First off, it shouldn't be a Min Day vs Average Day thing. You realize you CAN have both right? Not either or.. SWA has both. Thats like saying Duty period rig or Trip rig? Umm..Yes!

Can I just say, I've worked at 2 regionals, both with Min Day. At one we had a 4:45 ADG, and we switched it to a MDG of 4:00. And it was a gain! All of the same controversy about how trips would change were speculated, debated. Demise of 30 hour layovers didn't happen, uncommutable trips didn't happen. Average trip credit DID go up. It was a win, and the reason our management fought us getting it.

Here is the thing we pilots seem to forget. They don't build the network schedule driven by crew scheduling cost savings. Marketing and network make the schedule, based on demand, fleet availability and hub banks. Its the customer/demand that drives the schedule from point A->B at xx:xx time aboard ship N1234. Redeyes, <2 daily flights to a city, irregular per day service, mixed fleet service into a city, long segments..all drive crew inefficiency. It was hypothesized Carmen wouldn't build 30hr layovers with MDG..but why does Carmen build them today? The reason is because it is an inherent scheduling inefficiency, and Carmen cant avoid it, but thanks to ADG, it can put 7/8 hr block days stacked either side of a 30hr and see no increase in credit. Magic! Carmen uses ADG to make network lemons into credit reducing lemonade. The same driver of long layovers still exists in MDG. All they can do in these scenarios is pay more or DH out when able but that is also inefficienct. Longer stage fleets would be even greater benefited by MDG, as they have less options for multi leg days.

One way or another, crew resources is going to feed Carmen the schedule network hands them. Inefficiencies will exist. ADG is used as a mechanism to equalize inherent low block credit days, and save system credit. It also prevents us from accruing overblocked legs/days etc..whole other topic where we lose $$ of potential credit.