They are not supposed to but I assume that as with any scheduling dept they may try that!

Our contract allows for Online reserve. They have used that on the 11 recently. With Online reserve you have a 6 hour sit time in the hotel, 1 hour to call back and 2 hours from initial call to pickup - your guarantee is 76hours.

I am not sure if you know what our other reserve type assignments are. They are a bit different from other airlines.

We have home reserve lines - these have an 8 hour sit time, 1 hour to call back, one hour out the door, 3 hours to airport 2 hours to check in for your flight (this from your home base airport) so 7 hours to departure from initial contact. This is a 76 hour guarantee and is generally the most senior of the reserves.

There are airport reserves with 6 hour sits, max 9 days and 80 hour guarantee (they don't seem to use this)

The most junior lines (what I can hold!) are open time lines. It is defined as a line with only 12 prescheduled days off but is not a reserve line (by our contract definition - but it is like reserve anywhere else!) You have 12 days off with at least one block of 6 days off - they are usually built with the first, last or middle 12 days of a month off with a few having the first and last 6 days of the month off. They can contact you at any time but you have 6 hours to respond and 16 hours from the first contact (it may be a telephone message) to the scheduled departure from your home airport.

As you can see sitting waiting for the telephone to ring at World is not as stressful as reserve would be at other airlines. At least on Open time I only have to check my answer machine every 5 or 6 hours, and it has been my experience that every time they have called they call my home number, leave a message and then call my cell and talk to me or leave a message - so really no stress at all.


As to 12 days off not being common, I wouldn't say that. A lot of lines are built with 12 days off. At the moment Open time Line holders and reserves are getting a lot more than 12 days at home ( at least on the DC10) but that may change at any time. I would say be prepared for 12 days off and then you can be happy to get more time at home.