Royal Brunei
 

No more posts about RBA for a long time isnt it? Must be that morale is improving now that we pay your car parking. Discuss!

And please do not tell the cabin crew that we have cancelled their incidental allowance and transport allowance to pay for your car parking as you have to be a company man you see.


(As the profile shows, this "dalai lama" is not to be confused with any one else who may bear a similar nick-name! This one is of the airborne variety).

BlueEagle - Moderator.

Yeah, but my clamp removal business is hurting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For Sale : One Angle Grinder c/w very long extension lead

Don't really get the original post...who pays for the parking? I remember it being discussed before that staff were annoyed they were going to have to start paying for their own carparking, wat happened?

GOH

B W M, keep the grinder and get into home security. I hear it could be very profitable at the moment.

GOH,

We used to get $260 pcm car allowance and free car parking. Overnight the $260pcm was removed (with several other allowances and benefits), a salary freeze was introduced AND we could no longer park for free at our place of work. This all took place against a backdrop of the Sin$ losing about 35% of its value against the various currencies that expats had their mortgages and other financial commitments in.

Now it seems that we can claim back the cost of car parking (to a maximum of $20pcm) but as DL767 says, the cabin crew appear to be subsidising this by having their own incidental and transport allowance scrapped. This costs local cabin crew $10 per trip and all cabin crew $25 for every overnight away from base. This is a major slice of their take home pay and has been about as well received as a fart in a space suit. Try overnighting in PER and see if you can get a hotel snack and breakfast for Aus$32. Cabin crew resignations to go to EH will increase in earnest (I am reliably informed) Dec/Jan.

On the good side, there are some rumours that tech crew might get some Extra Flying Pay based on monthly credit hours in the same manner as KA and CX, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

If things don't change I guess they will stay the same.

How much for the grinder BWM?

The Big Plan??
 

Could someone in the Abode please explain to me as to what happened to the wonderful big plan that your CEO dreamt up??
It has all gone quiet and from what I hear instead of expansion it is now retrenchment?Is it true SYD went ahead at the cost of CCU? and now the loads are terrible on the SYD as they do not connect with anything, well LHR with a 12 hour layover?
Also heard you may stop DPS!!! Christ SQ operate there 3 times a day and all the flts are full, have Foster never heard of marketing a route or managing a fare structure.the place is as busy as hell with all operaters, CX, MH,SQ,Air AA flat out, now is not the time to be pulling out, maybe BK-DPS direct may be the answer???
Where's the new Livery, looked to same last time I saw it in DXB.In fact he must have opted for the AA look as I think I could see more metal than paint?You guys there deserve more than this from this inept w....r, surely the Brun's are not going to put up with this incompetence for much longer. You all deserve better. they are too nicer people to be embarrassed by this incompetence

WELL, guess the car parking should make all the difference! bananas check your pms

The "rumble from the jungle" is that your CEO is executing a hastily planned exit strategy and that his local deputy/replacement is already running the show. Could someone in the abode confirm.

A premise possibly supported by the actions of the CEO's wife who was unable to make it to the aircraft on time causing them to lose their slot the other day.

The Managments Comments
 

While I welcome the managment on this forum, I think we should keep the original Royal Brunei going. I think people should be able to look back at the history of just what a sad bunch they are. At least the CEO is on his way, thats if he makes the flight on time.

Let the Inept CEO Scurry off with his cash
 

Everyone in RBA hopes the CEO leaves. His selfish and inept management has driven the airline to an even worse third rate, third world airline. How could this once proud and respected National Royal Airline spiral so low?

It is unbelievable airline owners would be stupid enough to employ these people. The greedy CEO, BODs, DFO are incapable of managing anything. They have not done one single thing to improve the airline, its profitability, safety or International standing. Their inept management is only based on cutting costs, not increasing revenues or image. You could take any idiot off the street; (case in point) tell them there job is to cut costs. They do not have the management ability or drive to increase revenues, so they simply cut the pay and conditions of the staff that actually do the work. Yet they get paid $40,000SGD a month + $1,000,000 Bonus. Airline owners wake up you fools. Theyre not work it.

Paycut & loss of conditions to Pilots, Cabin Crew, Engineering Staff, Ground Staff/ Loaders etc.

Therefore the signed contracts are changed with immediate effect,

Freeze of all entitled pay increments

Cut car allowance

Cut annual medical entitlement

Reduce required Medical Certificate reimbursements

Cut Cabin Crews daily Transport and Incidental Allowance. This would equate to a 30% pay cut from there small salaries.

