CoffeeIcePapers
Well-Hung Member
Probably seniority
Reserves and Your Airline
- Thread starter Minuteman
- Start date
That’s a good point. At my airline seniority doesn’t matter terribly much when it comes to reserve. Maybe at juvenile airline it does?
CoffeeIcePapers
Well-Hung Member
Depends, I guess. At AA, we just switched to a system that is almost all seniority based. Senior people can bid pass all and not get used in the slow months, while the junior people get worked pretty hard. I suspect in the summer, it won't matter.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
That, but also playing the reserve game.
For example. I’ll start with 3 days initially. Mon-Tues-Wed. Then before midnight on Tuesday night, I’ll roll in a reserve day onto Thursday. Then midnight before Wednesday night, I’ll roll another reserve day into Friday.
So started with a 3 day stretch, ends up being a 5 day stretch . Advantage being, I couldn’t be used for a 4 day ever. Whereas if I had left the entire block on Mon-Fri, I could have been given a 4 day. Or gone all 5 days.
I call that technique rolling thunder. By using this technique, I limit what they can give in terms of days available in a row.
I do consider myself an expert on reserve games to lessen the chance of being called. I also check other reserves in my RAP on a starting stretch and try to get my days to match theirs, to reduce my chances. I don’t know what tricks Beefy knows. But I was reserve for 2 yrs as an Airbus CA and on-and-off (by choice) on the Boeing. I’ve got it down to a nice science.
All that said, we are overstaffed in LA for the CA seat. Low line averages means everyone is hungry for money. New contract says any trip that checks in more than 4 hrs from now, has to be in opentime for 1 hr. Today or tomorrow trips. So lineholders will put in a request to take that trip for extra money. Even less chances of reserves being used.
I’m bidding reserve since September and will again for January. Gonna enjoy this lull while it lasts. We can pickup on days off for extra pay. Oct I flew 1 totsl day on reserve. And was able to pick up 6 days of work for extra pay on days off. 84 hr guarantee went to 120 hrs pay. For flying 1 + 6 = 7 actual flying days.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
This, sir, is stolen valor.
Skåning
Well-Known Member
Nice try rent free Diddy
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
That, but also playing the reserve game.
For example. I’ll start with 3 days initially. Mon-Tues-Wed. Then before midnight on Tuesday night, I’ll roll in a reserve day onto Thursday. Then midnight before Wednesday night, I’ll roll another reserve day into Friday.
So started with a 3 day stretch, ends up being a 5 day stretch . Advantage being, I couldn’t be used for a 4 day ever. Whereas if I had left the entire block on Mon-Fri, I could have been given a 4 day. Or gone all 5 days.
I call that technique rolling thunder. By using this technique, I limit what they can give in terms of days available in a row.
I do consider myself an expert on reserve games to lessen the chance of being called. I also check other reserves in my RAP on a starting stretch and try to get my days to match theirs, to reduce my chances. I don’t know what tricks Beefy knows. But I was reserve for 2 yrs as an Airbus CA and on-and-off (by choice) on the Boeing. I’ve got it down to a nice science.
All that said, we are overstaffed in LA for the CA seat. Low line averages means everyone is hungry for money. New contract says any trip that checks in more than 4 hrs from now, has to be in opentime for 1 hr. Today or tomorrow trips. So lineholders will put in a request to take that trip for extra money. Even less chances of reserves being used.
I’m bidding reserve since September and will again for January. Gonna enjoy this lull while it lasts. We can pickup on days off for extra pay. Oct I flew 1 totsl day on reserve. And was able to pick up 6 days of work for extra pay on days off. 84 hr guarantee went to 120 hrs pay. For flying 1 + 6 = 7 actual flying days.
None of this is possible without the part in bold.
Apophis
Resident Iconoclast
Don’t forget the Oprah “you get a car’” meme, except instead of cars, err’body gets short call.
Autothrust Blue
Welcome aboard the Washington State Ferries
Womp womp womp wommmmmmp
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
You can call me Biggy
Really though it's a factor of 3 things:
1) Almost everything passes through SEA. So SEA gets the most reserve call outs.
2) All bases except for SEA are incredibly overstaffed
3) The new contract honors seniority for reserves in more ways than the old.
