Originally Posted by Herkflyr

This has been addressed by ALPA more than once. Check out page 71 of the Scheduling Reference Handbook...you know, that very helpful guide that your Scheduling Committee has worked very hard on...and it is in your Aerodocs app on the company issued iPad. You'd be amazed at some of the stuff out there that guys "just can't find."

Reserve-Only Trips

The following remark is sometimes added at the bottom of a rotation: “rotation must go to a reserve,” or “reserve only.” This type of remark indicates that the rotation was moved from another domicile that did not have adequate reserves to cover the rotation to a domicile that does have adequate reserves to fly the rotation.
For example, suppose there is a trip in open time in the SLC base that is being covered by Crew Scheduling more than 12 hours prior to report. As the scheduler goes through the trip coverage process, he follows the trip coverage steps in Section 23 N. If he reaches step seven (no available pilots in steps one through six), he looks for an available reserve pilot in the same position at another base. If he finds an available reserve pilot in another base, he adds/removes deadhead legs on each end of the trip as needed and awards it to that pilot as an out-of-base reserve. He also adds the remark “reserve only” to the bottom of the rotation.
The trip coverage process causes these rotations to be temporarily added to the list of open time for the base which has the available reserve, with the comment that it must go to a reserve pilot. A regular linehold- er in that base may see the trip and wonder why he may not be awarded the flying on a white slip. Regular lineholders in that base had their shot at this trip via step six—“out-of-base regular pilots who have submitted white slips (in seniority order).” Although it may be a good-looking trip, it is actually a SLC trip that is being assigned at step seven and it must go to a reserve pilot.

My only heartburn with the whole issue (which has been a contractual provision my entire 23 years here) is this statement from the SRH.: "Regular lineholders in that base had their shot at this trip via step six—“out-of-base regular pilots who have submitted white slips (in seniority order).”

I have contended before (and still do) that there is a HUGE difference between a trip that has to originate in a base (requiring out of base pilots to commute in and out on their own, JS etc) vs a trip that has DHs on either end--the first is more hassle than it is worth for most guys considering an OOBWS vs the second, which is the very dream of an out of base guy! Hard to say "out of base guys had their shot" when you are really comparing two different things.