Airline Pilot Forums

I posted this on the Regional forum a while back, and I'd love to hear from you major folks as well.

If you could, describe a typical schedule for a major (legacy?) carrier, domestic or international.

Thanks!:)

-Skylover

If you could, describe a typical schedule for a major (legacy?) carrier, domestic or international.


Schedule looks like this: Keep a regional for 6-8 years, then move the airplanes to a new regional. Pilots start over, passengers get poor service, everyone loses.

Couple CAL IAH 756 trips

Day 1: commute in.. 1825 UA46 IAH-FRA
Day 2: Arrive in FRA at 1135.
Day 3: 1350 UA47 FRA-IAH. Arrive at 1805.. Commute home

Day 1: commute in..

Couple CAL IAH 756 trips

Day 1: commute in..

It cut me off on the last post. Any way.

Continued
Day 1: commute in.. 2105 UAL129 IAH-GIG
Day 2: arrive in GIG 0925
Day 3: 2055 UAL128 GIG-IAH
Day 4: arrive in IAH 0525.. Commute home

It cut me off on the last post. Any way.

Continued
Day 1: commute in.. 2105 UAL129 IAH-GIG
Day 2: arrive in GIG 0925
Day 3: 2055 UAL128 GIG-IAH
Day 4: arrive in IAH 0525.. Commute home
That sounds nice...almost half a day in a cool destination every trip, sometimes more. As a 756 pilot, are the majority of your trips international or domestic? I'd imagine there are a lot of 757-300 trips...

That sounds nice...almost half a day in a cool destination every trip. As a 756 pilot, are the majority of your trips international or domestic? I'd imagine there are a lot of 757-300 trips...

These are my old man's trips.. I fly the 5-6 banger days in the RJ. :) ;)

These trips are actually 767-400. The South American flying is all going to UAL guys in the 763ER. In August, my old man is doing all deadheads to IAD, then IAD-HNL-IAD-HNL-IAD 6 day trips..

The 757s go junior from my understanding because it is long narrow pay but don't quote me. Everyone has their preference..

The old man did a lot of 753 when he was more junior on the airplane. Did tons of SEA, ANC, and LAX. I'm not too familiar with what the airplane is doing lately. I do know EWR 756 is a lot of Europe, though.

These are my old man's trips.. I fly the 5-6 banger days in the RJ. :) ;)

These trips are actually 767-400. The South American flying is all going to UAL guys in the 763ER. In August, my old man is doing all deadheads to IAD, then IAD-HNL-IAD-HNL-IAD 6 day trips..

The 757s go junior from my understanding because it is long narrow pay but don't quote me. Everyone has their preference..

The old man did a lot of 753 when he was more junior on the airplane. Did tons of SEA, ANC, and LAX. I'm not too familiar with what the airplane is doing lately. I do know EWR 756 is a lot of Europe, though.
This is a bit off topic, but...for the international trips (like US to Europe) on the 756, do you have any idea about how it works with relief pilots? Do they ever get to do takeoffs and landings, or do they just fly in cruise?

This is a bit off topic, but...for the international trips (like US to Europe) on the 756, do you have any idea about how it works with relief pilots? Do they ever get to do takeoffs and landings, or do they just fly in cruise?

I don't think they have them on those routes.

I have rode up front IAH-HNL 764 with an IRO. The IRO calculates the rest schedule and usually is the first to head back for rest.. Then the cycles come through. From my understanding, they don't do many TO/LDs, but once again, don't quote me...

This is a bit off topic, but...for the international trips (like US to Europe) on the 756, do you have any idea about how it works with relief pilots? Do they ever get to do takeoffs and landings, or do they just fly in cruise?

You get a mix of trips when you are a "bunky"

Take off and I will start to calculate the "break" schedule.....and yes the Bunky is usually the first guy to take a break---go back and take your first class seat, build your nest (UAL side) and try to sleep for 2+45....then wake up and relieve one of the two "flying pilots" take the vacant seat and try to stay awake for the next 6-7 hours.

