Originally Posted by
b2pilot186
Junior ANC FO here...I just counted up the days I spent away from home this year so far...Through the use of trip carry-in and vacation conflict, along with a few schedule displacements by management, I've spent just over 8 days away from home each 28-day bid period...live in SDF so that helps the commute up to ANC. I don't pick up open time, so that helps keep me home.
I'm pretty junior on the whale, and I don't sit in my crashpad for 17-18 days a month. I always bid VTOs, and usually end up with a couple of 12 day trips in a bid period (2 months). Sometimes I'll get a 8-9 day trip, with an out and back to PVG or HKG thrown in there during a month. It depends on what's left over, and how many senior to me go on vacation during that bid period.
Back when I chose to stand reserve in ANC, I would usually opt for two seven day reserve periods in a month. That's 14 days away from home.
I know Archie isn't that Junior ... being in the bottom half doesn't make you really junior. Junior is down where there are just 2 lines and RSV left to bid on. So your example may be true for you, but not quite "average" ...
Same for B2pilot, if you were REALLY junior, you wouldn't even know the meaning of conflict ... I don't yet.
But its not all bad. A real junior puke like myself sitting mostly 2 week blocks of RSV and an occasional line can be home 50% of the time. That will take creative use of "personal time" and vacation. But it can be done.
Archie also screwed up his math on RSV days too ... it is 15 days in a 28 day period, usually 8 + 7 so that's 13 days off. How he got 14 at home while commuting is beyond my math skills, whatever.
There will be times when 15 days of RSV will require 18 days away from home due to commuting. And quite possibly it may work out to only 13 days away if you get a long trip early and get released early ... but it is rare.
But honestly bassfishr, by the time UPS hires again, this will most likely change ...
I'm assuming the junior guys are typically ANC based? How do the trips usually look?
The trips are varied in ANC. Some just go to SDF or PVG and back. Some go around the world and return in 2 weeks. Being really junior means you will see mostly short trips.
But if you are really junior and live in ANC, certain RSV shifts would be the way to stay home a lot !