Air Sprint Questions

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Mr. T
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by Mr. T »

Hi guys,

Going through the handbook (which is great to see publicly), i was looking towards the benefit side of things. If I understand correct, on year 6, AS takes care of 100% of the cost of benefits for pilots, is that correct? Up to that point, guys pay a percentage? Does that percentage decrease with annually up to year 6? What about a health spending account for things outside of the normal scope, like laser eye surgery? Does it accumulate if not used?

Retirement, Rsp’s. Not sure if there is a mistake here or i misread it, but looks like company match to only 1% of a pilots wage, increasing to 5% on year 5, but kept in a separate account (no gaining interest) until year 6, when you get a lump sum finally given to you, or if you leave prior you’ve lost out and they keep their bit..is that correct?

Then it stays at 5% (pilot can do more, but thats it from a company perspective). I don’t want to sound chintzy, but I’ve worked at 703 op’s that will invest much more than that (8-12% company match not uncommon, more in the airline’s, which are more career oriented), so when i read that about this career company, it strikes me as quite odd/falling very short. Perhaps i am not getting the whole story (Maybe company shares or something vested to make up for it on the other side?)

Finally, is there any sort of union or pilot association within the group to bring info/grievances to management at all?

Thanks.

Tom
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Blueontop
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by Blueontop »

Mr. T wrote: Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:51 am Hi guys,

Going through the handbook (which is great to see publicly), i was looking towards the benefit side of things. If I understand correct, on year 6, AS takes care of 100% of the cost of benefits for pilots, is that correct? Up to that point, guys pay a percentage? Does that percentage decrease with annually up to year 6? What about a health spending account for things outside of the normal scope, like laser eye surgery? Does it accumulate if not used?

Retirement, Rsp’s. Not sure if there is a mistake here or i misread it, but looks like company match to only 1% of a pilots wage, increasing to 5% on year 5, but kept in a separate account (no gaining interest) until year 6, when you get a lump sum finally given to you, or if you leave prior you’ve lost out and they keep their bit..is that correct?

Then it stays at 5% (pilot can do more, but thats it from a company perspective). I don’t want to sound chintzy, but I’ve worked at 703 op’s that will invest much more than that (8-12% company match not uncommon, more in the airline’s, which are more career oriented), so when i read that about this career company, it strikes me as quite odd/falling very short. Perhaps i am not getting the whole story (Maybe company shares or something vested to make up for it on the other side?)

Finally, is there any sort of union or pilot association within the group to bring info/grievances to management at all?

Thanks.

Tom

Almost 2 weeks and no reply.... hmmmm might have hit a a sore spot, usually airsprint is on top of these forums 🤔🤔
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AirSprint HR
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprint HR »

Blueontop wrote: Mon Nov 25, 2019 5:05 pm
Mr. T wrote: Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:51 am Hi guys,

Going through the handbook (which is great to see publicly), i was looking towards the benefit side of things. If I understand correct, on year 6, AS takes care of 100% of the cost of benefits for pilots, is that correct? Up to that point, guys pay a percentage? Does that percentage decrease with annually up to year 6? What about a health spending account for things outside of the normal scope, like laser eye surgery? Does it accumulate if not used?

Retirement, Rsp’s. Not sure if there is a mistake here or i misread it, but looks like company match to only 1% of a pilots wage, increasing to 5% on year 5, but kept in a separate account (no gaining interest) until year 6, when you get a lump sum finally given to you, or if you leave prior you’ve lost out and they keep their bit..is that correct?

Then it stays at 5% (pilot can do more, but thats it from a company perspective). I don’t want to sound chintzy, but I’ve worked at 703 op’s that will invest much more than that (8-12% company match not uncommon, more in the airline’s, which are more career oriented), so when i read that about this career company, it strikes me as quite odd/falling very short. Perhaps i am not getting the whole story (Maybe company shares or something vested to make up for it on the other side?)

Finally, is there any sort of union or pilot association within the group to bring info/grievances to management at all?

Thanks.

Tom

Almost 2 weeks and no reply.... hmmmm might have hit a a sore spot, usually airsprint is on top of these forums 🤔🤔
Believe it or not, sometimes we just miss avcanada updates! A little office renovation, another new Legacy 450 and budget season will do that.

Tom, a few quick answers for you:

AirSprint's approach over the last decade has been to make improvements to wages, benefits, and working conditions in line with the continued success and growth of the company. As part of this approach, management regularly surveys pilots (and other teams) to understand where they would like the next improvements to occur. The RRSP contribution amount has never ranked high compared to other items. As an example, 2018 saw the introduction of significant wages increases, an extra 30 days off per year (requiring several new pilots hired to accommodate), and groomers and flight support personnel to help make the job easier. We could have provided a different balance with greater RRSP contribution and less elsewhere but that was not where the desire was indicated.

I'll leave it to Adam or Matt to reply regarding the details of how the health care spending account and benefit percentages work. I don't have the details with me and I would probably mess up the explanation anyways.