RIO,EZE,GRU.....if you are junior you will get a 757 trip that will have plenty of T/O's and Landings so that is when you get those.....sometimes you will cover a sick call and actually man the flying seat and NOT be the bunky.

Clear as Mudd?

You get a mix of trips when you are a "bunky"

Take off and I will start to calculate the "break" schedule.....and yes the Bunky is usually the first guy to take a break---go back and take your first class seat, build your nest (UAL side) and try to sleep for 2+45....then wake up and relieve one of the two "flying pilots" take the vacant seat and try to stay awake for the next 6-7 hours.

RIO,EZE,GRU.....if you are junior you will get a 757 trip that will have plenty of T/O's and Landings so that is when you get those.....sometimes you will cover a sick call and actually man the flying seat and NOT be the bunky.

Clear as Mudd?
So...would EWR-LHR-EWR, a relatively short route, only have 2 pilots and no relief?

Sky lover

Have you done an all night, a 12 hour rest in a "cool destination", followed by another all night flight? I thought not. A hotel room is a hotel room--Rio, Des Moines or Chicago.

GF

Sky lover

Have you done an all night, a 12 hour rest in a "cool destination", followed by another all night flight? I thought not. A hotel room is a hotel room--Rio, Des Moines or Chicago.

GF

Who the heck does that? International trip layovers at my airline are 24-96 hours in duration.

Sorry, misread the days in earlier posting. When EAL's SCL layover went from 36 to 12, did it go junior.

GF

Who the heck does that? International trip layovers at my airline are 24-96 hours in duration.

galaxy is a corp guy.. I was used and abused on the Citation.

Sorry, misread the days in earlier posting. When EAL's SCL layover went from 36 to 12, did it go junior.

GF

Ah. Understood. That would suck. :D

I've flown all over the world. I'll take day time domestic flying any day.

Who the heck does that? International trip layovers at my airline are 24-96 hours in duration.

I think at one time CAL did, or STILL does a South American destination where they get in in the morning, then head back that night.

And remember the DAL 767 in ATL? EVERYBODY on here thought those pilots were on the "DAL RIO rocket" as they called it. Which sounded like the same type of set up.

Lots of pay credit, very little TAFB.

I posted this on the Regional forum a while back, and I'd love to hear from you major folks as well.

If you could, describe a typical schedule for a major (legacy?) carrier, domestic or international.

Thanks!:)

-Skylover

The answer to this question can vary so much. Not only from airline to airline, but fleet to fleet. For instance, at Delta on the B747 you'll see mostly 12-14 day trips. On the B777 you're more likely to see 3-6 day trips. On the B767-300ER you can see anything from 3 day trips to 12 day trips.

Domestic is the same. On the DC9 you'll see 5 days with 21 legs while on the 757 you'll see 4 days with 6-8 legs.

So...would EWR-LHR-EWR, a relatively short route, only have 2 pilots and no relief?

Any flight over 8hrs block time would require more than 2 pilots. EWR-LHR (layover) LHR-EWR would be a 2 pilot trip.

Who the heck does that? International trip layovers at my airline are 24-96 hours in duration.


Ask any ATL ER guys about the Sau Paulo Rocket. It was a 12 hr. layover with two all nighters to GRU. It was the most senior trip for the F/A's, pretty junior for the pilots, which is why I ended up flying it quite a bit on the 767-ER out of ATL about 6 years ago.

It was actually a very productive trip, paid 9:30 each way, you were only gone about 30 hours for a 19 hr. trip. Signed in late, got back early, as a commuter, I loved it and flew it all the time. I'm pretty sure the Lima trip did pretty much the same thing, but less flying time. It was on the 767-400 for awhile, always their most junior trip.

galaxy is a corp guy.. I was used and abused on the Citation.

I have 2500 hours in the Citation, it's not possible to be "used and abused" in a plane that flies for 4 hours.

Try TEB-MOW, 12 hrs rest, MOW-HKG, 12 hours, HKG-SYD. The middle leg was empty, dictated by company schedule. OR KADW, double A/R, 19.0 to PGUA, 12 hours back to PHNL. 17.6 KSAV to Mog, engines running off-load, 5.2 to Ciro West. Uncle Sam can really abuse you.

