Share the EK Love in Lagos.........

[Plank Cap]

New system of no cash allowances is a serious backward step Ladies and Gents. Am here in Lagos and the contract between EK and the Sheraton allows for 3 meals + 3 soft drinks + 3 coffees / teas per day, and a small 1330 naira (9 US$) payment. BUT, only in some of the restaurants during their respective opening hours. NO room service included. (There is a nominal cap of 10,300 naira per crew member, which in case you are wondering equates to about two thirds of the previous cash allowance, therefore any thoughts of ordering everything off the menu twice won't work.)

Any extras will have to be settled by you on checkout, with the money the Company has not given you............

This has spread to Hong Kong too apparently, but should not be accepted as the way ahead. We are long haul crew flying around the world for an allegedly major airline, and should be payed a cash allowance on arrival to spend how, when and where we choose.

May I respectfully encourage full and frank feedback to Fleet Managers and Mr. Ed on this one?

[mensaboy]

It has spread to many hotels. For example, particular meals are included at some hotels, with the commensurate reduction in Per Diem.

[OMDB-PiLoT]

"3 meals + 3 soft drinks + 3 coffees / teas per day"

And what else would you like to consume? I think its all a big plan by EK to bring down your waistline

[A300Man]

It's 2009. We are in the middle of a major Global economic crisis. Thousands of airline (and non-airline) employees around the world are losing their jobs. Passenger load figures are taking a nosedive in some regions and on many routes. We ALL need to adapt to the changed circumstances.

I am so sorry to hear that your employer has dared be ridiculous in only offering you three meals a day at a five star hotel restaurant.

I am sure some of our less-fortunate retrenched colleagues who have just lost their jobs and struggling to pay their mortgages and buy food for their families will be banging the walls in frustration on your behalf at this latest "scam" by the EK management. In fact, perhaps our unemployed colleagues could post out food parcels to you to make up for all the lost lavish room service that is no longer available to you at the EK crew hotel.

Now, would you like the food parcels sent directly to the Sheraton in LOS, or delivered directly to your villa in Dubai awaiting your return? Perhaps, your maid could refrigerate the food in your fitted kitchen to keep it fresh until you get back from your hardship flight of only 3 meals per day.............and did you eat any of the First Class catering by any chance on either sector???????

I just can't believe some of you guys...........REALITY CHECK, please!!!!!!!!!

[TonyWilliams]

The ladies at the Sheraton "Club" will be most disappointed to learn of your financial hardship. Maybe they have a special EK rate?

[kotakota]

Guys , enough sniping at the thread suppliers - what this is all about is the continuing erosion of terms and Conditions in our industry . The current excuse by companies that 'there is a crisis ' is fine , but will the status quo be restored when the golden days reappear - I think not , in fact I know not.

[White Knight]

A300man - EK is NOT LOSING money.. In fact they're making shedloads still, just not the 'target'.. Flights are full - my last sector tonight was 100% load factor...

3 soft drinks (diuretics), 3 tea/coffee (I don't drink tea or coffee), set meal time (Ed's off his rocker...)

You adapt 300man - no reason for us too when it comes to the basic right to eat what you want and when you want

[Saltaire]

Angola will be full as well. Just watch, it will be the largest African oil producer if not already. Please let it be a nice beach club...

[Trader]

A300man - it is a matter of basic comfort and, more importantly, safety. Eating when your body clock says it wants to eat and having enough liquids are fairly basic requirements.

I have no issue with what EK has done provided that he above is covered and not limited. This is not an all you can eat/drink buffet vacation hotel (as is Mauritius) so of course the hotel wants to restrict their deal. It just does not work in this case.

Either provide adequate food and drink or return to the per diems. This is nothing more than someone in ops trying to make their 'savings' quota and it is dangerous.

