Originally Posted by
scambo1
okay, vacation months I get, but I'm pretty hard pressed to find any "just take its" on the ptp swap board...IOW, guys are flying over 100 hrs in their vacation months and flying to the PUL on their non vacation months.
I dont mind a little exaggeration, but "half the guys I fly with..." don't have the option to fly over 100 hrs month in, month out.
So, my 3 pronged strategy has been: 1.Credit to the max in vacation months using whiteslips; and 2. (especially in high alv months) bid reserve and move x-days to minimize exposure in other months, and 3.bid a line in other months and just fly it as delivered.
IMO, in a way ALPA protected us from ourselves by getting the ALV (and subsequent reserve guarantee) raised. It takes the sting out of reserve and IMO, when guys bid like I do, we are not doing the harm to manning like some here surmise...And still crediting 90+ hrs/month on average across the year.
There is another game to play, when it comes to getting high time, but you have to be senior to do it.
Ever wonder where all those 2 day LAX trips in Open Time came from?
Go look at the Wide Reports, you'll see the Senior 777 Capts. bid the 2 day LAX turns.
Why?
So they can then Swap with the Pot, for high time 4-8 day trips. It's legal because there is no ALV + 15 cap on a Swap with the Pot type pick up.
So thes guys are bidding the 2 day, 10:15hr. trips, they get a 75hr. line, but then they swap them for the 30-45 hr. trips that nobody can white slip, it's too much time. But a Swap with the Pot works!
Presto; a 100hr. + month.
