Originally Posted by
hockeypilot44
This is one of biggest screw jobs we have. Last time I had training, it started with 4 days left in bid month. Those 4 days of training paid 10 hours. I still had to bid full schedule that month with remaining days.
The next month, I finished training a few days before Thanksgiving. I asked for Thanksgiving off in icrew (there's a place to request OE days off). I then called ALPA about shadowbidding. I bid to work everyday and max out my schedule since I wouldn't be flying trips anyway. When it came time for OE, planner called me and said my options were to work Thanksgiving or I could have it off, but if I had it off she would PD my shadow trip that touched that day and I would lose the shadow trip pay. I elected to do that as it was only a 2 day trip. My 83 hour line dropped to 72:30. Alpa never told me they could drop shadow trips on days you wanted off. Here's the kicker. They are still allowed to assign OE trips on days where you have no shadow trips, but I hear they try and keep OE trips in the shadow footprint.
Good luck
Since your shadow days were over Thanksgiving you should have bid the biggest longest trip available backed up by any trip you can get to touch your shadow. Get two or even 3 trips in the shadow. Last time I had both a 7 and 6 day trip dropped and paid not a 10 hour two day. Generally the OE schedulers are so constrained by available OE slots that training you on top of the shadow trips is not even a consideration. It also contractually makes no difference as you are paid the highest of your bid trips in the shadow verses OE in the shadow. I suspect in your case the OE scheduler went out of there way to help you out. Had she honored your request to just not go over T-day she still has to fill that slot. It’s very possible she then had to plug a more senior pilot to train. The only way to make that Kosher is to PD those days do she can’t put training there.