Time spent on reserve IS an issue if you plan to stick around to upgrade. Commute to reserve as a jr captain... for now long exactly? It is worthy of consideration.

I do want to put out that I think bidding for reserve days off is a BAD, BAD idea. This is one area where someone has some control of their destiny. PBS has been proven to award trips to lineholders out of seniority as it takes care of "coverage dates" and other nonsense. The top few bidding reserve will get what they want, and everyone else...shake up the magic 8 ball and it will determine your line. I say a vehement "NO" to anything that would give up the ability to bid a hard reserve line.. and I say that not having been on reserve for a while now.

Another facet to this is vacation/time off: Having hard reserve lines can help someone to actually get a solid week off, with 3-4 vacation/gold days. Think that will exist if you bid for days off using PBS? Poof.. gone.