Yes, I do love my present job, but it has its moments. Last trip, 5 days in SAN, 4 in LON, 2 in Ibiza. It is entirely different than the airlines, good and bad. TIMBO, are you doing DXB next week?

Ask any ATL ER guys about the Sau Paulo Rocket. It was a 12 hr. layover with two all nighters to GRU. It was the most senior trip for the F/A's, pretty junior for the pilots, which is why I ended up flying it quite a bit on the 767-ER out of ATL about 6 years ago.

It was actually a very productive trip, paid 9:30 each way, you were only gone about 30 hours for a 19 hr. trip. Signed in late, got back early, as a commuter, I loved it and flew it all the time. I'm pretty sure the Lima trip did pretty much the same thing, but less flying time. It was on the 767-400 for awhile, always their most junior trip.

I only flew the rocket once, on a green slip. Absolutely kicked my butt - got back and slept in the darkroom for 5 hours before heading home. Generally, I had south american on the avoid list due to the double allnighters, they just killed me. For some reason, I don't/didn't have the same difficulty on the ULH flying or Europe.

Ask any ATL ER guys about the Sau Paulo Rocket. It was a 12 hr. layover with two all nighters to GRU. It was the most senior trip for the F/A's, pretty junior for the pilots, which is why I ended up flying it quite a bit on the 767-ER out of ATL about 6 years ago.

It was actually a very productive trip, paid 9:30 each way, you were only gone about 30 hours for a 19 hr. trip. Signed in late, got back early, as a commuter, I loved it and flew it all the time. I'm pretty sure the Lima trip did pretty much the same thing, but less flying time. It was on the 767-400 for awhile, always their most junior trip.

You guys are right. GF too. I don't see SA as a NYC guy. Didn't even think about it.

Any flight over 8hrs block time would require more than 2 pilots. EWR-LHR (layover) LHR-EWR would be a 2 pilot trip.

SCHEDULED over 8 hours.

IIRC, L-CAL was blocking the shorter Europe west bound returns right under 8 hours. Even though they were routinely going over 8 hours.

I don't remember if the pilots were able to get L-CAL to remove their heads from their rectums and be more realistic with the times and get an IRO/RFO/bunkie/scribe on it.

I only flew the rocket once, on a green slip. Absolutely kicked my butt - got back and slept in the darkroom for 5 hours before heading home. Generally, I had south american on the avoid list due to the double allnighters, they just killed me. For some reason, I don't/didn't have the same difficulty on the ULH flying or Europe.


Well I guess I got used to the hours, it never bothered me too much. I'd get up to ATL early and take a nap in the black chairs, and I could sleep all day in the GRU airport Marriott, after some senior mammas turned me on to melatonin! I'd get up about 6pm, go to the gym for an hour, take a shower, get some coffee and be ready to go home. We'd always race the Rio flight into ATL, to get throught customs first, then I'd be on the 7am jumpseat to MCO, home by 11am, take a 2hr. nap, good to go.

Did you get your shoes shined by Nestor at the GRU airport? He would meet us at the hotel van, and he'd get mine done before most of the Senior-eaters had wobbled out to the sidewalk. My old shoes never looked so good!

I have 2500 hours in the Citation, it's not possible to be "used and abused" in a plane that flies for 4 hours.

Try TEB-MOW, 12 hrs rest, MOW-HKG, 12 hours, HKG-SYD. The middle leg was empty, dictated by company schedule. OR KADW, double A/R, 19.0 to PGUA, 12 hours back to PHNL. 17.6 KSAV to Mog, engines running off-load, 5.2 to Ciro West. Uncle Sam can really abuse you.


Touche :D :D

I just ended up doing LAS-SNA-LAS-VNY-LAS-PSP-LAS A LOT.. all night :cool:

I have 2500 hours in the Citation, it's not possible to be "used and abused" in a plane that flies for 4 hours.

