Originally Posted by
moon
What has happened here? People are actually arguing for PBS? There's a reason Envoy put a 7 million dollar price tag on it. It saves them 7 million dollars that could be in pilots pockets. And yes there is good OT. Trips get put in there for training, vacation, transition, 7 days, DTS. And all that would be covered day 1 of the month with PBS so that means the only OT available would be the few turns they couldn't slide into somebodys schedule or waiting for someone to call in sick. It's not worth the few months of reserve people are subject to now. When did this pilot group lose their mind on PBS?
Not an Envoy pilot, I'm just trying to keep up with what's going on industry wide. I wanted to chime in though on this one and say that with PBS this isn't true in any form I've experienced of it. Due to how the trips are laid out in start/end sequences as well as things like pre-scheduled events there is an efficiency point for open time because the system can no longer build a productive line with what's left (IE you'd get some lines built to less work than guarantee).
As prior Endeavor I know there is language there that involves the amount of open time at the end of bid construction and the bid windows, reserve amounts and even
credit push*.
What it comes down to is it's a matter of what you get in the language for PBS that makes it good or bad. Generally speaking, it accentuates your seniority. A senior pilot will get a better schedule, a junior pilot will get a worse one and a mid seniority pilot will hardly know a difference. One really nice thing about PBS is the ability to have a "standing bid." You enter a bid with what you generally want and can either leave it as is or tweak it each month. Once you understand how the system works you can make the best possible schedule for yourself without having to do anything month to month.
A big problem you can run into is the rules the company can use and control. Since the system knows your prior month's schedule it can put you wherever the company wants relative to legalities. If the system is allowed to build you a 75 hr line you and there are productive trips then you can get away with a nice high time off line. This is how Endeavor has traditionally been able to award 17-18 day off lines. But the company also has the option of forcing everyone into 85-90 hour lines (or whatever parameters they input). Another thing they can do is called a
credit push (alluded to above) which is when it finishes building lines an reaches a set number of reserves the company wants has more open time than they want left. In this case the system re-runs the lines but starting from the bottom of the seniority list pilots start to have a higher credit window (lines still run in seniority but a senior pilot might be allowed a 75 hour line, if desired, while a junior pilot is forced to a 90 hour line).
What it comes down to is the language can be written in a way that allows good schedules and even ways for the extra pay (at Endeavor you can volunteer to work a higher value line and get premium pay on certain flying on your actual line award instead of needing to pick up open time). It can also allow greater flexibility in days off and larger blocks of days off than you may see with line bidding.
But on the other hand, if there are no restrictions every pilot might always work an 85-90 hour line at 11-12 days off regardless of how senior they are.
What I'm getting at is that PBS isn't necessarily a horrible thing. It really can be a benefit to both you and the company.... but the language is very important to ensure that there is a benefit to the pilot group.