Originally Posted by
Scoop
Generally accepted reduction in rates? That is the first I ever heard of it. And how can something that affects seniority hurt the whole Pilot group? If it affects some guys negatively it affects other guys positively.
What PBS does do is increase the efficiency of the Pilot group by not allowing/reducing pre-month conflicts. This efficiency issue can be huge if you switch to PBS while guys are furloughed like some airlines have done or not even noticeable if you switch when you are hiring or undermanned.
I will say most guys who fly under PBS seem to prefer it over LOT bidding.
Scoop
You're speaking from the position of a DAL pilot. Your experience with PBS is completely irrelevant. You work for a company that cares about their image, their customers, and dare I say it: to some large degree, their pilots. You also have a union that will move heaven and earth to make you, keep you happy. The reasons for this are too obvious to need mentioning.
I went from years of line bidding to years of PBS at a bad company. Negotiated away in a sub-par section 6, which ALPA lauded as the next best thing to sliced bread. When we switched, a living nightmare unfolded. What little quality of life that could be had vanished. Senior people even suffered under it a they were mercilessly unstacked.
You cannot pretend to know from your Ivory Tower what PBS will be like under Indigo Private Equity.