Cousin:

Ok what we have here is a failure to communicate.

Agreed:

1. If a jr., near g-line, pilot wants a flying line then eventually the last bid group has to have all the trips in it. I think that has been made clear. But, even then prioritizing the trips based on H++ - L-- is essential. The solver will give a pilot more Jr a trip a more sr pilot may have wanted if that more sr. pilot did not make it a high priority in his or her trip pool.

The best example is with international F/Os who want flying positions and not bunky. I have seen a more jr. pilot get the flying seat because of how they both prioritized the trip in their own pools.

2. We disagree on how to use the avoid in a big way. Here's what avoid does, it prevents any trips from being pulled from the available pool to a pilot's trip pool, it's that simple. If the trip is already in the pull via an award then use another AWARD to change the priority not an AVOID.

Why? Because bidding is about what I want to fly, not what I want to avoid and the process of building a bid group of trips should reflect that. If I don't want to fly something an AVOID used first will prevent it from ever entering my trip pool in that bid group.

Here's my example:

Bid group 1; I don't want to fly any weekend trips, either starting or touching a Sat or Sunday.

First bid line:

AVOID WORK SAT 00:00 - SUN 23:59

Now not a single weekend trip will move from the available pool to my pool when I award trips no matter what I AWARD.

Next line:

AWARD WORK

Result all trips which do not start or touch a weekend will move into my trip pool.

Now, if I want, I can start prioritizing via H++ - L-- the trips in my pool which I desire to fly over the others. I can do this on on a trip number basis, a station, as bunky or flying (F/Os only) and so on. I only AWARD what I want to fly and in the order I want it to fly them.

But what if I didn't want to fly any trip that goes through ORD? Then I do this right below the first AVOID for weekends, AVOID STATION ORD. The result is no ORD trips will be awarded ever in that bid group.

Of course as I add bid groups I start to remove the AVOIDS until I get to the essential all trips in more order of desire, H++ - L--, there are available at my base.

The only rub is this:

At bases with huge trip pools, like IAH 737, one has to pay more attention to hat shows up in their pool.

When I first got hired a very wise pilot told me this philosophy; "Only bid what your want and are willing to fly." I use and recommend using AVOIDS because I don't ever want to fly that, and AWARDS because this is what I want and am willing to fly.