Originally Posted by
RJSAviator76
Here are a few 1st year FO tricks for you...
1. Don't let the month to month overlap scare you because your lead-in trip will be pulled and you see your projected credit being something like 65 TFP. Don't let that freak you out. You should be jumping for joy because that is your new threshold for second year pay.
2. Bid premium. Senior people bidding on the same trip may be on vacation or OVER THE CAP. LEARN THE CAPS! If you are under the cap, and the senior person is on vacation or over the cap, you will get the trip even if you're a rock bottom junior most guy in base. The only way you don't is if you're bidding in a different base. Also, be patient. Lots of trips pop out in the evening prior to the trip, especially morning as guys bang out sick the evening prior to the trip.
3. Only bid straight if you really, really, really, really, really.... and I MEAN REALLY want that particular trip. If you bid premium, you don't know if the trip will be assigned premium or if it's gonna go to reserve. If it goes to reserve, call Scheduling and take it off the reserve - that will still pay you second year rate because the trip had been run through Open Time system. Before bidding straight on anything just because you want 2nd year pay, browse TTGA and look for trips that a reserve pilot is trying to give away and help a brother/sister out. The reserve will write the remarks like "Reserve assigned, call scheduling to pick up" or something along these lines. Those pay 2nd year rates as well. Anything flagged AR in Open Time Awards, you should be able to pick up by calling Scheduling. Sometimes, the reserve may choose to OWN the trip, but that comes into play at 8pm the evening prior. Help a brother/sister out.
Many tactics available and that's one of the beauties of our contract as there are many ways to make a very good coin. For example, if you don't trust the game and bidding on premium OT and just want to fly your line or as close to it... still play the overlap and try to lose the first trip in the month due to illegality and you'll get priority for Monthly Open Time (MOT). You can bid on whatever you want in MOT, and then if you choose to ELITT that into something bigger, whatever you ELITT into for that trip you got in MOT, you'll be paid second year rate.... or you can just bid on stuff in Daily or Hourly OT throughout the month because you'll be under the cap for at least 2 trips.
Know your contract, know the game. We already work hard, so work smarter, not harder. Our contract enables that. Lots of ways to play and again... there is nothing sketchy or weird about it. That's how our contract is structured, so play to win.
Great advice. I am not sure about the math on your number one, though. I thought the first year/second year baseline goes off of the original line total, which would differ from your adjusted total if you bid overlap. In any case, dropping days and TFP in this open time environment is a no brainer. I have been hitting the overlap pipe on the regular to drop days, and I am pretty senior.
I will also add that as the month goes on, more and more senior guys go over the open time cap. As that happens, more and more junior guys "get theirs". That's what the cap is designed to do. It is a great tool if you are aware of it and how you can be .01 above it or below it and be in a completely different bidding category. Last week of the month? Forget about it. I get beaten on sweet premium trips by junior guys all the time. Good for them.
Right now is a pretty weird time. We have been in a nonstop open time extravaganza for over a year. Normally, it is like this for a few weeks of the year. Take full advantage of it. It won't last forever.