Good, bad and just plain silly news for 2012

[Mig29]

So, after a fuzzy and warm New Year's greeting and a nice profit sharing check due very soon, we enter 2012 with some good and some not so good news. Then again, it's aviation so by the time we wake up the next morning, it may be completely upside down


Good news: New hirings are on the horizon as the winter bid shows. (60 guys or so not including attrition and retirements. More like 100 when everything settles down)

Hopefully good news: 15 more Q400s if the potential is realized by the people running the show

Bad news: WJA plans to create the antivirus against Jazz with up to 40 regional turbo-props. Potential for Sky regional to grow even more.

Sad news: Loss of some AC travel privileges for certain employees, some lose more some less.

Silly news: New pins and hat badges so we can all spot each other miles down the airport terminal and if need be make a sharp turn for the exit sign (just kidding ).


All in all, it will be one very interesting road ahead for our industry. Happy 2012 to all of you guys, no matter on what side of the fence you are on! Besides, we are all playing the same game

[ToFlyIsDivine]

The travel passes are unfortunate....
Mainly due to the overall lower wages at Jazz....

[flyer 1492]

The wages had nothing to do with the change in travel passes.

[RFN]

Those hired after Feb. 2006 drop to below the priority of an AC new hire's parents.
We lose our retirement and bereavement passes as well.

Our benefit payments have also gone through the roof for this year.

Those considering applying to Jazz please remember that this is not the same company it was even 1 year ago.

[Plim Sole]

No we haven't. We still have some C2's which trump parents and we still get retirement passes if you reach 60 for pilots and have 10 years in prior to present CPA ending in 2020.
Bereavement has gone which is tacky IMHO and we no longer can purchase a c1 upgrade.
My world hasn't come to end!
It doesn't really effect commuters either as they have unlimited passes just a lower priority. If you miss 2 flights in a row you call crew Sched and you just get on the next flight you can. Worried about losing some pay? Sorry, if you were hired after 2006 it's your problem as you chose to live somewhere different to where you work.

[Samolin]

if you were hired after 2006 it's your problem as you chose to live somewhere different to where you work.

R U Kidding me Plim Sole!!
U say "Your Problem"... you must not be a commuter... and just for your info neither am I.. but lots are and if they get such a low priority, then you will have a tough time during irops or even if one flight gets cancelled for any reason.
U say we still get C2 passes... wep peee.... and let me guess, I will have to pay extra for that??
losing C1 passes is huge, don't know if you travel a lot, but its the only excuse I give my wife why I am still in this industry and when she travels with me on C1, she forgives a little for all the time I am away from home. I travel 3 to 4 times a year.

I am gonna stop here, and if you can't say anything nice, then just don't say anything at all... or you will get it everytime.. maybe in time , but you will get what you deserve.

Another way to create divisions between employees of the same company. Jazz still have some great benefits... for which we are paying more and more every year.

[BingBong]

we still get retirement passes if you reach 60 for pilots and have 10 years in prior to present CPA ending in 2020

For the old guys who already have reached this yes. For the rest of us who are under 30 we won't. You watch as well...after 2020....everyone will be in the C4 no frills column in that chart.

I think its time that we open the jumpseat agreement with our OWN airline to all our pilots instead of just the 57 gods. This might help the commuters out who are in a pinch. (even though I do agree....you were hired for a job at base XXX and chose to live elsewhere).

[intruder-flight]

Thank you for the update and status of Jazz Mig29!

For most of us who still work with 1980's wages in CARs 703, Jazz or WJA (WestProp) is/will be a step up, in pay and travel discounts. Remember at the 703s level, we have low wages, no retirement plans, few insurance benefits and no travel benefits.

Good luck to all.

[Mig29]

Thank you for the update and status of Jazz Mig29!

For most of us who still work with 1980's wages in CARs 703, Jazz or WJA (WestProp) is/will be a step up, in pay and travel discounts. Remember at the 703s level, we have low wages, no retirement plans, few insurance benefits and no travel benefits.

Good luck to all.

No problem, I'm just providing (hopefully) useful info to folks who are hoping to make their next move. In reality, Jazz is still a very good place to be with everything said above. Travel pass news is disappointing but not unexpected. After all, it just got 'reset' to the way it was 6 years ago, when everyone was C4 who wasn't directly working for AC.

I can understand that, it is disappointing , especially for commuters, but it is what it is. Not sure how the deal is going to be applied for guys taking QK flights, but I could see it being the same there too.

I'm just wondering if this entire TC deal had anything to do with this and other recent decisions by AC, and if so - was it really worth it? Doubt that was the case though...

[DHC-1 Jockey]

As a new hire who is starting groundschool in a few weeks, I just want to get something straight. So is commuting no longer allowed, or under the new rules it's just more difficult? In my case I was looking at living in London (YXU) and commuting to YYZ if I got that base. This wold not be possible under these new rules? I'm aware of the 6 month travel restriction and was planning to have a crash pad in YYZ and to drive during that time. Just trying to get a handle on the situation as a newbie. Thanks.

[Inverted2]

Even if you have the passes a YXU-YYZ round trip costs $55 bucks. It's cheaper to drive. I'd rather give my money to the oil companies than Air Canada

[flyinhigh]

You can still commute, but johnny 2 shoes that started in iqaluit yesterday. His daddy will bump you even though your going to work for Air Canada.

[Mig29]

Even if you have the passes a YXU-YYZ round trip costs $55 bucks. It's cheaper to drive. I'd rather give my money to the oil companies than Air Canada

Depends if you are driving a Prius or Golf diesel or a 6L pick up truck!
Add the crazy winter conditions on the 401 and I'd take that 30min flight on Jazz.