Parking charges introduced for all airport staff.

Sick Leave reduced from 30 days annually to 7 days for all pilots.

Change rosters and slip patterns to work maximum hours a year, only one or two days at home base between long haul flights.

Very few days off between flights down route, flying back to back, all night flights.13 hour time zone changes within a few days.

Crews have voiced their concern over turning up to work fatigued, however management has ignored these concerns for over two years now.

Not surprising the pilots and all staff aren’t making any effort to save the company money, or promote its image.
Pilots have the ability to save the airline money every flight based on the professional decisions they make.
Flight levels, headwind/ tailwinds, speed, runway selection, brake setting, reverse, brake use during taxi, required fuel load, delaying flights due weather, etc. Yet how many in Rba will be putting much consideration into this airline, after been treated so poorly, just to give the CEO and BODs a big bonus for cutting costs.

Cabin crew sleep in business class during flights as they’re so tired. Why shouldn’t they. The line Captains let them. The moral of the staff is so low, why should anyone care about the airlines image. Passengers get a cheap ticket so they shouldn’t expect the service from overtired Cabin Crew and pilots, or on time departures, or enough blankets for everyone etc. This is a budget airline, with tired and p!$$ed off staff so they will have to put up with it.

This from a greedy a%*hole earning $40,000 a month, and a Huge bonus if he screws everyone else before he takes his money and leaves the airline in a dilapidated state.
Has he ever done any good at other airlines he’s been with, or has he simply cut pay and conditions of staff there, then taken his money and moved on to another airline to screw their staff.

Meanwhile they sent a B767 to Taiwan to get a FAA Cert for a dry lease in Japan. It has sat in Taiwan for 3 months losing the company a huge amount of money, as they didn’t do there homework on what was required to bring it up to FAA Cert requirements. This happened to coincide with the Cabin Crews pay cuts. Maybe the CEO and BODs realized they weren’t going to get there big bonuses unless some more quick pay cuts were made.

All this from an airline that has never given a pay rise in its history. How much has inflation increased since it began.


Don’t expect anything to change when the CEO leaves though. The only decision the BODs can make themselves is cutting the staffs pay and conditions, because they know the airline owners won’t do anything to them. Try to get them to do anything that may better the airline, but cost money. Meeting after meeting with all decisions deferred until later, much later.

They finally started flying to Sydney, however they had to cut other popular routes to do so.

The pilot staff has had a huge turnover, inexperienced Captains, rostered with new inexperienced First Officers, many with no previous jet time, plus the constant fatigue from the rosters, with inadequate rest. It’s not a good situation.
Training costs are huge, and will continue.

Two pilots refused to go into the 3 hour discretion as all the crew were so tired. They’ve been told their contracts will not be renewed. It doesn’t pay to consider safety first in Rba.
Safety is a buzz word used at meetings, but don’t consider it unless it Won’t cost the company a single dime to implement.

Sad but true.

Are things really THAT bad?
 

It would appear that I and quite a few others got out in the nick of time.

I am told that a captains salary with RBA is now less than an F/Os starting salary at another Asian carrier. Hardly surprising then, that some RBA line captains (and at least one management Captain who is highly regarded within RBA) are poised to jump ship for a better salary, lifestyle, more stable roster etc.

I also understand a 767 trainer left recently for a 737 F/O position in OZ! Gutsy move but huge respect to AM and a sad indictment on the state of affairs within an airline I was once proud to say I worked for.

How true! What a sad state RBA is currently in.

The 'new' J class with more often than not unserviceable seats & IFE, booked by premium fare paying passengers who after experiencing 18 hrs + in an upright seat, with neither a screen nor reading light to while away the hours, will never travel RBA again. That of course assuming that they did not have the pleasure to have traveled on the 'hajj special' configuration a/c in the first place, with no personal IFE whatsoever, one screen for the whole of business class, but however a tempting Skyshow programme in the seat pocket so that at least they could know what they were missing. What an embarrassment!

Lengthy delays with passengers being accommodated in mediocre hotels and being asked to not only share a room with a stranger but also a bed! I thought that was committing khalwat!

I find all this so disheartening, it is so sad to see the reputation of a company that was a pleasure and privilege to work for being destroyed. The flight and in particular the cabin crew (always dedicated, smiling, polite and the ones that the reputation of the company has always rested on), now too tired, fed-up and demoralised to be able or willing to remain upbeat when everything around them is collapsing.

