At a previous carrier, we worked 13-14 days a month, and enjoyed doing open time now and then as long as no one was on furlough, but at here, with 17 days + 1-3 extra days for travel to base(depending on No. of trips), there is no stomach for ANY open time. If there was 14 required days, people would be more interested in doing open time. The company discourages it by the horrendous waste of crewmember time-value by having people spend DAYS on company deadheads, taxis, hotels, taxis, then more deadheads. Once the crewmembers are "in transit" the company apparently forgets that current&qualified 747 pilots have a time-value. I unscientifically WAG-estimate they could get by with a couple dozen less crewmembers and a 14-day schedule and still save money.
There - first reply.....