[fatbus]

trader has made a good point, someone in the low level bean counting trying to make themselves look good. bad thing i see happening is, do it at Lagos why not everywhere

[S.F.L.Y]

The erosion of the industry started long time ago with the self sponsored type ratings and now the minimum 500h on type requirements for any decent FO position, whatever the previous experience. Many companies are making loads of money out of this situation, like the summer charter airlines staffing their flights with pilots PAYING to build up line time before being dropped of when the season is over. Unfortunately experienced pilots are more concerned about fighting for their room service than for the benefits of the whole corporation.

Having paying for flying young pilots was only the first step, next one will be to cut costs on older guys... we all are in the same boat and should have been uniting long time before ago. Aviation is made of wonderful people but they can't do a thing about industrial scale abuses. How can a pilot forced to pay for his mini bar consumption pretend to be credible when others are not supported when abused by training and recruitment companies?

[GBB]

TonyWilliams,
Just dont forget to bring your company ID with you and you might get some special rates, or maybe "special offer" such as, two for a price of one deal hehe

[411A]

...and should be payed a cash allowance on arrival to spend how, when and where we choose.

Makes perfect sense for FD crew.
Sadly many CC see it differently, and will spend as little as possible, to save the extra dough.
Therefore, there should be a separate sceme for the two...more for the FD folks with no restrictions, and less for the CC, so they are at least properly fed, and don't fall asleep at gear up.

[GBB]

411A,

Beacuse FD crew are better people?!
Respect others. Let others spend on what they feel like to, Im sure nobody comes up to you and ask you what you done with yours.
I would say that this is a CRM issue if your CC members are "2nd category" people to you.
Wow...

[fatbus]

i think what he is saying is pilots are not delsey diners, this way CC would actually eat while on the road ( not saying all dont , but.....)

[Trader]

It is not up to the company to decide what and how people should eat. If cc want to bring their own food then let them. I fail to see how that is unsafe! Based on the quality of the food at some places it may in fact be preferable.

The per diem should cover reasonable food costs for a quality meal. To add to that the hotel should have 24 hour food service or be located in the city so that food can be obtained on OUR schedules which may differ widely from that of the local time.

What is unsafe is what is happening in Lagos - where the choice and timings are limited.

[White Knight]

411a - I like that post!!!!!

[Wiley]

I’m sure nobody comes up to you and ask you what you done with yours.

GBB, sadly, in EK, history would prove you wrong. A (not missed at all) senior bean counter with a name familiar to anyone with any knowledge of the British Fascist Party of the 1930s who once held sway within EK’s bean counting machine, on more than one occasion was known to have stood at the crew hotel checkout desk at one outport where the crew were pretty well forced to eat only at the hotel to check how much of their allowance they hadn’t spent. I kid you not.

I have no problem with the Delsey Diners. Many of them support their families back home, and if they're willing to go without or eat less regally to do so, who can censure them for that? My problem is being forced to eat at a time when my addled body clock would prefer to be banking some zeds.

[411A]

411a - I like that post!!!!!

You should, but not perhaps for the reasons you think.
Years ago, I flew for a quite small asian carrier (of course, thay aren't small anymore, in fact they are now the largest) and the CC used to either purchase locally out of a grubby stall or...bring from base, their grub, and cook in one of the CC rooms.
All fine and dandy until one day they invited myself and our First Officer to 'dine alFresco'...I declined, preferring a steak in the hotel restaurant, but...the First Officer (a superb guy by the way) accepted the invite, and for his acceptance came down with a case of hepatitis B...and was off flying for no less that six months.
Certainly not a pleasant experience, as you might imagine.

Now, imagine this happening in LOS...well, you get the picture I'm sure.

[masalama]

hepatitis B

411A I fully agree that trying to save money and bringing your own food/cooking in the room is wrong and demeaning to say the least...

just wanted to let you know that I think your F/O would've come down with Hepatitis A and not B , the B variant is deadlier and is usually contracted through blood transfusions/sexually transmitted whereas the A variant which is quite common , especially in the so called "third world countries" is contracted through consumption of contaminated food/water .It takes close to six months to fully recover from the effects of jaundice that the hepatitis brings on....
take care & masalama.