There are 850+ former VX pilots that would love to have the “problems” you are having with PBS! Last PBS awards were for Feb scheds, we start line bidding next week for March scheds. What a flipping nightmare it’s going to be, especially for the 80-90% of commuters we have on the Airbus side.
No 4 day off rule at Alaska for line building.
No conflict language; go below min by 1 minute and you’re required to pickup from open time to get back over min. If you don’t, they’ll assign you something. Wherever on your sched. Can’t split a trip to make up that time either, need 2 hours but the only open trips are 2-days? You’re doing the 2-day! And the mins are, get this: 75 all year, with flex up to (usually) 78 in any 5 months they want.
Two rounds of seniority based trading after awards to massage your sched or fix min credit/117 illegalities. Unless you’re in the top 20% you’ll never get anything in the first round. Below 50% seat and base? Pretty much forget anything in round 2 as well.
When you guys are talking 4 days off between “trips”, is that trips or work blocks? VX used Flica and default was 2 days off between work blocks, waivable to “allow single days off”, but you could also put in a global command to specify x days off between all work cycles. Meaning you could put back to back trips together and not violate a “between trips” rule. I’d be surprised if NavBlue doesn’t do the same. If it’s truly 4 days between trips, the junior guys (commuters) will get screwed.
Once you learn PBS you’re all going to love it. Way more control over your life, even for junior peeps. A week of vacation can be turned into 2-3 with strategic bidding. Two can be turned into 4-5 weeks. Need that weekend off for a wedding? Even the most junior guy can get it.
Line bidding is being FORCED on the Legacy Virgin pilots. Almost none of the 870-ish people want it. That’s how powerful PBS is!
Cheers,
Bus