I didn't get called out for a 6 day block of reserve this month. Why? I had CQ so I started the month with 15 hrs of credit. Compared to summer it feels like a dream. We also have 7 less tails that we did in October. In March we will have 13 less tails. Likely the company will continue to offer leaves. Meanwhile we are protected by our contract with reduction and furlough protection.
Things will likely continue to be chill with junior pilots doing the majority of the call outs until the summer 2025. Or reductions and furlough in 2026.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
No, it is possible. Seattle reserve coverage is fine when it opens on the 16th at 9am. Stop making excuses and get your scheduled changed then.
And I JUST checked SEA Capt rsv coverage . The only red day is Nov 16. EVERYthing else from tomorrow Nov 13-30th is showing GRREN. Stop complaining and shift your days around to use rolling thunder as appropriate. My technique works even for your base!
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
I'm going to Oregon to ride mountain bikes.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
I just proved you wrong. Except Nov 16, all of November starting tomorrow is excellent coverage for SEA CAs to move days around if they want to.
Yes, SEA gets used more because it’s the mother base. There’s always flights there.
The whole seniority concept is overblown for reserves. It’s pretty much only matters 10am-1pm day before assignments window. Otherwise, it’s still day matching and lowest credit first. That’s why with CQ you had 15 hrs preassigned credit and everyone else will be used first.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
So what. Pull side in a gas station or restroom, log into your phone, and take the 30 seconds it takes to swap days around and improve your QOL.
Or just complain endlessly.
Your choice.
BEEF SUPREME
Well-Known Member
No for November. I'm driving down to Ashland to ride bikes and be outside. I don't care about making extra money. It seems like too much work.
Besides I can't trade any days since all my blocks are blocks of 3 from now on.
Skåning
Well-Known Member
You see what the FOs at his seniority got? 22, 22, 17, 17, 18, 18 days off
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Doesn’t care about money. But wolf downgrade either. That points to ego only.
Oh well, to each their own.
Inverted
mmmmmm wine
The hell it isn't. SFO is the most understaffed base for FO and I know several that not on;y never work on reserve, they can't even pick trips up on their days off because there are so few.
BobDDuck
Island Bus Driver
At least until the merger with constantly arguing eskimo is complete...
We have Short Call (2 or 3 hour callout depending what fleet you are on), Long Call (14 to 24 hour call out), and Ultra Long Call (24 to 35 hour call out). The cargo guys have Ready Reserve (15 minutes to the plane), Short Call (which is a 2 hour callout, but built into regular pairings) and Long Call (12 hours to their gateway city or 20 hours to their domicile).
In the passenger world, we are on a rolling system, so as soon as a pairing becomes X hours to report time it gets dumped onto any eligible reserve. Reserves sit in buckets based on the number of days they have available (no limit on reserve day blocks for SCR, 4 to 6 day blocks for LCR, 10 day blocks for ULCR) and then RAP for the SCR reserve. Within a bucket, the pilot with the lowest credit gets the call. We've been on this system for a few months now, and now that the kinks are worked out, it seems to be working pretty well.
Because of the nature of our trips (all out and back, 1 leg a day, except for interisland flying) once you are given an assignment, it is yours until the end. We have trip ownership, so you are treated just like a line holder as soon as it is assigned as far as contractability and reassignment goes.
We have Short Call (2 or 3 hour callout depending what fleet you are on), Long Call (14 to 24 hour call out), and Ultra Long Call (24 to 35 hour call out). The cargo guys have Ready Reserve (15 minutes to the plane), Short Call (which is a 2 hour callout, but built into regular pairings) and Long Call (12 hours to their gateway city or 20 hours to their domicile).
In the passenger world, we are on a rolling system, so as soon as a pairing becomes X hours to report time it gets dumped onto any eligible reserve. Reserves sit in buckets based on the number of days they have available (no limit on reserve day blocks for SCR, 4 to 6 day blocks for LCR, 10 day blocks for ULCR) and then RAP for the SCR reserve. Within a bucket, the pilot with the lowest credit gets the call. We've been on this system for a few months now, and now that the kinks are worked out, it seems to be working pretty well.
Because of the nature of our trips (all out and back, 1 leg a day, except for interisland flying) once you are given an assignment, it is yours until the end. We have trip ownership, so you are treated just like a line holder as soon as it is assigned as far as contractability and reassignment goes.