Try TEB-MOW, 12 hrs rest, MOW-HKG, 12 hours, HKG-SYD. The middle leg was empty, dictated by company schedule. OR KADW, double A/R, 19.0 to PGUA, 12 hours back to PHNL. 17.6 KSAV to Mog, engines running off-load, 5.2 to Ciro West. Uncle Sam can really abuse you.

Yes, I do love my present job, but it has its moments. Last trip, 5 days in SAN, 4 in LON, 2 in Ibiza. It is entirely different than the airlines, good and bad. TIMBO, are you doing DXB next week?


I WISH I were! I couldn't hold it this month.

I've got Shanghai all this month, I'm trying to get back to DXB next mo. DXB got real senior, real fast, when the company lifted our monthly cap to 89 and 3xDXB would hit that exactly. Also, they took away the trip that was the most senior, the 3 day ATL-NRT, and put the 747 on it. So now all the most senior ATL 777 guys are flying the DXB trip. Next month the cap was reduced, so 3xDXB won't fit in a month, that might make it go a little more junior, I may be able to bag a couple of them....I hope!

Are you going over to DXB on DL next week? If so, pm me which days and I'll look up who's flying it, see if I know them, let you know if you should take Emirates instead! :eek:

(that's a joke, aimed at the senior farts who took all the DXB trips)

SCHEDULED over 8 hours.

IIRC, L-CAL was blocking the shorter Europe west bound returns right under 8 hours. Even though they were routinely going over 8 hours.

I don't remember if the pilots were able to get L-CAL to remove their heads from their rectums and be more realistic with the times and get an IRO/RFO/bunkie/scribe on it.
I read somewhere that in order for an international flight to be a 2-pilot flight, they have to show the FAA that that particular route goes under 8 hours a certain % of the time.

I read somewhere that in order for an international flight to be a 2-pilot flight, they have to show the FAA that that particular route goes under 8 hours a certain % of the time.

I believe that yes, it's based on a historical block average/percentage.

But also, I believe many of the routes were new, and there was NO historical block average to base them on. At that time.

I believe that yes, it's based on a historical block average/percentage.

But also, I believe many of the routes were new, and there was NO historical block average to base them on. At that time.
What I'm wondering, though, is, on a 3-person US-Europe (over 8 hours) flight, does the "relief pilot" do any takeoffs or landings at all? Or are they only in the cockpit for cruise?

Are both FOs "relief pilots" or is only one?

What I'm wondering, though, is, on a 3-person US-Europe (over 8 hours) flight, does the "relief pilot" do any takeoffs or landings at all? Or are they only in the cockpit for cruise?

Are both FOs "relief pilots" or is only one?


I think that varies depending on which company you work for. At Delta, both F/O's are type rated and share the 'relief pilot' duties, one does it on the way over, the other on the way back. With 3 pilots and only two landings, they have to decide who needs a landing most...and who's going to buy the beer! :D

If somebody wouldn't mind copy/pasting a domestic narrow-body schedule as well, that would be much appreciated!:)

I think that varies depending on which company you work for. At Delta, both F/O's are type rated and share the 'relief pilot' duties, one does it on the way over, the other on the way back. With 3 pilots and only two landings, they have to decide who needs a landing most...and who's going to buy the beer! :D
So it sounds like for a junior pilot at a company, domestic flying might be better than international in terms of what you actually get to fly.

AA does it differently than DAL, but does it the same as UAL:

we have separate F/O lines and F/B (relief pilot) lines. Sometimes F/B lines include one or two domestic trips.

if you get an F/O line, you will fly as F/O for the whole month, T/O and land, and never sit in the j/s.

if you get an F/B line, you will fly as F/B for the whole month on the jumpseat and not get one T/O or landing (unless you ask for one and the F/O gives you one.)

works well for us - most of our constant F/B bidders like going to the sim every 3 months as it pays an extra 5 hours on top of line guarantee and don't really care about being the "flying pilot."

re: long haul flying? can't stand it. I don't do well with jet lag... they call me "Mr Caribbean" here at AA b/c that's all I tend to do: My current favorite trip? Day 1: 7pm JFK-SJU. 30 hours off on Day 2 at the beach. Day 3: 8am SJU-JFK. Done. Rinse and repeat. Knock yourselves out, Deep South and Europe fliers.... oh btw, you all look way older than your age. ;)

So it sounds like for a junior pilot at a company, domestic flying might be better than international in terms of what you actually get to fly.

