Dirk Becker No Comments

Hotel Committee Update – June 2020

With this newsletter, we would like to give you a little overview of the Voyage Reports on Hotel deficiencies you sent us over the year 2019 and show you the statistic that highlights some of the events and trends we picked up.

A staggering amount of 77 Voyage Reports was received as pdf-copies and we would like to thank you for not only sharing your reports with us, the Hotel Committee, but also taking the effort to put it into writing. This allows us to follow up with Senior Management on deficiencies, unsuitable hotels and directly getting in contact with hotel management, even if that station received a single report over the entire year!

40 reports were directly related to “Crew Rest Disturbance”, where some of them are simply the consequence to no updated bookings and the common calls from housekeeping/reception to check on the booking status with the crew member directly. Unfortunately, not all Voyage Reports are being properly investigated as they don’t always end up with the right department. Crew rest disturbances has also been brought up at the FSAG when you have filed ASRs after having delayed a flight.

Your reports are well received and enable us to show the trends and highlights to Senior Management, address omissions to OM-A/CWA requirements and provide proof to flawed bookings procedures etc. It also highlighted to the company that certain hotels were well below standard (e.g. GIG airport hotel) thus enabling us to address the issues with them and to subsequently move to approved and inspected hotels by the Hotel Committee like in Almaty, New York, Seoul and of course Anchorage. In Columbus our recommended hotel was disregarded and we were forced to move to the current hotel that still receives Voyage Reports.

Below we broke down a few highlights in more details such as:

ANCHORAGE
The highlight and biggest issue in the last year was quite obviously the Anchorage Hilton with 26 reports alone and these reports were received within roughly 3 months! We sometimes received multimedia attachments to demonstrate the unacceptable outside noise level, got shown pictures of technical deficiencies in bathrooms, broken window handles and frames etc.

Various reasons led to this spike and in summary we can say that the vast amount of reports could have been avoided if we had either been able to stay at the Marriott or if we had been able to move quicker to the Sheraton. Unfortunately, the Marriott canceled the contract with Cargolux and forced us to the Hilton, were unfortunately the agreed renovated rooms were not always reserved for us as initially agreed by the hotel.

HONG KONG
The reports we received for Hong Kong were only related to the airport hotels booked during the social unrest, the Regal and the Marriott. After being consulted again for the recent and temporary move to the airport, the Marriott SkyCity was selected. We clearly communicated to Senior Management our concerns due to the previous Voyage Reports we received, mostly related to aircraft and construction noise next door. We recommended the Novotel Hong Kong Citygate in Tung Chung, which was inspected by us in October 2019 with enough proximity to the airport and the Citygate Outlets in walking distance, with its many food and shopping options as well as the adjacent MTR station. The argument against it was, that social distancing in the Novotel Crew transport could not be guaranteed. 

INCHEON
The move from the JW Marriott was only supposed to be a temporary measure whilst the hotel underwent renovations. We were never consulted nor allowed to provide suitable alternatives whilst the renovations took place, and we were forced to move to the Sheraton. Most complaints were related to the inability to control the room temperature and noise complaints. We hope to have a suitable alternative soon that we are actively working on. 

LUXEMBOURG
During B2B operation we had seen a few cases were crews were booked in a B&B style hotel in Trier-Igel which was neither inspected nor would have ever been approved by us, as it was not fulfilling the basic requirements. In one case, a crew member had to report unfit for duty due to the inability to blackout the light. Similar cases were reported in the NH, which was used quite often on B2B operations, where the complaints mostly related to the lack of temperature control.

SUMMARY
Many deficiencies occur when suitable hotels are not selected. This occurs as costs are the determining factor. The same cost cutting approach has caused cancellations of contracts by hotel managements at various destinations.

The detailed items show in the statistic, that your single report is vital in order for us to act and address issues with Senior Management and with hotels directly. The statistic also reveals the weakness of Cargolux’s booking system and process, mainly for Area 1 (North America), as the majority of Voyage Reports are addressing issues in the US (47). These issues are mostly linked to delays and schedule changes, that are not updated or being unnoticed due to the non-existing 24/7 coverage of A1 travel office.

As long as these issues are not eliminated, we still expect “Crew Rest Disturbances”, “No Bookings upon Arrival” to be happening in the future and we therefore would like to emphasize again every one of you to be vigilant and keep us sending your Voyage Reports, also during COVID-19 operations and social unrest. We have to maintain our minimum hotel standards, our first gate to maintain flight safety!

Stay safe and keep reporting!

