CREWBLAST Releases Flight Contractor Protocol and SOP Information

CREWBLAST, the technology-based aircraft staffing company, released information today on standard operating procedures and protocols that are normally accepted in the aircraft staffing industry.  The information covers a range of topics from trip cancelation and change policies to what counts as a day on a late arrival or a trip that covers multiple time-zones.

Cancelled Trip:

For cancelled trips, the rule of thumb is that the closer you are to departure, the more you pay.  Most crews agree that within 24 hours, 100% of the trip will be charged, as at that point it is too close to rebook or salvage the time lost.  Beyond 24 hours there is typically a sliding scale, so if you are 48 hours out perhaps you are charged 50%, as there is some ability for the crews to rebook themselves.  For trips cancelled weeks in advance, there is typically no charge as there is a high likelihood of the staff being able to be reassigned; any expenses already incurred would of course need to be reimbursed.  The takeaway here is that there needs to be some commitment from the client as calendars get blocked off upon booking and there are repercussions for cancelled trips.

Trip length shortened:

And for a trip that is cut short once it has started, well, that is treated the same as a cancellation within 24-hours.  After all, crews have already blocked off the time and it is likely too late to rebook.  The benefit of using CrewBlast as your flight crew placement service, there are no cancellation or change fees owed to CrewBlast!

Late Arrival:

What happens when your flight lands at 3 AM?  The thinking goes that crews are basically useless the following day.  Pilots and flight crews need rest and are not able to wake up and fly again, making the next day a loss.  For this reason, very late arrivals should count as an additional day.

“There is real consensus within the industry when you talk to pilots and flight crews,” commented CREWBLAST President Timothy Griffin.  “But there is a lack of published information, which is why we are trying to push out these standard operating procedures and get everyone on the same page.”