Originally Posted by
Regularguy
Okay I have a question for some expert out there.
I have been at UAL for over 35 years and during that time seniority meant everything. Bidding monthly, vacations, equipment, the type of trips, pass travel and more. When I bid for my monthly schedule I know I am x out of x pilots and there are a fixed number of flying lines and reserve lines. PBS has changed some of how we bid compared the old days when they published the actual lines of monthly flying (trips and reserve), but basically what number one is amongst their peers is what counts.
Now my question: I read from the ex-CAL pilots they talk over and over again about percentages, "I'm 65% on the Captain list in EWR," and similar. Why all this talk about percentages instead of real actual numbers? If I am number 50 out of 100 and there are 60 lines of flying, guess what? I get a flying line if I want one instead of reserve. And if I am number 100 out of 100, well I don't have any choice in piloting life at all. Seems a lot simpler than saying, "I'm 50% of the bid in EWR" which doesn't tell me much about the chances of what type of flying I might get.
So why the percentages? It seems a bit strange to me. BTW I'm not talking here about the ISL and the finale results, just all this percentage talk over the past couple of years of this merger process.
There are two percentage numbers when it comes to monthly bidding in PBS. There is a base % which tells you your position in CAT for that month (i.e. 85 out of 150 total or 57%). Then there is a G-line % which tells you your position relative to the G-line for that month. For example, if the G-line is 120 with 150 pilots in CAT and you are 85, then the % shown is 71% (85 out of 120). It's good to see black numbers (above the G-line). If the G-line % shows in
red then a pilot is below the G-line for that month and will most likely be reserve.
These numbers are shown in the pilot's personal information screen along with carry-in credit, training credit, vacation credit, YTD flying, and system seniority.
I think most people reference their base percentage if asked. Personally, I don't know mine from one month to the next and couldn't tell you my G-line % either. Just not something I pay attention to as some do. As long as I see black numbers on the first screen I'm happy. I do check out other CAT awards to see where I would fall if I were in a different CAT.