Dirk Becker No Comments

Hotel Committee Update – 28 May 2020

Please find below another update on the current situation of our hotels.

CWB
As explained in the last ALPL Members Update in May, due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Sao Paolo and Rio, there will be no layovers in VCP. The Hotel Committee was asked what recommended hotel could be used.

We normally stayed at the Pestana Hotel but due to the crisis it is closed. We contacted the Bourbon Curitiba Convention Hotel who advised that they were open for business and would provide breakfast and dinner from their restaurant.

We ask that you please provide any reports to the Hotel Committee at cvhotels@alpl.lu as this decision was done fairly quickly and we have not had a chance to view the hotel.

KUL
The Malaysian Health Ministry has relaxed the lockdown procedures and we have moved out of the Sama Sama airport hotel. Our normal hotel JW Marriott is still closed due to the crisis and they have arranged to move crew layovers at their partner hotel Ritz Carlton.

We were advised that breakfast may be available, but we need some feedback on what is the current situation.

SIN/BKK
The lockdown continues in these two cities. We are advised that SIN will continue the lockdown as late as September 2020. BKK has not indicated any timeline at this point in time.

Senior Management has agreed that when layovers in SIN are 2 nights/3 days a suite will be booked for those layovers to alleviate the harsh lockdown procedures imposed by the local authorities.

HKG
The recent events from the Chinese central government on new legislation that may be imposed on HKG has restarted the demonstrations in HKG. We ask that you pay attention what areas you venture into. Please ask the front desk or concierge what information they have on where the demonstrations may occur and avoid them.

On days where the demonstrations may hinder the area towards Kowloon (TST), we have recommended that the Novotel Tung Chung near the airport should be used for layovers.

Conclusions
If there are any deficiencies or recommendations, you would like us to address please send an email to cvhotels@alpl.lu

We regularly update the document of our current hotels for your information. Please click here to have a look.

 

Dirk Becker No Comments

Members Update – May 2020

Please find below an update concerning:

  • Practical Drift from the CWA
  • Flying into VAC
  • Fatigue Management during COVID-19

Practical Drift from the CWA
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic we all are facing unprecedented times. Numerous roster changes, heavy restrictions during layovers and additional flight deck procedures are burdens of this pandemic.

At the same time many colleagues show their dedication and willingness to support the company by offering their flexibility and going beyond the scope of the CWA to make things happen. Although it appears to be justified during these times, it bears the risk of a systematic practical drift from the CWA.

You might already have seen roster changes that are not according to the CWA, simply because the continuous commitment and flexibility shown by the pilot community raised certain expectations from the company´s side.

We therefore urge you to be familiar with your CWA, know your rights and obligations and to make a conscious decision when deviating from it. Don’t forget how hard it was to achieve the improvements in the new CWA. This effort makes it even more precious. 

Flying into VAC
In the last negotiations the main objective concerning vacation was to protect vacation days and to make sure that pilots are scheduled to be free of any duty at least 12 hours before the first vacation day. The new CWA includes various levels of compensation a pilot is entitled to, should he/she arrive late on the day before the first vacation day. So far, so good.

However, we have been made aware of cases where pilots arrived on their first vacation day and the current interpretation by the company could result in a disadvantaged compensation compared to a late arrival on the day before the first vacation day.

We therefore strongly recommend refraining from accepting any extension of a rotation into your vacation period until we have clarified the issue.

Please remember that the company cannot plan a pilot – neither before nor during the trip – into his/her vacation period without expressed consent. 

Fatigue Management due to COVID-19
In the regular meetings with Senior Management we have highlighted numerous times that managing fatigue in advance for crews must be planned. We have extensive data on what doesn’t work and have brought up certain FDP combinations that needed addressing.

  • KUL-CGO-ANC
    This FDP has had several flights where crews used Commanders Discretion to avoid layovers in CGO. We welcome the recent change where the flight operates KUL-BKK for a crew change before continuing BKK-CGO-ANC.
  • OVB-CGO-ANC
    Another FDP that is at the FDP limit and again there have been extensions used due to delayed loading in CGO. We requested that these flights have the priority for loading to ensure crews are able to complete the flights inside the maximum FDP of 17 hrs.
  • Brazil
    With the COVID-19 cases increasing daily, all layovers in VCP will be shifted to CWB and flights will be routed accordingly. This will result in long, double sector FDPs. In discussions with Management, it was highlighted that these long FDPs are most likely fatiguing when departing late in the evening and with only 3 pilots. We highlighted the necessity to operate these flights with a double crew when departing in the evenings.

