I don’t think you really understand what PBS is. You specify the trips, flavor of trips, days, etc. that you want. How that resembles what was your first choice depends on your seniority. With the exception of the g-line and it’s effect on junior schedules, I don’t think it’s really much different than what you do.

On reserve, days off depends on the season. Summer has higher reserve utilization. It’s the 20th today, and one FO on reserve has under 5 hours of block and 7 short calls. Someone with better knowledge of our current reserve rules can correct me if I’m wrong, but that could mean 80 hours credit so far this month for a one day trip. It’s almost a non-factor, though. The junior DEN737FO lineholder in March was hired in mid October. They probably hit the line in Jan, so 2 months of reserve, unless they want to sit reserve longer because it’s easy and you don’t fly much right now. Although reserve can be a real money maker now for doing very little. If I weren’t a commuter, I’d be on reserve right now and I’m a senior lineholder.

Credit of what you’re awarded vs what you fly is not the same. NB senior pilots get lower credit awards, but also have more gaps in their schedule to get premium pay trips. NBFOs can bid on LCA trips and pick up premium on top of the trips the trips that were bought off, if you’re looking to make more $$.

In the summer, I generally only fly premium trips when I’m not on vacation. I also cap my flying at 10 days, so the best I can do in about 10 days is about 110 hours in a non-vacation month.

Days off in vacation month varies with the line credit range published for that month. As an example, with a range of 70-82 hours, you would have about 22 days off with 1 week of vacation for 75 hours of credit.