Originally Posted by
JTwift
This is incredible short sighted. Reserve rules aren't just for junior upgrades. It helps create movement through the ranks. It helps for when a displacement comes. And, especially these days, IT HELPS RECRUITMENT!
Our reserve rules are punitive. I just don't know any other way to put it. Being Narrow Body reserve over the summer, especially as a commuter (i.e. most of our pilots), is flat out hellish. (I can't comment on Widebody, since I haven't done it.)
I just can't describe the feeling I get when I consider upgrading to CA, but then remember last summer, sitting reserve....it makes me want to vomit.
If I were a pilot with options on UAL/AA/DAL/FX/UPS, I can tell you that UAL would not be number 1 on that list, especially when you factor that EVERYONE sits reserve at some point (oh, unless you were one of those people waiting for IOE for 9 months, getting 90 hours a month, then just magically dropped into a line above me, while I kept getting knocked down the ladder; another thing I'd like to see changed in the contract.)
I was on reserve for a long time under the current contract. I Really didn’t think it was all that bad. Sure line holder is better, but it should be as that is where the more senior people live. Reserve used to mean constant rolling of days off, no HDO’s. Living in base is definitely a game changer (not sure where you get most of our pilots commute, might be true I have never seen any documentation) as well as the staffing model. When we were over staffed on reserve I averaged 40/hr a month. Short calls were like days off. While there can always be improvements I would not call our rules punitive and they never made me want to vomit.
A reserve pilot is there to protect the operation. It is always going to have a certain level of instability as that is the nature of the job.