You'll have to be a bit more specific. Sounds like you want landings...? If you want to "Fly" ie. manually manipulate the controls and get landings, domestic is the place to be.

If however you would like to make mo'money, and layover longer, and at better hotels, in nicer locations, and have more days off...it's hard to beat international flying, most of the time.

Oh, and at most companies, 'junior pilots' can't hold international trips (or airplanes) any way, so it's not an issue they have to worry about. They get all the landings they want, flying domestic. But again, that varies from company to company, depending on what their senior guys bid, which dictates what their junior guys can hold.

I tell guys, International is not a 'flying job', it's a Management Job; sleep management, coffee management, pee break management, meal management, arrival time and fuel management, layover management, etc. There's just not a whole lot of flying to do. We are far more concerned with getting our first choice meal!

AA does it differently than DAL, but does it the same as UAL:

we have separate F/O lines and F/B (relief pilot) lines. Sometimes F/B lines include one or two domestic trips.

if you get an F/O line, you will fly as F/O for the whole month, T/O and land, and never sit in the j/s.

if you get an F/B line, you will fly as F/B for the whole month on the jumpseat and not get one T/O or landing (unless you ask for one and the F/O gives you one.)

works well for us - most of our constant F/B bidders like going to the sim every 3 months as it pays an extra 5 hours on top of line guarantee and don't really care about being the "flying pilot."

re: long haul flying? can't stand it. I don't do well with jet lag... they call me "Mr Caribbean" here at AA b/c that's all I tend to do: My current favorite trip? Day 1: 7pm JFK-SJU. 30 hours off on Day 2 at the beach. Day 3: 8am SJU-JFK. Done. Rinse and repeat. Knock yourselves out, Deep South and Europe fliers.... oh btw, you all look way older than your age. ;)

I agree about the long haul. I only do it for the money. If it paid the same, I'd be flying my favorite airplane (the 757-200) ATL-SXM, 24 hour layover at the Beach Bar, 8 times a month. For many years the most senior trip at DL was an L10-11 turn, ATL-SJU, just out and back, no layover, but it was an 8+hr. turn, so they would only have to show up 10 days a month, for 80+hrs. and never packed a suitcase!

It's still a pretty senior trip, but now it's a 767, which pays quite a bit less than the old L10-11's did. One of my new hire class mates is flying that trip all the time, he said to me, "I haven't had to pack my suitcase in over a year!" but he lives in the ATL area. It's not a commuter trip.

Skylover,

A typical pilot schedule is, as you can see, pretty hard to nail down; like nailing Jello, really. At airlines, each month a bid goes out for that domicile's flying--depending on your seniority, you bid for what you want and get what you can hold. I looked with interest at the Portland, OR 36-hour layovers at EAL, then found out that, as near-bottom F/E, I was ASSIGNED the Shuttle something I didn't even ask for. A captain noted, with a chuckle, that "I had to have more seniority in the BOSFO to hold reserve!". Sure enough, 3 months of driving 150 mile round trips to sit shuttle standby, didn't even fly except to position to LGA.

Junior guys, typically fly domestic, perhaps on reserve. More seniority, more options. I always believed that the low cost bases also went senior, get more money to live more cheaply.

My next month, in corp, is pretty set on the 25th of the prior month, but changes occur. Military flyers don't have much idea of what's going on, just like many corp guys. Ag flyers move with the crops, bush pilots are home every night, but home is in the boonies. Everything is a compromise, find one you like. Or one you get.

BT: flew the Cessna jet on the east coast--mostly business, little charter. We thought abuse was day trips and trips to the West Coast in a Citation. NY Times was pretty easy work.

GF

Timbo,

Sorry, but the office booked me on EK. I'm there for a week of thumb twiddling. I certainly would have stood for a round for you and crew, if I could find some adult refreshement at the JW. Or the conceirge lounge, at least.