As for you Jockey,

you can still commute, travel on personal time with wife/kids, it's just now you will have only four C2 seniority passes per year (AC employees have unlimited per year) and unlimited C4 passes per year. Obviously at lower travel pass seniority it will be harder to make some flights, but not impossible. Just plan ahead and be smart about it.

[hithere]

If he doesn't start before the end of the month then he will not get those four C2 passes per year. Anyone who is hired after Jan 31,2012 reverts to C4 with no exceptions

[oh yeah baby]

Thank you for the update and status of Jazz Mig29!

For most of us who still work with 1980's wages in CARs 703, Jazz or WJA (WestProp) is/will be a step up, in pay and travel discounts. Remember at the 703s level, we have low wages, no retirement plans, few insurance benefits and no travel benefits.

Good luck to all.

Remenber that the goal is to surpass the previous work conditions in a given company not to equal your former one. We are suppose to walk forward not backward.

Have a good one

[loadshed]

.

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Thanks for the replies everybody. Time to start looking at the GTA on MLS I guess!

[teacher]

I highly doubt he TC flying had anything to do with it. Pass travel changes and Sky Regional among other things have been in the works for a LONG time. AC wants to divest itself from Jazz, that's no secret. Jazz should be doing more flying like TC and other things to diversify and move away form it's dependence from AC.

[flyinhigh]

Thanks for the replies everybody. Time to start looking at the GTA on MLS I guess!

This my friend is NOT the answer. Don't look for a lifestyle to suit your job, look for a job to suit your lifestyle.

I commute outta YWG and will always do so. I moved to the GTA when I started and was miserable and moved back closer to home, I'm now 100% Happier.

[swervin]

Thanks for the replies everybody. Time to start looking at the GTA on MLS I guess!

I wouldn't bother moving either. If you live on the East side of London you should be able to get to Pearson in about an hour and a half. They give you 2 hours for call out at a minimum. If you are on the first course you wont' be on Reserve for more than a few months probably. Most people drive from London and don't fly. Quite a few people car pool as well from London.

Cheers,
Swervin

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Thanks for the replies everybody. Time to start looking at the GTA on MLS I guess!

I wouldn't bother moving either. If you live on the East side of London you should be able to get to Pearson in about an hour and a half. They give you 2 hours for call out at a minimum. If you are on the first course you wont' be on Reserve for more than a few months probably. Most people drive from London and don't fly. Quite a few people car pool as well from London.

Cheers,
Swervin

This my friend is NOT the answer. Don't look for a lifestyle to suit your job, look for a job to suit your lifestyle.

I commute outta YWG and will always do so. I moved to the GTA when I started and was miserable and moved back closer to home, I'm now 100% Happier.

Thanks for looking at it from the other perspective. I'm not in London right now, but would like to move back there as it's closer to friends and family. It's just with these commuting rules (which I'm still trying to get a handle on), would the better lifestyle (living in London close to friends and family) come at the expense of a difficult commute to work vs. having a much easier commute but being in the GTA? I just don't know which choice is better. If commuting on company aircraft wouldn't be a problem (read: getting bumped by an AC new hire's parents), I'd live in London hands down.

One last question: For those junior pilots who DO commute, even from closer places like London, I assume you have a crash pad in Toronto for those days when you're on the first flight of the morning? (Departing YYZ before any flights go from YXU-YYZ).

[swervin]

DHC-1. Like I said in my previous post, the vast majority of pilots commuting from London drive. The London flights are very full and hard to get on. The last flight at night going home to London is usually oversold and you would most likely get bumped. At least driving to work you know you'll get home when you're done your shift. The pilots and F/A's commuting from London are very senior. Most people who work early morning pairings out of London just get up a little earlier and drive to work. Traffic is pretty light on the 401 early in the morning.

Swervin

[CanadianEh]

An Air Canada EMJ FO that I know in YXU commutes 99% of time by car to YYZ. He has relatively good seniority so he bids late check ins, early check outs and 4-day pairings. By doing so, he doesn't have to rush to get ready since his check in times are usually between noon and 1700. As for the early check outs, he aims to finish his last day around 1900 at the latest so he can be back in YXU by 2100. By bidding in this manner he avoids using a crash pad, but the odd time that he does have an early check in, he gets a hotel room at a hotel in the vicinity of YYZ which has a reduced rate for AC/Jazz crews (Marriot?) which is around $50. By bidding 4 day pairings, he only needs to do the YXU-YYZ-YXU drive 4 times a month. Having a fuel efficient car helps keep costs down, especially given what you're going to be looking at for starting pay. The upside is that the cost of living in London (as you probably know) is quite low and is only going to keep getting lower as our manufacturing jobs keep getting decimated (see Electromotive news)

I hope this info helps and I wish you the best of luck in your new career move.

Cheers

[DHC-1 Jockey]

Thanks again for all the replies. From what I'm hearing, commuting (by car) from London isn't as bad as it sounds, and the lifestyle there would be much better for me than living in the GTA. Now I just need to get a YYZ base and look for a house!

[Captain Kangaroo]

Thank you for the update and status of Jazz Mig29!

For most of us who still work with 1980's wages in CARs 703, Jazz or WJA (WestProp) is/will be a step up, in pay and travel discounts. Remember at the 703s level, we have low wages, no retirement plans, few insurance benefits and no travel benefits.

Good luck to all.

That's odd... most people I know, myself included, made more than double at our previous 703/704 Gigs.

CK