What can the future hold when every other airline around has something better to offer, be it service, fares or even punctuality?

PS. Where have the crystal glasses gone and why are we drinking out of tea light holders?!

Inept Management
 

Well said tiredunfedup, cannot fault your remarks. Fatigue is is a huge problem, but as you say the management do not know the meaning of the word. Look what happened to RE when he put in a report that he had fallen asleep on the approach.
Not going to get any better when Dragon give the green light. Interviews start next week. There will be more pilots there than in MCC on a busy day.

Sorry LAAJ. I cannot agree. I think one of the points that is self evident is that people are posting here because they have tried doing all the "right" things and it has got them nowhere, or worse - labelled as a trouble maker.

Now they are venting off a little steam and voting with their feet and who can blame them. The onus of responsibility passed some time ago from individuals to go in and air their grievences.

The onus is now on RBA senior management, from the Board downwards, to restore their own credibility and win back the pilots before they take one of the many better options available to them.

Yes, but its not the individual that is at fault is it. Example. RBA reduce cabin crew allowances by (in corporate terms) a pittance, yet it still represents up to a 30% pay cut for the cabin crew. Does it achieve anything? No! Why not? Because the senior managers are wasting millions because they have scewed up the lease of the 767 which requires FAA approval and are having to pay big time to put it right. There goes your 2005 pay rise.

Apologies for airing your dirty linen in public but I did the honourable thing quite some time ago.

I really wish everyone in RBA well but am genuinely saddened at some of the stories that are filtering out of the abode.

Get a LIFE!
 

One can only presume by your completely arrogant and incompetant manner Life is a Journey ,that you in fact reside in the Fleet Office? If not you sound as if you are one of the brown nosers who continually go there for Roster request (Which does not exsist...ha..!!!) at the expense of your Colleage's Rosters.
Just because the place in Corrupt and full of Nepatisim does not mean you can mussle us now, like you take much joy at trying to do at work.
this is the real world out here, free of threats, wake up and smell the roses you silly little man...

Jugs,
I think you have the wrong man.
The fact the LAAJ prefers to confront issues head on rather than speak knives from the cloak of an anonymous handle should be commended rather than derided.
Perhaps you one day may grow a backbone and do the same.
As said, if you do not like it at RBA, do something constructive about it or F-ck off.....and do it honourably rather than leaving debts all over Asia as other previous employees come contributors on this forum have done……..oh yeah, try a spell checker…..perhaps you should rename yourself Jughead

..........honourably Fat Albert, what a joke..............you are starting to beleive your own press.

Now Now children please play nicely. And beware of inflammatory postings from people who do not work in the abode.

Look at the postings history from the previous contributor and you will seee what I mean.

Dirty Laundry
 

Khalwat is dirty laundry, and maybe should not be seen in public. Corrupt management, nepotism-read freemasons, fatigue, lack of time off, inexperienced Captains flying with inexperienced FO's, pilot's not receiving proper route check outs due to lack of trainers, poor rest, LHR followed by an AKL with 2 days OFF in between, leave requests often turned down due lack of crews, lack of free speech, intimidation, lack of a counsellor for poor old Chaz-by a management who knew all about it but cared not due to lack of crews. This is not dirty laundry. This is to do with safety and should be talked about in a free and open manner. Big sticks are a thing of the past, people need and want change. Most of all they want some form if integrity in the Fleet office. It is time for a change. People like THINABERT should never have had to leave, but we welcome his comments.

Now ,dismissal with no reason given!
 

Yes Thin Albert. Bad things are afoot, and I heard that you had posted a succinct comment about it here, but as soon as it appeared, it disappeared! How could this be? Can you re submit as there are interested (and worried ) pilots here in the jungle?

Just in case you are wondering, the Mods have not edited or removed anything on this subject, so it could only have been done by the originator of the thread.

Blue Eagle is correct. I felt compelled to delete the last post as I would not wish to preempt or comment on other action which may or may not be about to take place.

I have just tried to access my email account associated with pprune to find that it is "temporarily suspended for my own protection due to multiple incorrect passwords being entered."

Make your own minds up.

There Is Evil In The Air
 

Correct bream, bad bad things are going on. THINALBERT I missed your post but it has always hit the spot in the past. No surprise that they seek you out, as maybe you are still with us and they need to add you to "the list". Found out there are 6-9 in SIN for interviews that start tomorrow. Every one suitable and experienced.

