United to ACA - small minds at work

[tarp]

Just gotta love this memo.

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To ACA employees on UNITED business travel -

ACA employees traveling on confirmed Company Business travel (COBUS), on United Airlines, may only be booked in Coach Class with possibility of standby upgrade to United First or Business Class.

We must inform you that United Airlines has made a decision to restrict ACA’s company business travel on United to confirmed Coach Class only. This means that as of March 1st, 2004 our team members who are traveling on business, on United Airlines, will no longer be able to take an advantage of booking a confirmed seat in United Business Class.

Since United Airlines makes the sole determination about who can and can not travel in their aircrafts, we trust you understand that this decision is not in direct control of ACA.

However, if you wish to standby for an upgrade, you may still do so by calling 1-800-XXX-XXXX and make a separate standby reservation for First or Business class. Once you are at the airport for ready to check in, you may ask the agent to check you in, separately, as a standby traveler for the same flight.

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So basically an ACA pilot deadheading to a United destination to carry United passengers in a plane with United colors on the side MUST ride in the cramped coach section for that journey. Yep, that'll show those ACA guys what stuff United is made of.

To the United pilots, I'm sorry for the embarrassment this must cause you. Be advised I will not resort to small minded thinking. As we launch Indy Air, you are most welcome to use our jumpseats - if I have a big roomy chair for you to sit in - you've got it. Over the years, United, US Air, Delta, Continental, Southwest, Northwest and American pilots have been nothing but kind to me in my attempts to commute and travel. I will not take this small minded thinking to work with me. If any pilot talks of retribution, I am totally against it. Just stop it. We are professional pilots just trying to do our jobs getting customers safely from one point to another.

But for you United guys, right now hundreds and hundreds of your passengers put up with all the bickering that is going on in Chicago. Your management and Air Whiskey's is probably snickering at all those ACA customers stuck in airplanes sitting in the penalty box. The thing is - those are UNITED customers in those airplanes. And every one of those people are swearing that they don't want to be stuck in a UNITED plane again. Good for Independence Air and American Airlines, bad for United.

Competition in the market will be giving a customer a quality product for a digestible price. But when I sit back there in coach cramped against a bulkhead and when I sit for 45 minutes on the ramp because Air Whiskey won't give me a gate, just remember I always thank people for flying with UNITED Express. Of course, small minds won't understand this concept.

 

[Andy]

Tarp, before you go ballistic over deadheading in coach, you MAY want to find out what United's pilots are offered. Here's from the latest contract:

5-D-3 Pilots when deadheading over the Company's domestic
routes shall be on non-revenue positive space (NRPS) or
OMC at the pilot's option unless OMC provides the only
expedient method of transportation. Pilots will be booked for
deadhead travel as outlined below:

5-D-3-a When a pilot is deadheading to a flight
assignment and (i) the deadhead leg is greater than three
(3) hours, and (ii) the deadhead leg is in the same duty
period as the flight assignment, the booking will be in
Business Class in a three class aircraft. If Business Class
is not available at time of booking, the pilot will be booked
in First Class. If First Class is not available at time of
booking, the pilot will be booked in Economy Class and
will be assigned a seat in Economy Plus in aisle, window,
middle seat priority. If the deadhead is in a two class
aircraft, the booking will be in First Class, if available at
the time of booking. If First Class is not available at the
time of booking, the pilot will be booked in Economy Class
and will be assigned a seat in Economy Plus in aisle,
window, middle seat priority.
5-D-3-b When a pilot is deadheading to a layover, or from
a flight assignment to his home domicile, and the
deadhead leg is greater than three (3) hours, the booking
will be in Business Class in a three class aircraft. If
Business Class is not available at time of booking, or the
aircraft is a two class aircraft, the pilot will be booked in
Economy Class and will be assigned a seat in Economy
Plus in aisle, window, middle seat priority.
5-D-3-c When a pilot is deadheading to or from any flight
assignment and the deadhead leg is equal to or less than
three (3) hours, the pilot will be booked in Economy Class
and will be assigned a seat in Economy Plus in aisle,
window, middle seat priority.
5-D-3-d Regardless of the class of service booked in 5-D-
3-a, b and c above, pilots may be upgraded to higher class
of service at the gate after the Company has
accommodated all revenue and passenger upgrades of all
classifications.



