Originally Posted by
busdriver12
Definitely not a false concern, very real. I don't think that there is any evil plot, or any vindictiveness in the possibility that senior VTO holders could get reserve days. It's just the computer program that makes the top priority a credit hour value. Remove the restriction that VTO's need to built trips first(which the TA does), and of course reserve days are now in play for everyone. It's just dumb computer logic, trying to get the optimum solution. And now there will be more reserve days, more VTO's.
However, I really hope that the company finds a way to leave that restriction in (unless reserve blocks are requested). They could relieve our concerns any time they wanted to, and put that in writing. I suppose we will know for certain when they issue new VTO request guidance. If they remove the instruction that you don't have to request "no reserve" because that's an automatic request, we'll see. And when the VTO's come out, we'll see, and hope the concern was unwarranted. If it does happen, we'll all be on this forum screaming.
I still do not see, even with a global solution, how a senior pilot could get r days? FDX pilots are not interested in fully global, zero open time systems. Our secondary lines will continue to be a "mini PBS" run each month. At some point in the run there will be not enough trips for all pilots to have lines of flying only, a generic term for this in most airlines is the "G line" where everyone above the G line is a line holder and everyone below that line is a reserve. Pilots above the G line can bid reserve voluntarily which obviously forces someone below it in the trip world. I just do not see how senior secondary lines will EVER get reserve unless preferences for receiving them are inputted.
I personally trust that it is our best interest and the Company's to have a better product, not worse and as such we will have ALPA pilots involved and if this TA passes I am sure you will see a preference that says trips (any) over R days that will score your days off etc. below the desire to not have r days at any cost. Putting US in front of the computer is a big step in allowing pilots to have many many more inputs than we have in today's ridiculous line by line text inputs. Good discussions here, I hope I am not on here in 6 months eating crow about those involuntary reserve blocks everyone is getting on the top end
but I will eat it! Better go work on my bid.