Originally Posted by
Jay5150
Just one more note, and a change of gears, to the PBS thing.
The benefits that you describe are the BIG advantages of line bidding. No argument there. PBS also reduced staffing requirements. (this was my major heartburn when we went to PBS while I and my co-furloughees were still out).
Just to give you a glimpse of the positives. Before, on line bidding, let's say I wanted a few specific days off. Well, first I sorted through the bid pack to find the lines that met that. Let's say that leaves me with 15 available lines. Now maybe I'm a commuter. cut out the non-commutables, now maybe I'm down to 7 or so. Now are those desirable lines, i.e., can I hold them?
On PBS, I tell the thing what days I want off, and it gives them to me. Granted, my seniority allows that, but if you're willing to accept crappier trips, you can dictate days off down to a pretty low seniority. It's nice flexibility. And the more senior you are, it becomes HIGHLY customizable. [show times, credit times, release times, layovers, legs per day, credit per day, etc..etc..]
Anyway, in case you haven't thought of the other side of the coin.
I have used PBS before at all levels of seniority. And I am a computer guy and I learned the thing in and out. I could work it. You could tell the difference month after month, especialy once you are bidding specific trips. Toward the top you are basically building your dream line. I had 18 or 19 days off all commutable both end with 82ish credit. All that at a commuter. Ohh and all weekends off also.
But like you have said the cut in staffing is huge. It is only worth it for the top 30%. Especially in a stagnation scenario it is brutal on the bottom people. With line bidding, and with the high staffing levels forced by the transition period and our language we can make some ridiculusly long vacations. There is guys who never use all their vacation (I think top is 5 w/ year). So they just start floating trips for pay.
I used to be a pref bid advocate but the way we have it here, my vote is for line bidding especially with our 4 days off. It sucks for the company to build lines because they have to maintain a high level of reserves for transition but then those often don't work during mid month. Right now i.e. FLL base has 159 total lines of which 121 are hard lines. The rest are reserve and relief (composite) lines. So they need to keep about 24-25% non hard lines to play with. Relief guys fly more because they do get trips on their line but they also get 15 days off. Still a far cry from the 10-11% reserves who always flew at my last place.
So there is a lot to the topic.