As a JBLU outsider let me make this comment. You guys are trying to re-invent the wheel, why ? Everything you need is in the European Flight and Duty Time limitations scheme. With that there is no problem flying over 8 hours with just two pilots as long as you stay within certain duty limits. To put it another way, "it's the duty time, stupid". At European airlines and my carrier, which follows similar FTLs, we routinely fly more than 8 block hours in a day. And to the FNG who said that the number of legs doesn't matter, I beg to differ. The European limits, which are scientifically based, put a lot of emphasis on the number of legs flown and correspondingly reduce the max duty time allowed for each extra leg.

Some examples for you, based on being acclimatised to your home time zone:

Local Time of Start 0600-0759, two legs max duty is 12:15
Local Time of Start 0800-1259, two legs max duty is 13:15
Local Time of Start 2200-0559, two legs max duty is 10:15

For the above example if you go to three legs, the time reduces by 45 minutes.

Within these regs are provisions to increase the max duty allowed during IROPS up to 3 hours.

There are no limits on the amount of block time within that duty period, nor are their limits on the amount of block time in 7 days. The limit is a maximum of 55 duty hours in 7 consecutive days, 95 hours in 14 consecutive days, and 190 hours in 28 consecutive days.

If the US FAA would adopt these regulations you would have much more productive and much less fatigueing schedules. It would benefit many in the industry, especially the regionals who are forced into 15 hour multiple leg duty days as these types of trips would become illegal. It would allow you to do the occasional transcon turn and transcon-and-a-half trips. It is scientifically based and has been used for many years.

JBLU shouldn't be allowed an exemption to the FARs, the whole FTL regulation for Parts 121 and 135 should be changed to this, or a modified version, so that all airline pilots can benefit.


Typhoonpilot

P.S. Happy New Year !!!