Cathay Pacific set to close Toronto cabin crew base, with up to 120 jobs at risk
#16
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It's also interesting to see the swing in perception: 5-10 years ago the feeling here was please can I have cabin crew from anywhere EXCEPT Hong Kong!
#17
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now thats hk based crew (mostly hongkies in the back+ some other asians up front) vs NA/London based crew. not exactly apple to apple comparasion
#18
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: JFK/EWR/SFO/LAX/YYZ <-> HKG, PEK, CKG
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[QUOTE=tabeko;30767405]
Not sure how the packages are structured but do note NY doesn't have ISMs - could mean easier to cut if no legacy clauses (not sure about this at all) but lower cost savings.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/...abin-crew-base
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways set to close Toronto cabin crew base, with up to 120 jobs at risk[/QUOTE
All the foreign crew bases that CX created were not making sense. I guess CX will axe N. American bases one by one. I reckoned New York base will be in danger as promotion was freezed for years and no more new recuitment.
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways set to close Toronto cabin crew base, with up to 120 jobs at risk[/QUOTE
All the foreign crew bases that CX created were not making sense. I guess CX will axe N. American bases one by one. I reckoned New York base will be in danger as promotion was freezed for years and no more new recuitment.
#19
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,118
I noticed a few Bangkok-based crew getting on CX654 on Sunday.... whereas the rest of the crew (Hong Kong based) were doing return trip from CX653. And going back to the earlier comment of Southeast Asian crew based in Hong Kong back in the 90s, the few Bangkok-based crew made the flight so much better. They even speak basic Mandarin to deal with the many Mainland Chinese travellers !
#20
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I noticed a few Bangkok-based crew getting on CX654 on Sunday.... whereas the rest of the crew (Hong Kong based) were doing return trip from CX653. And going back to the earlier comment of Southeast Asian crew based in Hong Kong back in the 90s, the few Bangkok-based crew made the flight so much better. They even speak basic Mandarin to deal with the many Mainland Chinese travellers !
#22
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: YYZ
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Same here. I frequent the YYZ routes and recognize many of the YYZ based ISM/SP/FP. They have always been nice and it's always a good feeling (at least for myself) to walk onto the flight and see some familiar faces. (Disclaimer: I don't make extra demands.)
#23
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,165
Speaking of North America based crews, I think I read somewhere that for Cathay's JFK flights, some flights are served by JFK based crew and some by HKG based crew.
Is this correct?
I thought it was kind of strange to split crew for the same destination.
Is this correct?
I thought it was kind of strange to split crew for the same destination.
#24
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#26
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Usually 830 is JFK-based crew but since no JFK-based ISM as stated above, it's always "mixed crew". On JFK-HKG it's more variable as to which flights they get on but think usually 845 - not sure if that changed as recently been on 899 whenever to HK (always HK) and 865 to YVR (always YVR).
#28
Join Date: Sep 2011
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I think in some cases they fly up to Japan/Taiwan where a new set of crew is waiting for them.
#29
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It's worth noting that YYZ had a tiny base anyway. If not the smallest crew base, then # 2 or # 3. With such a tiny base if a whole plane went tech and/or crew time out, a 12-24 hour delay was still a possibility. It's not like shutting the base takes away an "ace in the hole" or something. You cannot call the entire standby list - essentially what would happen in a small base like YYZ, they don't have a lot of people on standby at any given time - to roster a full plane. Then you have no standby for tomorrow, and the next day, etc. The standbys at a small outport like YYZ are really a luxury if a crew or two get sick, get injured over their stay, etc. Not to replace an entire plane.
Larger outport bases like SFO and LAX would still be strained if you drained the entire standby list on a flight. Possible, but you're risking some serious consequences the next 48 hours that might make it not worth it.
There are other ways to mitigate crew rest issues. Some of the less-ethical but permitted ways CX skirts things is having the crew wait essentially on standby in their hotel rooms, since their clock doesn't start according to regulation until they get downstairs. The crew aren't really getting rest (hence violating the spirit of the rule) but they can fly because the clock doesn't tick until they muster downstairs.
As pointed out above, your question / assumption isn't really correct!
#30
Join Date: Nov 2017
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Usually 830 is JFK-based crew but since no JFK-based ISM as stated above, it's always "mixed crew". On JFK-HKG it's more variable as to which flights they get on but think usually 845 - not sure if that changed as recently been on 899 whenever to HK (always HK) and 865 to YVR (always YVR).