As a note, the executive team including myself (President) have the same benefits and RRSP contribution policies as the pilot group. Everyone in the company would all like to see it be greater but the desire has been elsewhere. All of our improvements come when we can ensure that they will not be short term and as such we feel that there is no better job security in Canada for flying a business jet than with AirSprint. An example of this is the significant growth and subsequent investment in the pilot group that the company has made over the last few years (while having lots of exposure to a struggling Alberta economy).

Regarding grievances, I would like to think that our management team does a pretty good job (we could always be better) of encouraging open communication and there are many means, including anonymous ones, for the team to share their thoughts.

Regards,

James Elian
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprintInc »

Mr. T wrote: Wed Nov 13, 2019 10:51 am Hi guys,

Going through the handbook (which is great to see publicly), i was looking towards the benefit side of things. If I understand correct, on year 6, AS takes care of 100% of the cost of benefits for pilots, is that correct? Up to that point, guys pay a percentage? Does that percentage decrease with annually up to year 6? What about a health spending account for things outside of the normal scope, like laser eye surgery? Does it accumulate if not used?

Retirement, Rsp’s. Not sure if there is a mistake here or i misread it, but looks like company match to only 1% of a pilots wage, increasing to 5% on year 5, but kept in a separate account (no gaining interest) until year 6, when you get a lump sum finally given to you, or if you leave prior you’ve lost out and they keep their bit..is that correct?

Then it stays at 5% (pilot can do more, but thats it from a company perspective). I don’t want to sound chintzy, but I’ve worked at 703 op’s that will invest much more than that (8-12% company match not uncommon, more in the airline’s, which are more career oriented), so when i read that about this career company, it strikes me as quite odd/falling very short. Perhaps i am not getting the whole story (Maybe company shares or something vested to make up for it on the other side?)

Finally, is there any sort of union or pilot association within the group to bring info/grievances to management at all?

Thanks.

Tom
Hi Tom,

Thank you for your interest in AirSprint and I apologize for the tardy response, I was on vacation for the past few weeks and just returned. It looks like James has already responded to most of your questions but I can provide some clarification on the benefit side of things;
After 5 years of employment with AirSprint, the Company does pay for 100% of the Health and Dental premium, prior to reaching that anniversary, the company pays 75%, with the remainder coming from the individual. The Health Care Spending Account has a $500 dollar annual value (January - December) and can be accessed following 3 months of continuous employment. Any medical expenses that the CRA deems as "eligible medical expenses" can be claimed through the account, and after a quick search on the CRA website, it would appear that Laser Eye Surgery would indeed qualify. A full list of eligible expenses can be found by using the search tool on the CRA website located here: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency ... #mdcl_xpns

I hope that clarifies our benefits somewhat but would be happy to answer any additional questions you may have. Feel free to reach me directly via email at mnr@airsprint.com.

Kind Regards,
Matt Rolleman
Chief Pilot C25A/B
AirSprint Inc.
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Freeport_Flyer
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by Freeport_Flyer »

Question about the latest job ad:

Tagged as Citation FOs but ad text talks about the need for FOs and Capts for Jet aircraft. No mins listed for DECs. Can anyone clarify if this is just a cut and paste error or are they looking for CJ and Legacy crews?

Cheers,
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprintInc »

Freeport_Flyer wrote: Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:38 pm Question about the latest job ad:

Tagged as Citation FOs but ad text talks about the need for FOs and Capts for Jet aircraft. No mins listed for DECs. Can anyone clarify if this is just a cut and paste error or are they looking for CJ and Legacy crews?

Cheers,
Hi Freeport,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, it was indeed an error on my part, while we will accept resumes for any position at any time, we are currently only seeking pilots for First Officer positions.

Apologies for the confusion.

Kind Regards,

Matt Rolleman
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hamstandard
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by hamstandard »

Hi,

I am not sure I have ever seen how many days in a row one can consistently have off using the various schedules(probably 14/14).

It would be helpful in some decision making.
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprintInc »

hamstandard wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:29 pm Hi,

I am not sure I have ever seen how many days in a row one can consistently have off using the various schedules(probably 14/14).

It would be helpful in some decision making.
We try to make the schedule as flexible as possible and the number of consecutive days off can be as little as 3, with no limit on the other end. If you are on the 14/14 schedule then you have 14 days off to play with in any given 28 day block. There is a max of 8 consecutive work days at a time (up to 13 if you sign an optional waiver), and generally the longer you're available to work, the longer the stretches of days off can be. Commonly we see 7 on and 7 off for the 14/14 folks. But, some like to run longer shift.. example: 13 days on, 14 days off and and then back into work.

Cheers,
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hamstandard
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by hamstandard »

AirSprintInc wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:33 am
hamstandard wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:29 pm Hi,

I am not sure I have ever seen how many days in a row one can consistently have off using the various schedules(probably 14/14).

