Pacific Blue screening
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Hi all
Just a word of caution for anyone considering Pac Blue. If you're after a quick start on jets and plan to move on as soon as you've got some experience, it could be a go. But if you're looking for a career, I would look elsewhere. Be prepaired to effectively give your life to the airline. At times you will be in 'zombie' mode for weeks on end without a chance to recover.
I don't like to get involved in the slagging matches you often see here, and I've all but retired from posting because I'm sick of all the bull****. But I feel it would be selfish not to share my genuine experiences. Of course, this is just my opinion and there may be others that find Pac Blue more reasonable? Just try not to be blinded by shiny jet syndrome, or you may find yourseft missing your Dash 8 or 1900 gig.
Just a word of caution for anyone considering Pac Blue. If you're after a quick start on jets and plan to move on as soon as you've got some experience, it could be a go. But if you're looking for a career, I would look elsewhere. Be prepaired to effectively give your life to the airline. At times you will be in 'zombie' mode for weeks on end without a chance to recover.
I don't like to get involved in the slagging matches you often see here, and I've all but retired from posting because I'm sick of all the bull****. But I feel it would be selfish not to share my genuine experiences. Of course, this is just my opinion and there may be others that find Pac Blue more reasonable? Just try not to be blinded by shiny jet syndrome, or you may find yourseft missing your Dash 8 or 1900 gig.
Last edited by Cloud Cutter; 13th Jul 2008 at 07:04.
Join Date: Feb 2004
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No big secrets guys, and as I said I'm not getting into a slagging match. It really comes down to what sort of person you are, and what you're looking for in a job. If you enjoy being away from home a lot, and you are OK with constantly shifting sleep patterns you may find it alright. If like me, you need some sort of routine to acheive adequate rest, you will struggle.
I don't want to sound too negative, but for me it's just not the sort of lifestyle I'm willing to accept long term, and many of the others at Pac Blue feel the same.
Some cosiderations:
- You are rostered 9 days off per month, that's effectively the same as a 9-5 office worker, but you will spend a lot more time away from home (not saying that's bad, just something I don't like).
- Unlike other airlines, there is no distinction between a rest period and days off, eg. if you do a back of the clock duty and require 30 hours rest, you are just rostered days off and expected to recover in you're own time - this is bad no matter who you are.
- A day off is classed as finishing anywhere up to midnight, and starting next duty after single day off at 6 am, or after multiple days off at 5 am. Not only is this insufficient time, but it is an example of the very poor understanding/regard this airline has for fatigue management (constant skipping from late finish to early start and back). Not to mention the possibility of having two lengthy tours of duty seperated only by a single day off.
- There is no formal protection of your right to plan your life. Duties can be changed without bounds as long as days off are not affected. You can be changed off a late report to an early with less than 24 hours notice, and you have no right of refusal.
- If you're paxing after flying, you can be rostered a duty of up to 16 hours.
I'm not going into pay issues because for me, that's far less important than quality of life.
The simple fact is, for most people, it is imposible not to suffer the effects of accute and cronic fatigue when subjected to some of these roster situations. It's not fair to be told you must report for duty unaffected by fatigue, and then be put in a situation where it's impossible not to be fatigued.
If anyone has some more positive points to add, please do. I just want to give these guys a balanced picture.
I'm happy to try and answer any other questions anyone has.
Cheers
I don't want to sound too negative, but for me it's just not the sort of lifestyle I'm willing to accept long term, and many of the others at Pac Blue feel the same.
Some cosiderations:
- You are rostered 9 days off per month, that's effectively the same as a 9-5 office worker, but you will spend a lot more time away from home (not saying that's bad, just something I don't like).
- Unlike other airlines, there is no distinction between a rest period and days off, eg. if you do a back of the clock duty and require 30 hours rest, you are just rostered days off and expected to recover in you're own time - this is bad no matter who you are.
- A day off is classed as finishing anywhere up to midnight, and starting next duty after single day off at 6 am, or after multiple days off at 5 am. Not only is this insufficient time, but it is an example of the very poor understanding/regard this airline has for fatigue management (constant skipping from late finish to early start and back). Not to mention the possibility of having two lengthy tours of duty seperated only by a single day off.
- There is no formal protection of your right to plan your life. Duties can be changed without bounds as long as days off are not affected. You can be changed off a late report to an early with less than 24 hours notice, and you have no right of refusal.
- If you're paxing after flying, you can be rostered a duty of up to 16 hours.
I'm not going into pay issues because for me, that's far less important than quality of life.
The simple fact is, for most people, it is imposible not to suffer the effects of accute and cronic fatigue when subjected to some of these roster situations. It's not fair to be told you must report for duty unaffected by fatigue, and then be put in a situation where it's impossible not to be fatigued.
If anyone has some more positive points to add, please do. I just want to give these guys a balanced picture.
I'm happy to try and answer any other questions anyone has.
Cheers
Join Date: Mar 1999
Location: Someday I will find a place to stop
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Thanks for that, a bit more of a deeper meaningful insight.
I have experienced something similar myself to what you describe, and I know it is a killer.
Surely someone has had a wee whisper in the ear to the CAA about this?
Do you think PB are trying to do something about it given their current recruitment drive for more pilots? i.e I know a lot of pilots have left, but are they simply replacing them, or now getting more numbers than before to also give a better roster pattern?
I have experienced something similar myself to what you describe, and I know it is a killer.
Surely someone has had a wee whisper in the ear to the CAA about this?
Do you think PB are trying to do something about it given their current recruitment drive for more pilots? i.e I know a lot of pilots have left, but are they simply replacing them, or now getting more numbers than before to also give a better roster pattern?
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Apparently CAA don't care. They just approve whatever is put to them.
The reason for the recruitment drive is predominantly to crew new aircraft which seem to arrive thick and fast.
Pac Blue did try to improve things after it got really bad end of last year, and things got a bit better for a while, but a fundamental shift is still sorely needed. They don't seem so worried about the huge moral problem now that recruitment of other airlines like JetStar has slowed.
The basic idea seems to be to do as little as possible to slow attrition to an acceptable level. I understand they are running a business, and it's a competitive market, but this is an example of commercial considerations being weighted heavily against conditions of work. The way it is at the moment is just blatently unsafe, and that's no way to run a business, particularly an airline.
The reason for the recruitment drive is predominantly to crew new aircraft which seem to arrive thick and fast.
Pac Blue did try to improve things after it got really bad end of last year, and things got a bit better for a while, but a fundamental shift is still sorely needed. They don't seem so worried about the huge moral problem now that recruitment of other airlines like JetStar has slowed.
The basic idea seems to be to do as little as possible to slow attrition to an acceptable level. I understand they are running a business, and it's a competitive market, but this is an example of commercial considerations being weighted heavily against conditions of work. The way it is at the moment is just blatently unsafe, and that's no way to run a business, particularly an airline.
