Let's not forget the summer of... was it 16? 17? When many of us were being JA'd after every trip, and SWAPA was coming down on the company for being understaffed/unprepared. Half of my JAs were absorbed into the rig and didn't pay any better than a min day to begin with! (Hello SWAPA? JAs need to pay double the trips flown OR the rig, whichever is greater!)

There's a fine line I think between what the ground folks deal with every day (mandatory overtime) and the occasional JA for us.

I think that the voluntary system is the way to go, and it should be a simple technology fix (after last night I recognize the irony of that statement)

I've had Captains tell me that if I didn't want to work hard then I picked the wrong airline. Maybe so, but number one, it wasn't my first choice but you make the best of what you've got.

And number two, we all travel through various seasons of life. Sometimes the money is the most important thing, and you make hay while the sun shines as they say. Other times it's important to be home, especially during the precious few years that the kids are at home. (See similar thread on summer vacations)

As for Whacks suggestion that you refuse, unfortunately that just kicks the can down to the next poor fella who might have had something important to do. There's a better way. On any given day (except for the holidays) there's a list 20 pilots deep willing to fly for premium. They simply need to be notified of open time (correctly displaying the trip at 2X pay) and be given the opportunity to bid on it. Right now CWA doesn't have a mechanism for that. Voluntary participation encourages the use of a healthy open time system.

Finally, the worst of the worst... is JAing a pilot while they're already flying an open time award!!

Example. You pick up a turn on December 23. When you get back scheduling "has a little more flying for you". They JA you into the 24th or even the 25th!! You used all of your seniority to get those days off, but scheduling can rescind them on a whim even though you are there helping out on a day off in the first place?!

At the very LEAST JAs should be voluntary for pilots already flying an open time award!

Failing to do so disincentivizes open time participation in the days leading up to a holiday. It's a fact. If you've been burned once, what are the chances you'll try again? (Well twice for me, but I'm not very smart)

And one last thought...

Remember that the single largest pay raise in a pilots career is moving from the right seat to the left. So for every 108tfp (tongue in cheek) the pilot group absorbs through open time each month, that's one fewer Captain they need. Or one less pilot who could move from weekends to weekdays... from reserve to holding a line... the efficiencies come at the cost of career progression. If you're already in the seat and domicile you want to be at, then it makes sense that you want premium above all else. But for those of us who aren't there yet... it's still a trade-off between years remaining and making money today.


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