EK cutting block times?
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: 1st world country
Posts: 126
EK cutting block times?
Am I the only one who thinks that they are cutting block times to squeeze us even more? Most of my flights are close (20 minutes or so) within the block time, so virtually impossible to finish on time. So they make us fly more for less money again? Or am I missing something here? Happy to be corrected...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 655
Can't say Ive seen it, but if it looks a little tight the CI is adjusted accordingly or the departure is moved forward, particularly at outstations. I've even managed to find a way to get around the sneaky so and so's in load control who hold back the loadsheet to try and delay your early departure.
The other possibility is that CI's are generally below 50 these days.
The other possibility is that CI's are generally below 50 these days.
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: free Europe
Posts: 90
Flight Duty & Flight time limitations reflected in the rosters are based on planned block time. Squeezing planned block time may generate significant savings by avoiding crew augmentation, layovers etc. when building the rosters.
Last edited by in freedom; 28th Jul 2018 at 19:56.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: UAE
Posts: 203
Two ways to play this, either fly the CI given on the flight plan and arrive on stand late, then the punctuality stats take a hit, and to be honest I think passengers care more about arriving on time, than the actual departure time, and a late arrival will play havoc with some of the tighter connections. Or to quote TCAS " Protect the Hub" take a couple of extra tonnes of gas, wind up the speed and fly low & fast to try and achieve an on time arrival, and increase the fuel bill.
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Dusty West
Age: 50
Posts: 624
Originally Posted by gardenshed
Two ways to play this, either fly the CI given on the flight plan and arrive on stand late, then the punctuality stats take a hit, and to be honest I think passengers care more about arriving on time, than the actual departure time, and a late arrival will play havoc with some of the tighter connections. Or to quote TCAS " Protect the Hub" take a couple of extra tonnes of gas, wind up the speed and fly low & fast to try and achieve an on time arrival, and increase the fuel bill.
Nothing wrong with MMO tho !
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: UAE
Age: 52
Posts: 119
Arrive when the cost index says you will. If you’re late, you will get a good gate.
If Ops want you to fly faster, then let them make the call.
Let others who have the higher responsibility worry about issues like this.
As pilot we can only make a limited difference in arrival time.
A couple of minutes here or there make very little difference in the grand scheme of things.
If Ops want you to fly faster, then let them make the call.
Let others who have the higher responsibility worry about issues like this.
As pilot we can only make a limited difference in arrival time.
A couple of minutes here or there make very little difference in the grand scheme of things.
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: overthere
Posts: 2,955
Macro, if they wanted you to fly more than the block time they would pay you for the extra time. They don't want you working for free . That would just be silly . It's a business not a charity. Sometimes they just make an honest mistake and use the wrong CI. By fixing this, no charity work is required.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: 1st world country
Posts: 126
Thanks for your replies, gents. I know how to correct the obvious CI errors. However I hate the fact that obviously they are trying to sneak time=money away from us, as usual. Nobody wants to work for free, especially after all the bs they came up with the last few years...
As Don said, this ain’t no charity!
As Don said, this ain’t no charity!
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: UAE
Posts: 275
You guys really think they reduce the CI so you get paid less??! (let’s not forget what your hourly flight pay is). A CI of 250 down to 37 on a 6 hour leg is barely 15 min changed; you do the math. But a late arrival and pax having to be re-booked to later flights, is a little more costly than the dhs 8-10 they ‘stole’ off you.
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: SZR
Posts: 57
Planned block times are wrong anyway. Rostered 95 hours in July, by the end of the month my rostered detailed report is 91 hours. 4 hours of "productivity" lost because the block times were all wrong to start with.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Dubai
Age: 52
Posts: 201
Originally Posted by seven3seven
Planned block times are wrong anyway. Rostered 95 hours in July, by the end of the month my rostered detailed report is 91 hours. 4 hours of "productivity" lost because the block times were all wrong to start with.
