad as they are making out.
I also agree, time to walk away from talks which inevitably involve us giving up something, enough already!!!
I also agree, time to walk away from talks which inevitably involve us giving up something, enough already!!!
