Originally Posted by
INXS
There seems to be quite a split in QOL in line flying vs. reserve. I am aware that being the FNG or stuck on RSV for an extended period always sucks. I'm a line holder in a senior base and most of the pilots I'm flying with are pretty content & enjoy working here. Not too long ago we were flying old, worn out 80's / had paper Jepps / multiple MELs on the can / and no contract. Pretty nice stepping into the Bus and actually getting off the gate.
To my point, I haven't heard any talk of a long-call reserve. We had this at my last airline and it went very senior (So senior that I was never on reserve as a new hire). With the over staffing as of late (Transition to Bus) I would think that it could be negotiated (LOA).
A 12 hour RSV call out would go a long way to improve the QOL for many during this stagnation period & beyond.
In my opinion, the biggest issue is junior guys that came here thinking that they would have whatever Base they wanted within 6 months because that was what everyone told them. Those hired in late 2017 especially, got stuck in bases they didn’t want and then got TDYd out into other bases that they didn’t want for months at a time. It rapidly went from upgrade in 12-18 months to no hiring for 18 months.
I am a little more senior than that, so I got into my desired base before the music stopped, but based on the projections that were shared in the Town Hall this week, I will be on reserve for three years. That’s a whole lot of stagnation. The pay discrepancy with other airlines would have been significantly softened with a quick upgrade, but that is not happening any time soon. With that being said, I live where I am based and I don’t get used on reserve a lot, so this is still a great job. For now, the QOL is good enough I will forgo the money, but with every new contract signed by a major that gets harder to do.
And for the record long call Reserve is already in the CBA. No LOA is required for the company to start using it.
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