Okay - I fully admit to being the village curmudgeon, but I think I need to be honest and say I am a bit tired of the complaining about reserve. When I was a boy we would walk two miles in the snow with baked potatoes in our pocket to keep our hands warm on the way to school.

Okay . . . I'm sure younger pilots are a bit over hearing about how things used to be, but here's the problem folks.

An airline has last minute problems that arise and all of us would agree we want our company to do well so we need to solve the problem of how to staff last minute changes. At United the company's only tool available today is SC or FSB. At AA or DAL or at the regionals they use reassignments. Can the system stand to be improved? Yes. Is it the worst element in our current contract? To me? No. Reassignments are to me far worse.

When my seniority bids a Pheonix layover then by God the company better not send me to Peoria unless pigs are about to fly or they are paying me a ton of money.

Personally . . . reserve should be 100% short call . . . all the time. That's what reserve is in my mind . . . BUT . . . line holders game the system and can earn tons and tons of extra .. . . SO . . . reserve should pay WAY more.

Line holders work 12-14 days. Reserves should work the same.

A day off should be a day off whether you are on reserve or a line holder.

Anyways, rant over.

Just voicing an opinion.