As always, we ask that you complete a Fatigue Report after a fatigue event or if necessary, proactively via the “Reporting” App on the Company iPad. Guidelines for filing a Fatigue Report can be found here.

Dirk Becker No Comments

Urgent – Hotel Situation in OVB

Following up on the recent information published by the Hotel Committee concerning the hotel situation in OVB, we would like to emphasize the following.

As mentioned already in our April 2020 Members Update, management has received reports of crews not respecting the social distancing and other COVID-19 protective measures whilst on layovers. Due to the large number of crews staying in the Marriott in OVB, this hotel certainly is a potential hotspot in this respect.

The hotel management has opened up now the 2nd floor for food services in addition to the 10th floor with chairs and tables adequately separated, so that the social distancing can be better assured. Also, room service is provided for pilots who wish to eat in their rooms.

While a large group of colleagues are applying the published protective measures and social distancing, there is unfortunately still a certain number of pilots, who take these procedures too lightly.

We strongly urge you to follow the COVID-19 protective measures in place to avoid unpleasant steps to be taken by our management, which would include the use of a second hotel in OVB in order to split up the crews to reduce the risk for infections.

For the time, we have been able to keep management from executing an unwanted hotel change, but we cannot guarantee anything if reports from pilots deviating from the procedures continue!

If you see anything that you are not happy with, please use discretion and politeness when approaching other colleagues and similarly be thoughtful if someone approaches you.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Dirk Becker No Comments

Hotel Committee Update – 15 May 2020

The Hotel Committee will now have its own dedicated newsletter on the current situation of our hotels.

At Cargolux it has been calculated that we spend up to 75 days (calculated in hours) away from our family and friends per year that a “normal 9 to 5” employee has. Moreover, as has been communicated by the ALPL Board, the quality of hotels must meet the requirements so that we as pilots are able to obtain the best possible rest to conduct our duties safely and that appropriate nutrition is readily available. Therefore, the standards (link) of our hotels must be maintained.

ORD
The recent situation in ORD at the Courtyard Wood Dale, is an example, where neither we as Hotel Committee nor any ALPL Board Member or Delegate were involved in making the decision  which failed miserably. Senior Management informed us at 16.00h on Tuesday 05 May 2020 that due to the COVID risk in the Cook County we were to move from Chicago downtown. We asked to hold off until we could find a suitable alternative. At 21.40h on the same evening the Chief Pilot was asked by Senior Management to send the information that we were moving.

The information that Senior Management provided to the CPO was also inconsistent stating that it was in a residential area and had a mini mart. The fact was that the hotel is located in an industrial area, the mini mart is nothing more than a shelf of crisps, chocolate bars and sodas, nothing close to nutrition and there are no nearby places to obtain any food. The noise from departing aircraft from O’Hare and other factors forced a crew to delay the flight due to not being able to obtain adequate sleep before the wakeup call. Nearly every crew that has had a layover there has written a Voyage Report.

We are pleased to announce that once we took the lead in obtaining a suitable accommodation we will move to the Marriott Naperville (link). We would like to thank a crew who visited the hotel and with our guidance checked all the standards required. Certainly, in these times some items will not be up and running but we have provided a copy of nearby walking distance restaurants (link) of what is available with regard to nutrition.

OVB
This destination has become a hub as Cargolux is shuttling back and forth from Mainland China. There have been reports that social distancing is not being respected. We approached the manager at the hotel, who is grateful to have us there as only cargo crews are keeping it open, to further create a space to enable more social distancing on the 10th Floor. We believe that this will help, and we ask that you please respect each other.

The manger has had to furlough some of his staff and the remaining have had to take a salary cut. We have created a ‘tip’ box. If you can find a way to support these staff who provide us with all services to make our stay safe, it is for sure appreciated.

SIN
The lockdown continues due to the local health authorities’ requirements. After Senior Management was informed by us that this could potentially have problems with crew being confined in rooms for long periods of time, they agreed to book suites. Unfortunately, we recently found out via your reports that the suites are only available for stays of three (3) nights or longer. We ask what is the difference between 2 nights or 3 nights? We also pointed out that the breakfast allowance also does not adequately meet a minimum nutritional level. We suggested to allocate suites for a duration of 2 nights and longer and we stipulated the allowance (currently SIN $20) to be cumulative. Managements answer is still pending.

Armchair decision making has clearly demonstrated that hotel standards are not provided for. It is vitally important that the standards of hotels are maintained. This can only be achieved with your assistance/support together with the Hotel Committee to select and maintain the most suitable hotel without costs being the determining factor.