Strike
 

People should know that managment are not so strong as you think they are and you (pilots) are no so weak as you think you are.

Despite people think otherwise, sometimes a strike can put a manager out. Mainly if you don`t ask any extras.If you just ask your benefits and conditions back.

Stock holders doesn`t see with good eyes a manager who install a social war inside the company.

But......as long as you realize your coleagues are a flock of chicken,bail out.

There are lots of jobs nowadays.

The bail out is about to start. Six senior and very capable RBA captains were interviewed in SIN on monday and tuesday for junior F/O positions with KA.

The mark of how far RBA has fallen is that I understand there was one senior training manager, one line trainer and one QA manager amongst the six who were prepared to give all that up to start again in HKG.

No doubt RBA will respond to their impending departure by degrading Terms and Conditions still further.

Without wanting to be seen as a Fun Nazi or too pessimistic, an interview with KA is not an automatic Green card to join the ranks. This has been shown by 6 Virgin Blue and up to 15 Emirates applicants missing out at either Stage 1 or Stage 2 interviews recently.

However, having said that, good luck to all!!

Word is that around 88 pilots will be recruited this year at Dragon.

(Will the message ever get through at RBA????????)

Your point is well made boocs and I am sure that none of the chaps who went to interview have made any assumptions. But I think most (and maybe all) of them have firm offers from other reputable airlines who would appreciate their skills and experience far more than RBA.

Friends in the abode tell me that 3/6 were successful at the first stage and have been invited to HKG for a second interview.

I also believe that another 6 have been told to expect their interviews in a few months time.

The question is, will RBA wait until they can't fly the schedule due shortage of pilots or will they actually do something sensible with Terms and Conditions to try to stop the rot.

Doh! Silly me, Stupid Question.

Seems that might be the case. A friend of mine received a call from the Honourable Jack P, offering a postion, but not much change to the terms and conditions. He was even told he had to share accommodation, if he takes the job! Has this always been the case? Can't believe that would be the case. Is there any likely hood of improvement of the terms and conditions at the abode...it seems more are leaving than coming.

I believe the sharing of accommodation is still happening but you would need to talk to someone in the abode to confirm. It would seem to break the requirements of CAP371 and the RBA FTL scheme if that is the case in that it would be very difficult to obtain legal rest before a 1900 report when your mate is watching the footie on the box all afternoon.

But that is the least of RBA's worries right now. I received a PM a few hours ago advising that Terms and Conditions were likely to change .......for the worse. Tech crew likely to lose the incidental allowance element of the flying allowance and also looking at reducing annual leave. What the silly so and so's dont realise is that reducing the leave wont achieve anything as most pilots are nudging 900 hours anyway and that reducing the allowances (again) will just drive more experience away.

Time to sack the board and start again with people who realise that

1. You have to speculate (invest) to accumulate.

2. You can frig the figures in the short term by selling off the family silver and thereby letting the CEO claim his bonus. But when he's cashed his cheque and scarpered you are left with nothing. Anyone remember Ansett?

3. You get far more out of an intelligent professional workforce if you treat them with respect and reward their skills. As opposed to continually degrading Terms and Conditions until everyone "toes the party line." It aint gonna happen this time fellas!

Whoa!!! That's not Cool!
 

Thanks Thinalbert for that, certainly not a cool thing. Yeah, I see the problems and so does my mate. He was all keen and fired up to go to Brunei, but he was a bit taken abake when he heard that he had to share. Imagine, a footy freak or a raving queer could be your house mate, and either way you won't sleep to well. Not good for the missus and kids if you bring them along too.

If they denigrate conditions further I think they will have a very tough time to recruit guys, and certainly not experienced guys.

Can you post the change of conditions being mooted, and how they will impact on present and joining pilots.

Good luck to those leaving and good luck to my mate, if he decides to go...I told him to consider very carefully.

Rosters
 

Gentlemen,

It seems some of you TROOPS think you can swap flights with one another. This is not the case, and must cease forthwith.

You must realize that once we SUPERIOR OFFICERS have manipulated the roster to suit ourselves, there is no flexibility left in rostering for you to make requests to swap flights. Therefore you will continue to get back to back long haul patterns that we do not wish to do, and you can expect little time off in between to recover.

As is company management policy, and I quote, ‘If you don’t like it you can f*#k off.’

So carry on troops as I have to go and arrange my next months roster.

You’re Superiors.