January 7th Groundschool

[Static]

Hey everybody, I'm just looking to get in touch with those of you who are in the January 7th Jazz ground school. I'm also curious if everyone is staying at the same place. I'm at the Novotel YYZ Airport Hotel, although I thought Jazz ground school students traditionally stayed at the Travelodge...hrmm. I'm also curious to know if Jazz pays per-diems while I'm staying for ground school. Last but not least, besides bringing a notepad and paper (and of course the required documents from the orientation package) would anyone recommend anything else? I assume, as well, that we won't be exposed to availability of bases and equipment until the seniority draw on day two...any suggestions for someone who is "planning" to commute from Winnipeg...positives/negatives. How long have employees (in the past) stayed on reserve on the Dash-8 or the CRJ?

I know it's a lot of questions, I just want to have some ideas in my head to help me make a good decision when the time comes...based on availability. So any input would be great .

Thanks

[.80@410]

From what I have seen, you will have a schedule faster and move up the base list faster on a Dash. So if I were commuting from WPG I would bid Dash from YYZ as the is more frequency of flights there than YUL.

I believe you do not get per diems during class as it is assumed all new hires are originating from YYZ !!
Keeping that in mind, if you were to manage to get on the Dash sim in YVR, or RJ in Cali? that you would get the daily per diems added to your check.

Your pen and paper will be fine for class.

.80

[JazzJetDriver]

Per Diems are paid.

[RGL]

Hello Static,

I arrive Sunday afternoon at the Novotel.

L

[Stinky]

The main difference for Per Diems is that during groundschool everybody is based in YYZ. If your'e training in YYZ you get per diems while you are in class only, if they ship you elsewhere you get perdiems 24hrs a day plus some other extras.

As far as what to bring, make sure you have an extremely heavy duty bag or suitcase or something. You're going to be issued about 50lbs of books. My carry on couldn't handle it and exploded on the way home.

[Plim Sole]

$30 a day whilst training in YYZ.
You don't need an extra suitcase, just leave a little room in the one you bring.
You might get a heads up of aircraft and bases on the Monday so you can have a think about it with other halves. Draw will be on the Tue.
1st week is paperwork, CRM, ALPA etc etc. You won't be talking too many notes in the 1st week.

Sit back, enjoy, learn and get ready for the IPT and Sim stage.

Let us know what aircraft and where after the draw.

PS

[rampking]

If you are lucky you will get to do Groundschool anywhere other then Toronto. Apparently everyone is considered T.O. Based until completion of PPC so if you are doing almost 3 weeks of gorundschool in T.O. you get the huge amount of $28.96 per day if in the class room, and get this $15.85 if on the IPT. AND on days off you get absolutely nothing!!!!!WTF over????? I don't know about anyone else but this was not made clear to me in the beginning and It really was huge disapointment expecting to get like $1000 back in per diems just in time for Chirstmas only to get like $350. For anyone who has never stayed at the Novotel a breakfast there with one egg and toast is $12.00 with the discount. So it's going to cost you alot out of your own pocket.
King

[teacher]

Yah, I strongly suggest you take a trip to a grocery store for breakfast and a few other meals. I burned too much money during "O" week and did a little better during groundschool. Hope you got what you wanted (for base and type), if not, give it a few months and you'll be there. I asked why the Novotel and was told that the Travellodge no longer met ALPA standards in terms of the rooms. I sure do miss the crew room breakie though.

[3H]

So where are the positions based for Jan 7?

[Bede]

rampking,

Jazz is far more generous than most airlines with pay during training. The purpose of per diems is to pay for expenses while away from base. Since you are YYZ based, why should you even get per diems? I think you need to lose the sense of entitlement.

Cheers

[rampking]

Bede,

No doubt they are pretty good , thats why I am here. But, In my orientation I was told that jazz covers the cost of everything until I get my PPC. So to be waiting around for my per diem check only to get less then half of what me and everyone else in my class thought we were getting, it was a little dissapointing. Maybe they should have the orientation staff re-informed. And also why are they giving us hotel rooms to stay in then if we are T.O. based???? Whats this about entitlement, ummm working and wanting to get paid for it is not entitlement it's common sense. Per diems is the same thing it's because of work I had to stay in T.O. for 3 weeks and spend over a grand so I should have been reimbursed.

King

[Valcore]

Spend over a grand in 3 weeks?....Stay out of the Landing Strip buddy.

[Stinky]

The problem is you have guys who live in YUL who were interviewed hired and subsequently based in YUL for example, yet during training they are all of a sudden YYZ based therefore get crappy per diems.
In the same groundschool you can have someone who lives in Vancouver, gets a Vancouver base and does his training in YVR and gets kick ass per diems while at home while the guy away from home is getting almost nothing.

[JazzJetDriver]

Stinky, 'home' is where your base is, and for the first couple of weeks with Jazz you are a YYZ based pilot and as such YYZ per-diems are paid. Be thankful the new hires don't have to pay accomodation, transportation as well as airfare back home on their weekends off.

As someone earlier said, "Lose that sense of entitlement." They are geting a good deal, better than 99% of them have ever had in their whole flying career.

As a matter of fact they should be emulating the smilie . Some people just don't know when they have it good.

[Stinky]

It's definately a good deal, but reread my post and you'll see that there is a bit of an inequity there. In the big scheme of things it really is meaningless, but it still exists.

[Bede]

King,

Sorry for being harsh. I know what you mean when you are told one thing and another happens. In my ground school I had friend who were told they could commute to YUL, but commuting privileges were taken away for only YUL based pilots. I do see the companies policy re training per diems: since you're at your base (YYZ), you don't need full compensation.

Cheers,