Originally Posted by Mudhen200

Yah, I think that's a rule. It is not in the contract. There are lots and lots of things that crew planning and crew scheds does that is not in the contract.
This 551 rule would be a rule that they made up for "safety". Just like the 4 legs per duty period limit (we use to do 5 legs through Southeast every day).

The big picture for you (assuming you are VX) is that the quality of your life as you know it today is about to change. AK = 15% commuters. VX = 80% commuters. Come December, you are going to be bidding mostly non-commutable lines. I predict that we will start parking airbuses all over the system by March due to lack of crews. Those who can will leave. Those you don't leave will start burning sick time so they can actually have more than 48 hours at home.
I know that VX guys think that PBS will cure all that is wrong, but trust me - you do not want to give our management and our crew scheds a PBS system. Besides, the PBS discussion is at least 2 years away, more than likely 4 years from now before we could actually accomplish a formal section 6 negotiations. By then most of the VX guys who need PBS will be gone, the airbus will be gone, and we can negotiate $500 an hour in exchange for PBS (That's my number cuz I know how bad it would make my QOL).