So, if a United is on a deadhead flight of three hours or less or he is deadheading home or to a layover, he's in coach. I would imagine that most of ACA's deadhead flights are three hours or less.
Sorry that you're pissed off about this, but it looks like ACA's deadheading pilots are being treated about the same as United deadheading pilots.

 

[flyguppy]

Just gotta love this memo.

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To ACA employees on UNITED business travel -

ACA employees traveling on confirmed Company Business travel (COBUS), on United Airlines, may only be booked in Coach Class with possibility of standby upgrade to United First or Business Class.

We must inform you that United Airlines has made a decision to restrict ACA’s company business travel on United to confirmed Coach Class only.

Well there, tarp. Your animosity is obvious, but.........

Even UAL's own pilots are not allowed to book business or first while on company business. (If the flight is under 3 hours, which is just about all, except transcons).

So what makes you think ACA pilots should be allowed to book confirmed business?

No embarassment here. The policy is what it is. Stop being so paranoid that UAL is out to stick it to the ACA pilots.

Best of luck with your new venture.

 

[skykid]

Tarp, when Indy Air rolls out,you might want to go ahead and sit in the back no matter what. I've been switching to coach at the gate on deadheads since day one, and am not the only UAL pilot to do so. This frees up a better seat for upgrades and makes a customer happy. Plus being back in a middle seat gives you a chance to talk to a few customers and say something good about your company. I couldn't care less what the silly seating rules are - sitting in the back is the right thing unless the plane is wide open anyway.

 

[PHXFLYR]

Must be nice to work for an airline where your only worry in the world is whether they put you in First Class or Coach while deadheading to or from work..... Give us all a break, will you Tarp?



PHXFLYR

 

[General Lee]

Sounds like ATA's new first class policy with it's own employees.

Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[dA-RoCk]

Tarp-

I'm a commuter to, and big UniTED has gotten me home plently of times. I'm just happy to have a seat...

Cheers,

 

[Trojan]

"small minds at work"

You got that right, kid. But not by UAL or ACA...
Wow, imagine what the group of pilots on this list could accomplish working with eachother, instead of against eachother. Airline management just wet their pants laughing reading all the posts about how the big airline vs. little airline vs. discount airline pilot battles continue.

As I say every post, we (UAL, SWA, ACA, JBA, etc) are ALL screwed until we work together as fellow pilots.

T

 

[GroundHog]

Just gotta love this memo.

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To the United pilots, I'm sorry for the embarrassment this must cause you. Be advised I will not resort to small minded thinking. As we launch Indy Air, you are most welcome to use our jumpseats - if I have a big roomy chair for you to sit in - you've got it. Over the years, United, US Air, Delta, Continental, Southwest, Northwest and American pilots have been nothing but kind to me in my attempts to commute and travel. I will not take this small minded thinking to work with me. If any pilot talks of retribution, I am totally against it. Just stop it. We are professional pilots just trying to do our jobs getting customers safely from one point to another.

tarp,
I appreciate the fact that you're against any kind of retribution, but why do you even bring it up? You make it sound like the United pilots had a direct hand in this decision. I guarantee they had no part in any of this. Besides, they've got so much QOL issues in their own life to deal with, screwing up your deadhead isn't even on their radar.
Hog

 

[Andy]

I think it's safe to say that Tarp was unaware of UAL's policy toward deadheading UAL pilots. With the less than amicable breakup between UAL and ACA, he interpreted this policy change as a jab from UAL toward ACA. I don't think that's the case here, but I've been wrong before.

Tarp, I request that you spread the word among your fellow ACA pilots that your deadheading policy now matches UAL pilots' deadheading policy.

... and let's cut Tarp a wee bit of slack on this one. We've all mistakenly jumped to conclusions. I know that I have made plenty of times.



I can't wait to get recalled by UAL so that I can deadhead on occasion. ... even if it's in a middle seat between the 300 pound man who raises the armrest between us and the lady with the screaming baby.