GF

If somebody wouldn't mind copy/pasting a domestic narrow-body schedule as well, that would be much appreciated!:)

That really varies. I do two-day trips, transcons, two legs in two days, no redeyes. 12 hours of flying in two days. Gentleman's hours. ;)

Timbo,

Sorry, but the office booked me on EK. I'm there for a week of thumb twiddling. I certainly would have stood for a round for you and crew, if I could find some adult refreshement at the JW. Or the conceirge lounge, at least.

GF

Thanks for that kind offer, I wish I were going to be there. But you can meet the inbound crew and ask about the "Football", I'm sure they would be happy to invite you to their -debriefing-. :D Check your PM's for more info.

Oh, and at most companies, 'junior pilots' can't hold international trips (or airplanes) any way, so it's not an issue they have to worry about. They get all the landings they want, flying domestic. But again, that varies from company to company, depending on what their senior guys bid, which dictates what their junior guys can hold.
!

Yea, at my airline. The international goes real junior (new hires) on the low end to real senior at the high end. The junior flying sucks.

Major Domestic Trip on Junior Equipment

Day 1 Report 0715
PHL-BOS
BOS-PHL
PHL-BOS
16 Hour Layover

Day 2 Report 0545
BOS-LGA
LGA-BOS
BOS-LGA
19 Hour Layover

Day 3 Report 0700
LGA-DCA
DCA-LGA
LGA-BOS
BOS-DCA
DCA-BOS
15 Hour Layover

Day 4 Report 0900
BOS-LGA
LGA-BOS
BOS-LGA
LGA-BOS
BOS-PHL
Done at 2100
24 hours of flying

ouch........

Yea, at my airline. The international goes real junior (new hires) on the low end to real senior at the high end. The junior flying sucks.
That's what I'm talking about...I know CO (whoops...I mean...UA) sometimes has new-hires going onto the 756, which obviously includes a lot of international flying.

That's what I'm talking about...I know CO (whoops...I mean...UA) sometimes has new-hires going onto the 756, which obviously includes a lot of international flying.

Didnt CO have some newhires go straight to the 777 around 2004-2005?

Didnt CO have some newhires go straight to the 777 around 2004-2005?

Yeah but I think a lot of the 07 guys went to the 756.

Well I guess I got used to the hours, it never bothered me too much. I'd get up to ATL early and take a nap in the black chairs, and I could sleep all day in the GRU airport Marriott, after some senior mammas turned me on to melatonin! I'd get up about 6pm, go to the gym for an hour, take a shower, get some coffee and be ready to go home. We'd always race the Rio flight into ATL, to get throught customs first, then I'd be on the 7am jumpseat to MCO, home by 11am, take a 2hr. nap, good to go.

Did you get your shoes shined by Nestor at the GRU airport? He would meet us at the hotel van, and he'd get mine done before most of the Senior-eaters had wobbled out to the sidewalk. My old shoes never looked so good!

No, never did, but it was called the $3 trip for a reason. I flew with some senior mamas on that trip.

The most senior I have ever seen the mamas though was toward the end of the BOM non-stops. I had 3 single digits in back, I think one of them coughed up a fur ball from Mr. Jingles.

Munich on monday was also a pretty senior FA trip until Nice showed up - GREAT FAs on that one though - always.

Day 0:
Commute in

Day 1:
Show at 0600
BOS-PIT 0700-0844
PIT-JFK 0925-1047
JFK-HOU 1145-1423
Layover 1507

Day2:
HOU-JFK 0630-1102
JFK-HOU 1145-1423
Layover 1507

Day 3:
HOU-JFK 0630-1102
JFK-HOU 1145-1423
Layover 1507

Day 4:
HOU-JFK 0630-1102
JFK-BOS 1200-1308
Commute home...

Pay = 25:44

Month: 15 on, 16 off 85 credit

GP

Day 0:
Commute in

Day 1:
Show at 0600
BOS-PIT 0700-0844
PIT-JFK 0925-1047
JFK-HOU 1145-1423
Layover 1507

Day2:
HOU-JFK 0630-1102
JFK-HOU 1145-1423
Layover 1507

Day 3:
HOU-JFK 0630-1102
JFK-HOU 1145-1423
Layover 1507

Day 4:
HOU-JFK 0630-1102
JFK-BOS 1200-1308
Commute home...

