Originally Posted by
flyguy81
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I worked under PBS for 11 years. It can be good or bad depending on how it's set up. I still prefer line bidding....1 week of vacation next month and bid into a overlap conflict. Credit 90 with 6 days work and 27 days off in a row. Not a chance in hell I would've ever seen that with PBS...but again...depends how it's set up. I bid a line for March due to the vacation conflict pay. I'll bid rsv again in April and beyond because it pays really good with lower block liability. You can't make guarantee on rsv...when they award you a trip your credit goes up. Nobody sits a month with just 5 hrs block....which could be a pro or a con depending if you want to grow a beard or not. We get 15/16 days off on rsv. Line holders are 16-20 without vacation. We don't do red-eyes...yet, trips are mostly either AM or PM with more commutable being build now under new cba. Majority of trips are 3 days, no 5+ day trips anywhere. 2-3 leg days are normal, some might have 1, some might have 4 if it's CA/TX/HI flying
They're both good companies....just depends on if you want the chance to fly something other than a 737 or go to another continent while at work....things that may not be on everyone's wish list. If I were 15 yrs younger, I'd personally be going to UAL.
It's not only the rules/contract that matter with PBS (you could theoretically have vacation conflict with PBS, you just have to negotiate it in your contract), but also the software you use.
For example, SkyWest's PBS software is terrible, while Navblue is pretty great. Just that difference alone gives you way more power to build your schedule how you want it, before even factoring in the differences in the rules that govern them.
I would hate, HATE to go back to line bidding. If I wanted to switch companies (I don't), lack of PBS might well be a deal breaker.