PBS Poll

PBS is a tool that does one thing VERY well: it builds a pilot's schedule to the point management doesn't need as many pilots. Sure, the trips are efficient, but when the #1 guy on the seniority list gets nothing they asked for while guys junior to them get some of the things, something's wrong. PBS is only as good as the pairings, so it's a "garbage in/garbage out" system. If, for example, you request "no show times prior to noon" in order to have a commutable schedule, it only works if there are pairings that fit that requirement. If there's 5 pairings with a start time after noon, and 5 guys above you request that....well, you probably won't get it. However, if one of those guys requests that AND requests something else (say days off) at a higher weight, you might still get it. The senior pilot will get more days off, but at the expense of a commutable schedule. At least, that's the theory. In practice, it's a total crap shoot that seems to have its levers pulled by the wizard behind the curtain who doesn't talk about his plan or methods. The fewer choices you have in your bid, the more likely you are to actually get some of them. This past month, I got ZERO of what I asked for on my schedule. In January, I know a lot of guys that got nothing of what they asked for. There simply just weren't enough pilots per block hour to award halfway decent schedules. So, if the company is actually STAFFED, PBS might work well. I honestly don't know. I've never seen PBS work the way it was promised. There's very little training done on the program, and you almost need to be a math genius to work the system to get what you want.
 
Using the term "PBS" is like calling all facial tissue "Kleenex", or all caramel colored cola's "Coke".

Delta's PBS is not the same as CAL's PBS or ASA's, or Pinnacle's, etc...

There are many, many, different vendors who market Preferential Bidding Software. Each is different in what they can and can't do, and what they can allow the companies and pilots to do as well. Rules can be set to benefit the work rules of your contract... or they can be set to benefit the company. The best bet would most likely be something in-between.

But simply stating "PBS sucks" or "PBS rocks" is not beneficial unless you know what brand of software it is, what rules are set up inside of the program, how steep the learning curve is, what contract stipulations are built into it, and what loopholes each company (and pilots) can exploit.

Bob
 
The PBS that my company uses has allowed me to get a much better schedule the past few years than lines would have been, as the base I'm in is not too large. It would be impossible to find a line that would have everything I want. My point of view is 50% seniority on up to #1 in base. Still though, in the bottom lines, you don't get what you want either.

Most of the complaints my co-workers have about PBS are actually contractual issues or issues with how crew planning uses PBS. The PBS system itself is no-BS pairings in, pairings out. If we're properly staffed it's better than line bidding.
 
PBS at SkyWest wasn't great. PBS at Northwest was awesome, and PBS at Delta is not too bad.
 
Captain_Bob said:
Using the term "PBS" is like calling all facial tissue "Kleenex", or all caramel colored cola's "Coke".

Delta's PBS is not the same as CAL's PBS or ASA's, or Pinnacle's, etc...

There are many, many, different vendors who market Preferential Bidding Software. Each is different in what they can and can't do, and what they can allow the companies and pilots to do as well. Rules can be set to benefit the work rules of your contract... or they can be set to benefit the company. The best bet would most likely be something in-between.

But simply stating "PBS sucks" or "PBS rocks" is not beneficial unless you know what brand of software it is, what rules are set up inside of the program, how steep the learning curve is, what contract stipulations are built into it, and what loopholes each company (and pilots) can exploit.

Bob
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

PBS at TWA was great, the old Delta Express PBS (the old MCO operation) sucked, and the current Delta PBS is pretty middle of the road.
 
I've come about 3/4th around on the expected PBS system at ASA. We'll see how it really turns out though. That final 1/4 of skepticism is always going to be there.

While we have been running practice bids the past two months or so, only a very few of us furloughed guys have actually had the access within FLiCA to take part in the practice bid. Which is in my mind a bit laughable...but whatever...guess we'll all see how it ends up.
 
surreal1221 said:
I've come about 3/4th around on the expected PBS system at ASA. We'll see how it really turns out though. That final 1/4 of skepticism is always going to be there.

While we have been running practice bids the past two months or so, only a very few of us furloughed guys have actually had the access within FLiCA to take part in the practice bid. Which is in my mind a bit laughable...but whatever...guess we'll all see how it ends up.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that practice bids are also only as good as the participation level. On the mock bid, I get a high speed line every month. In reality, I'm about 20 away from one, if not more. During the "parallel bids" we did before PBS went live, I was consistently getting better lines with PBS than I was with paper bidding. I still got a pretty decent line with PBS as an FO, but then again, I was bidding #21 out of over 100. As a CA, I'm looking about a decade before I could hold a half way decent line in comparison.....
 
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