A quick email to Labor Relations and you can be approved for outside flying as long as it doesn't include ANY Part 135 operations. Straight 91 corporate contract work, flight instruction, etc. are no problem at all. One of the pilots in my fleet is an extremely busy Designated Examiner in Louisiana.

As for the soft money question, I don't include tips or per diem in any of my earnings calculations. I SPEND my per diem and it ISN'T income. Tips are few and far between.

To me, soft money is hourly overtime, holiday pay, and after-midnight events (two day's pay when they can't get you home on the last day). I have averaged about 6% but I am on a 7-7 with lots of holidays landing in the schedule. Some believe GLC pilots make all sorts of overtime for the long range trips and that may be true: for the BUBBA CLUB. Not so much for clip-wing domestic fodder.

YMMV