It would be helpful in some decision making.
We try to make the schedule as flexible as possible and the number of consecutive days off can be as little as 3, with no limit on the other end. If you are on the 14/14 schedule then you have 14 days off to play with in any given 28 day block. There is a max of 8 consecutive work days at a time (up to 13 if you sign an optional waiver), and generally the longer you're available to work, the longer the stretches of days off can be. Commonly we see 7 on and 7 off for the 14/14 folks. But, some like to run longer shift.. example: 13 days on, 14 days off and and then back into work.

Cheers,
Thanks for the information,

Is one able to consistently get 14 in a row off similar to a rotational job.
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Last edited by hamstandard on Mon Feb 10, 2020 3:36 pm, edited 3 times in total.
hamstandard
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by hamstandard »

.
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AirSprintInc
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprintInc »

hamstandard wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:09 pm
AirSprintInc wrote: Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:33 am
hamstandard wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:29 pm Hi,

I am not sure I have ever seen how many days in a row one can consistently have off using the various schedules(probably 14/14).

It would be helpful in some decision making.
We try to make the schedule as flexible as possible and the number of consecutive days off can be as little as 3, with no limit on the other end. If you are on the 14/14 schedule then you have 14 days off to play with in any given 28 day block. There is a max of 8 consecutive work days at a time (up to 13 if you sign an optional waiver), and generally the longer you're available to work, the longer the stretches of days off can be. Commonly we see 7 on and 7 off for the 14/14 folks. But, some like to run longer shift.. example: 13 days on, 14 days off and and then back into work.

Cheers,
Thanks for the information,

Is one able to consistently get 14 in a row off similar to a rotational job.
In order to consistently get 14 days off in a row you would need to consistently work longer stretches (say 13 consecutive work days). There would certainly be some less off day stretches, simply based on the system trying to keep everyone happy, but you would probably see an 85-90% success rate assuming that's all you were asking the bidding system for.

- Adam
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hamstandard
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by hamstandard »

Hi,

Is the company still hiring to expand the eastern bases?
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AirSprint HR
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprint HR »

hamstandard wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:16 am Hi,

Is the company still hiring to expand the eastern bases?
We are going to take a breather for the next 45 days and see what the environment looks like after. Regrettably, this week we did have to cancel some expected hires as we will be unable to train them (Simulators in the US). We do expect to see continued growth and hiring as the world gets back to normal.

James Elian
President
AirSprint
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hamstandard
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by hamstandard »

AirSprint HR wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:56 am
hamstandard wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:16 am Hi,

Is the company still hiring to expand the eastern bases?
We are going to take a breather for the next 45 days and see what the environment looks like after. Regrettably, this week we did have to cancel some expected hires as we will be unable to train them (Simulators in the US). We do expect to see continued growth and hiring as the world gets back to normal.

James Elian
President
AirSprint
Thanks,

Does that mean all vacant positions in the recent ad have been filled?
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprint HR »

hamstandard wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 9:38 am
AirSprint HR wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 8:56 am
hamstandard wrote: Wed Mar 18, 2020 7:16 am Hi,

Is the company still hiring to expand the eastern bases?
We are going to take a breather for the next 45 days and see what the environment looks like after. Regrettably, this week we did have to cancel some expected hires as we will be unable to train them (Simulators in the US). We do expect to see continued growth and hiring as the world gets back to normal.

James Elian
President
AirSprint
Thanks,

Does that mean all vacant positions in the recent ad have been filled?
I would say that there are no longer currently any vacant positions and when things turn around we will look at posting the positions again.

Thanks,

James
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hawker driver
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by hawker driver »

Is AirSprint going to follow the model that Flexjet is putting into place in the US?

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/ ... gram-Limit
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by AirSprintInc »

hawker driver wrote: Fri Mar 20, 2020 7:46 pm Is AirSprint going to follow the model that Flexjet is putting into place in the US?

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/ ... gram-Limit
Hi Hawker Driver,

We have had some fairly significant changes in the past two weeks as we have been diligently working at significantly reducing airline travel and we continue to look at all options to ensure the safety and well being of our owners and crews.

Matt Rolleman
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cjp
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by cjp »

Looking forward to speaking with you when all this is behind us.

Stay safe mes amis.
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by BCM123 »

'97 Tercel wrote: Fri Sep 08, 2017 9:51 pm Average days worked per month is 14?? That's a lot in the corporate jet world.
14 days may seem like a lot but some months a lot of that is sitting around not to mention I have met corporate guys who fly a lot more than we do not knowing when they will actually be home. The company provides the ability to have a schedule that you are bidding for and from my experience I have gotten my bid every time.
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Sky_Conqueror
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Re: Air Sprint Questions

Post by Sky_Conqueror »

Greetings to all,

I hope all is well and everyone is staying safe from this crisis.
I had a small question for HR. What would happen if we were put into a pool for future positions. With this crisis; does that blow us out of the water for any future positions when this thing subsides or do we remain in the pool? Thanks to all:)
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