IndianaPilot
Well-Known Member
Congrats ! Dream job !
Southwest Airlines IOE Complete!!!
- Thread starter lr31apilot
- Start date
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
LOL! It's 15 hards days off on reserve, right????? Give me 15 days off hard/guaranteed, and you can molest me for the other 15/16 of the month on reserve.
At my "legacy" airline, you get 12 days off on reserve. Actually, it's not even 12 days off. It's stretches of 120 hrs off, 72 hrs, 48 hrs, and 48 hrs.
Now you think, ok, that sounds like stretches of 5 days off, 3 days off, 2 days off, and 2 days off, for a total of 12 off for the month.
Not so fast!
That's stretches of hours off. So if today Monday at 8pm you finish your reserve window, 48 hrs off means you could technically be back on reserve by 8pm Wednesday. Netting you one calendar day off.
Yeah, it's that bad.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
We had 12-13 hard days off at AirTran. But I had to go to the sim twice to maintain landing currency because I never worked. Meanwhile, the Southwest guys were working every single day of reserve. Hard days off mean very little.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
I'm sorry, but hard days off on reserve mean a LOT. That is your true time to be left alone and be free of duty. At our current shop work rules, we get 13 days off on reserve regardless of 30 or 31 day month. Going to 12 days off is a huge hit, and not even 12 calendar days off, just 288 hrs off given as 120 hrs, 72, 48, 48.
And you did "work." You just happened to live in base and enjoyed that for all it's worth, staying at home on reserve days and never being used. I've done the same too and it's super awesome. Living in base represents most of AS pilots, which is why their work rules/scheduling/reserve is bottom barrel for the legacy airlines. But when you live in base, life is completely different and contract negotiating priorities reflect as such.
And you did "work." You just happened to live in base and enjoyed that for all it's worth, staying at home on reserve days and never being used. I've done the same too and it's super awesome. Living in base represents most of AS pilots, which is why their work rules/scheduling/reserve is bottom barrel for the legacy airlines. But when you live in base, life is completely different and contract negotiating priorities reflect as such.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Sorry, but it ain’t work if you don’t even show up. Anybody who claims they’d rather actually go to work 15 days a month than sit at home on call for 30 days is a liar.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Ok, but that again depends on the airline. If said airline works reserves everyday of the month, you're not just home on call for 30 days. You're flying 15+.
To be fair, last time I bid reserve I flew 3 days the whole month + recurrent travel/ground/sim. 7 days of work and 23 days "off." However, I'd only bid reserve on training months. Otherwise, I'd bid regular lines with 90 hrs or more credit and 16-17 days off. Reserve paid 75 and I'd have been home a lot more often, but the 15-20 hr pay differential got me to bid regular lines and fly. That being said, my princess schedules were just 2-day trips so at any point it was just one night away from home and back the next day.
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
But that’s the whole point. The work rules are what matter, not just the hard days off. Hard days off mean nothing if the rest of the rules mean you work your ass off.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Agreed, with a caveat being if you're commuting to reserve. If I'm a reserve commuter, I'd rather get the 15 hard days off and then they can abuse me (or not) when on 15 days of reserve flying. What does it matter, at that point you're in a crashpad anyway. Which goes back to the whole thing about contract negotiating priorities when the airline predominantly lives in base (*cough* AS *cough*).
SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
Honestly, I’d still rather sit in the crash pad than fly 15 days of Southwest’s brutal schedules.
lr31apilot
Well-Known Member
I would have no issues sitting at my house for reserve like @ATN_Pilot mentioned, but, being a commuter, I set my reserve preference to “Fly” with “PM” flights. The goal being to commute up in the morning then get put on a trip before I need a hotel. 95% of my class got their preferred domicile by the second month, not including ATL
. So far, I really like our schedule and trips, so much flexibility. I’m on a 4 day right now with 2 legs each day. My next trip is a 3 day with a max of 3 legs a day. I’m scheduled to work 14 days in September.
. So far, I really like our schedule and trips, so much flexibility. I’m on a 4 day right now with 2 legs each day. My next trip is a 3 day with a max of 3 legs a day. I’m scheduled to work 14 days in September.
SFCC/UND
Well-Known Member
That's my dream. Sit at home and bid reserve. Then pick up maybe one turn a month.
RedBaron2000
Well-Known Member
There’s a big difference between sitting in a crash pad on reserve and sitting at home on reserve.
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SlumTodd_Millionaire
Most Hated Member
It was glorious while it lasted.
SFCC/UND
Well-Known Member
Which is why I turned down JetBlue a few months ago. Commuting to JFK or BOS and sitting reserve in a crash pad. Nah I'm good.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Not to be a smart ass, then why apply in the first place given their bases? IMO aviation is too small especially when it comes to the airlines. Any airline I apply to, I'd have every intention of accepting the job if offered.
ZapBrannigan
If it ain’t a Boeing, I’m not going. No choice.
I did it. Worked there for 6 months. Thought it would work. Thought I could deal with commuting to 6 days of reserve. I was wrong. So I moved on and found a better deal for me. Nothing against that company, it just wasn’t for me.
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SFCC/UND
Well-Known Member
Cause it's was the only major that called me. My former regional was closing both east coast bases. Thought it was a good option at the time.
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Magnetic deviation indicator? Sorry for the east coast base closure, I'm in the exact same situation except it's at a "legacy" carrier. Did you land somewhere good, or sticking it out, waiting for a call?
Cherokee_Cruiser
Bronteroc
Oh I agree. I meant in terms of getting hired and then telling them no right then. But to the poster above, I see what he means with the base closure and them being the only call.
SFCC/UND
Well-Known Member
I went to K4 and sitting it out there. Been a good experience so far.