Reserve life

[Vector]

Can you possibly swing Reserve with another shift type work. Looking at options of augmenting income with a shift work. How realistic is this?

 

[etflies]

i sat 7 days of reserve at compass....i was called once.

Congrats, but I don't think a week is a great sampling of reserve life. My point was plan for the worst and hope for the best. We both know how many variables there are that go into things like this and how quickly things can change.

My reserve experiences have varied from weeks without being called to leaving home on day 1 for what originally was a quick turn and not getting back home until the end of day 5. I wish everyone's experience were as painless as your own but unfortunately that isn't the norm.

 

[Colin Levy]

Question regarding reserve. At PSA I was reading reserve time is 2 hour call (they called it short call). I get that that means you have to be there within 2 hours. But are there times that you are required to be at the airport during your reserve time, like a hot reserve I guess it may be called?

I have a place an hour and a half out of base, and if I get that base for reserve, would I still need a crashpad closer?

 

[falconvalley]

Depends on a few factors. The primary factor being- at what point have you "reported"? At one airline, the primary reporting function involved logging in to a computer and pointing and clicking a few times to specific radial buttons. You have a 5 minute window to do that. At my current airline it's "report to base at xx:xx". We are suppose meet in the crew room at 45 prior to dept. That is our "Report Time". Many people go straight to the gate, however, by which, for most flights needs to be done by 30 prior. Now, if people play their cards right and follow the GOM and contract correctly, they would have to call scheduling no later than 30 prior, if they don't see everybody. Anybody who does not do that could risk being included in the "Late" for trying to cover for the late crewmember. Technically, I think this is supposed to occur by 45 prior, but because many people skip the crew room, most schedulers assume we just didn't see each other around 45 prior. By 30 prior, phone calls start going out and some people can get away with being at Starbucks a few gates down, if the flight subsequently goes out on time and said crewmember is not typically a problem child. I've also heard stories of people getting occurrences even if the flight goes out on time. I would gather they didn't say the right things over the phone and perhaps even went all Prima Donna on scheduling, which will get you nowhere. Clear as mud? It's all about the boundaries and whether you can consistently clear them. Consistency is key.

 

[poser765]

Can you possibly swing Reserve with another shift type work. Looking at options of augmenting income with a shift work. How realistic is this?

Possibly? It would depend on a number of factors. How many reserves are under you...What is your likelihood of being called in? How flexible would your boss be at the other gig? If your airline job comes first you are going to miss shifts and have to leave shifts early.

Also it your company may have a policy in place about accepting outside work.

 

[Soku39]

Question regarding reserve. At PSA I was reading reserve time is 2 hour call (they called it short call). I get that that means you have to be there within 2 hours. But are there times that you are required to be at the airport during your reserve time, like a hot reserve I guess it may be called?

I have a place an hour and a half out of base, and if I get that base for reserve, would I still need a crashpad closer?

There are 3 kinds of reserve at PSA

Short - 2 hours DAY/CLT, 1 hour TYS

Long - 12 hours all bases

Ready - must be at airport in uniform ready to go, I believe you can be made to sit ready reserve once per reserve period, reserve periods are usually 5 days long.

So yes if you have a place an 1 1/2 hours away from base you will not need a crash pad, unless you are on TYS short call.

The reality of the situation being what it is, is that if you are starting at PSA now, you won't sit reserve in DAY or TYS, and in CLT you'll sit reserve for 2 to 3 months until you can hold a line, and even in CLT you should be able to hold long call so you can at least know what you're doing 12 hours out. (pro tip we're short bodies and you'll probably be assigned a 4 day trip while on long call right now)

Lastly your base is where you will sit reserve, if they deadhead you to another base to sit, they must pay for your hotel.

 

[ERfly]

Having sat reserve at a regional and now at a Legacy, the 2 are night and day different. At US, Reserve is quite human. In fact, a lot of people bid reserve that could hold blocks. On my airplane (767 International), reserve is a great place to hide out in the winter (due to lack of activity on the fleet). I hold long call which is 12 hours to check-in. If it's a Domestic departure, check-in is 60 minutes prior. International is 90 minutes prior (going to 60 eventually). Our reserve system is very transparent. We use a bucket system and it's based on Least Time Order. I can look to see where I sit on the reserve list and what trips are available. The block holders can trip improve 2 days prior, so that gives you a good idea of what will be open for your days on. Future Scheduling processes Long Call Reserves at 1:00 pm (Pittsburgh Central Time) the day prior. I sat the entire week of New Years as wasn't called once. I've been called a few times in January. No telling yet for February.

Trips range from out and backs to the islands (or ORD), ferry flights, the handful of domestic we have out of PHL and 3-day (sometimes 4 with winter schedules) International trips. The big downside is the 757 can equipment sub for just about any airplane in the fleet, so you have to watch that.

They can transition you to short call if they don't have enough short call reserves, but Scheduling is pretty good at assigning a later RAP. Also, if you're long call, you don't go on until midnight your first day. Future can call you with a trip for your first day on your off day, but you're under no obligation to answer until midnight. I sit long call from DFW and I'm based in PHL. So far so good (knock on wood).

At XJT, it was as described above. I didn't sit reserve there long. When I did, it was feast or famine. Some months I flew a ton, others I hardly flew at all.

 

[Soku39]

Having sat reserve at a regional and now at a Legacy, the 2 are night and day different. At US, Reserve is quite human. In fact, a lot of people bid reserve that could hold blocks. On my airplane (767 International), reserve is a great place to hide out in the winter (due to lack of activity on the fleet). I hold long call which is 12 hours to check-in. If it's a Domestic departure, check-in is 60 minutes prior. International is 90 minutes prior (going to 60 eventually). Our reserve system is very transparent. We use a bucket system and it's based on Least Time Order. I can look to see where I sit on the reserve list and what trips are available. The block holders can trip improve 2 days prior, so that gives you a good idea of what will be open for your days on. Future Scheduling processes Long Call Reserves at 1:00 pm (Pittsburgh Central Time) the day prior. I sat the entire week of New Years as wasn't called once. I've been called a few times in January. No telling yet for February.

Trips range from out and backs to the islands (or ORD), ferry flights, the handful of domestic we have out of PHL and 3-day (sometimes 4 with winter schedules) International trips. The big downside is the 757 can equipment sub for just about any airplane in the fleet, so you have to watch that.

They can transition you to short call if they don't have enough short call reserves, but Scheduling is pretty good at assigning a later RAP. Also, if you're long call, you don't go on until midnight your first day. Future can call you with a trip for your first day on your off day, but you're under no obligation to answer until midnight. I sit long call from DFW and I'm based in PHL. So far so good (knock on wood).

At XJT, it was as described above. I didn't sit reserve there long. When I did, it was feast or famine. Some months I flew a ton, others I hardly flew at all.

This is my overall impression. I'm one of two regional guys in my squadron. The other guys are all at Delta or United. Delta's reserve is 10x better than being a senior lineholder at my regional. When we were talking about how Delta runs reserve, it's almost as if it's basically preferential bidding for leftovers (which are still better than regional lines). For me that means eye on the prize.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

This is my overall impression. I'm one of two regional guys in my squadron. The other guys are all at Delta or United. Delta's reserve is 10x better than being a senior lineholder at my regional. When we were talking about how Delta runs reserve, it's almost as if it's basically preferential bidding for leftovers (which are still better than regional lines). For me that means eye on the prize.

A good proffering/aggressive pickup system makes reserve much more tolerable at the regional level too, but generally you're right.

I would rather be the plug at SJI than a blockholding Captain at my regional.