Pay = 25:44

Month: 15 on, 16 off 85 credit

GP

Really seems like such a waste. Dont they have a JFK or HOU base that could cover day turns on that route? Why give that trip to a BOS pilot?

Really seems like such a waste. Dont they have a JFK or HOU base that could cover day turns on that route? Why give that trip to a BOS pilot?


Because they want to stick all the E190s in BOS and none in JFK (we dont have a HOU base at B6)

If somebody wouldn't mind copy/pasting a domestic narrow-body schedule as well, that would be much appreciated!:)

A320 SFO based FO example:

Day 1. SFO-JFK
Day 2. JFK-LAX
Day 3. LAX-SEA, SEA-LAX, LAX-SFO

A320 SFO based FO example:

Day 1. SFO-JFK
Day 2. JFK-LAX
Day 3. LAX-SEA, SEA-LAX, LAX-SFO
You're at Virgin America, correct?

BOS A320 FO

Im on reserve, so most all of my flying is:

Day 1
BOS-SDQ Dep2359/Arr0400

Day 2 Lockdown in the compound

Day 3
SDQ-BOS Dep0500/Arr0900

Or the island red eye turns, which are some variation of:

BOS-STI Dep2230/Arr0215
STI-BOS Dep 0320/Arr0710

You're at Virgin America, correct?
That would be correct. The 'other' SFO based airline doesn't fly A320s on the transcon SFO/JFK/LAX routes. They operate specially modified 757-PS service on those routes.

SCHEDULED over 8 hours.

IIRC, L-CAL was blocking the shorter Europe west bound returns right under 8 hours. Even though they were routinely going over 8 hours.

I don't remember if the pilots were able to get L-CAL to remove their heads from their rectums and be more realistic with the times and get an IRO/RFO/bunkie/scribe on it.

If the actual block exceeds 8:00 more than 50% of the time, the company is required by the FAA to add the third pilot, regardless of the scheduled block time.

Out of curiosity, how do "vacation days" work as an airline pilot? I mean, I know pilots get days off every month, but do they get a dedicated "vacation" period where it's a longer stretch of days off?

Out of curiosity, how do "vacation days" work as an airline pilot? I mean, I know pilots get days off every month, but do they get a dedicated "vacation" period where it's a longer stretch of days off?


Yes...but just like our monthy schedules, there are as manny different vacation 'schemes' as there are airline companies. Some use a hard week, some use flexible, moveable days, some use a time bank, some use trips touching.

The big picture answer is, yes, you get vacation, the real issue is, how do you define it?

Oh, we get sick time too, how much varies with every company.

Yes...but just like our monthy schedules, there are as manny different vacation 'schemes' as there are airline companies. Some use a hard week, some use flexible, moveable days, some use a time bank, some use trips touching.

The big picture answer is, yes, you get vacation, the real issue is, how do you define it?

Oh, we get sick time too, how much varies with every company.
Sick time...at the airlines, is that only for legitimate sicknesses, or can you use them whenever you want?

Sick time...at the airlines, is that only for legitimate sicknesses, or can you use them whenever you want?

Depends on the airline. Almost always "legitimate sickness". Interpret this as you like. Enforcement levels vary from airline to airline.

Depends on the airline. Almost always "legitimate sickness". Interpret this as you like. Enforcement levels vary from airline to airline.

Haha you guys at your airline don't take sick-cations?

Haha you guys at your airline don't take sick-cations?

Like he said Interpret how you want. Of course some guys push it for what ever reason. Couldn't get it off or something came up and couldn't trade.
Some places will ask for a doctors note depending on the situation and such. Sudden sickness on new years will probably be questioned as you might guess.

NWA and EAL had provisions in their contracts to cancel and bank vacations which both companies did liberally. Is that still possible? Good news for me, I never got a actual vacation in almost years at EAL, but did get a bunch of grievance settlements in CAL stock. One bought me a new roof.

GF