Originally Posted by
sailingfun
Green slips trigger a increase in required manning. Every airline needs a mechanism to cover peaks in flying. Our GS system is one of the most punitive to the company in the industry. In fact reducing GS's is the companies latest focus in crew Skeds.
OOB pickups would be wide open to abuse, smooth manning between bases for the company and reduce jobs. If there is a loophole or way to abuse a system we have pilots who will exploit it. Witness the current mess with TOE trips as a example.
Exactly right SF.
And have you seen what the Flight Attendants are doing these days with their private Facebook clubs? The senior mama's pick up trips out of open time, and then give them to their Facebook Friends, wayyyy out of seniority, all done through their (members only) Facebook groups!
Sometimes they trade these trips for other 'favors', outside of work type stuff, i.e. they use them for barter. One told me she got new brakes on her car, from the boyfriend of a junior gal she swapped with...
Some F/A's have gone to the company to complain but have gotten zero support. I believe that is because the company LOVES it, they can reduce the reserves required, the trips get covered, and they (finally) get some younger F/A's flying "senior" international trips.
If it were up to the company, they would only have ONE pilot base, and every reserve would fly at least the ALV, every month. Allowing out of base swap board pickups, and out of base white slips, etc. only works in their favor by reducing manning required and reducing GS pay to the pilot group.