Voyage Reports are important, without them, Senior Management will only advise us that there is no problem! Remember to forward your reports to the Hotel Committee.

Please view the document (link) that we have prepared to give you updates on all our current destinations. If there are any omissions or errors, please email them to cvhotels@alpl.lu

Dirk Becker No Comments

Members Update – April 2020

Please find below an update in regard to:

  • Hotels
  • Crew layovers in China
  • Flight Duty Periods exceeding limits and Fatigue Mitigation
  • Social Distancing during Layover

Hotels
Since the beginning the of the COVID-19 pandemic more and more restrictions were put in place by various countries which led to a significant decrease of the quality of layovers and hotel standards at many destinations. The Hotel Committee was and is working hard to find solutions to improve the situation in the current crisis. An updated version of the Hotel COVID-19 situation can be found here.

As communicated in our previous update on hotels please submit a Voyage Report through the iQSMS application and forward the report to cvhotels@alpl.lu so that we are aware of the current situation of hotels, especially of those which were not selected by the Hotel Committee.

We specifically urged management to follow the Hotel Policy and to coordinate with the Hotel Committee in advance at critical destinations to find suitable alternatives and provides clear indication on what deficiencies have evolved at the current hotels. Respective letters were published for your reference in our members update on 8 April 2020. To read the latest reply from the CFO, please click here.

We would like to remind you to always carefully assess your fitness to operate and any requirement for additional rest. In case extra rest is required, please file a Fatigue Report.

Crew layovers in China
With the shift of the COVID-19 hotspots to Europe and the USA we briefly discussed with management the options of having again crew layovers in China to free up manpower that would be needed in other areas. However, this was before we received reports of newly implemented procedures and questionable testing of crews by the Chinese authorities. After having read these reports we came quickly to the conclusion that we cannot agree to reinstate crew layovers at any destination in China. Please click here to read the letter including the reports that was sent to the CEO, Accountable Manager, EVP Flight Operations and Head to OHS&E.

Flight Duty Periods (FDP) exceeding limits and Fatigue Mitigation
At the very beginning of this crisis we wrote to the CPO and verbally restated to Senior Management that whilst we operate flights to avoid the hotspots of the COVID-19 we expected that fatigue is managed in advance. Over the past 4 years we have collected data that revealed the problematic rotations of FDPs combined with minimum rests.

We do have regular meetings with Senior Management to provide feedback on many issues. We were informed that pilots were deadheaded out of CGO due to a delay in departure where their FDP would be exceeded and, on another case, where an AOG occurred. We welcome this proactive approach to avoid having pilots being stranded in CGO or required to exceed the planned FDPs.

You may have also noticed during the COVID-19 crisis that some rotations have created additional rest periods more than what was experienced in the past, when we had large amounts for fatigue reports and associated fatigue scores when conducting two sector augmented crew operations. Nevertheless, this is not the case at all our destinations where augmented flights are departing from.

Recently we have seen three areas where we wish that Senior Management rectify the situation to manage fatigue in advance of all our duties. Please click here to read the letter that was sent to the CEO. We also ask you to please pay close attention to the requirement that Crew Control needs to follow, as per the Safety Department´s “Q4/2019 Boxed Items”, which is to notify crews sufficiently in advance of any fatigue warnings.

Remember:

  • Please be mindful of the requirement that ALL fellow crew members need to be adequately rested prior to the commencement of any FDPs that are potentially fatiguing.
  • Inflight rest is not the same as rest in accommodation where temperature, noise and light can be managed.
  • If additional rest is required before the commencement of an FDP or after an FDP please communicate and coordinate in a timely manner with your fellow crew members, local station, crew control and always submit an Air Safety (Fatigue) Report (ASR).
  • Air Safety (Fatigue) Report (ASR) must always be submitted when fatigue has been experienced on any duties.

As always, if you need further guidance please contact cvboard@alpl.lu

Social Distancing during Layovers
In the recent email from EVP Flight Operations a plea was made that all pilots please be mindful of maintaining adequate social distancing during layovers.

We would also like to ask each member to handle the present situation with great care and social responsibility. It is very important to recognize that everybody must contribute with their actions to not only protect their own health but also the one from the colleagues and the one from all affected family members at home. Please treat each other with respect, be extra patient during these times and maintain social distancing when having meals together during layovers.

If you see anything that you are not happy with, please use discretion and politeness when approaching other colleagues and similarly be thoughtful if someone approaches you.