Originally Posted by
Cyio
This. It's often the more senior guys/gals that are doing the game correctly because even at about two years in, I can't clear my board for ****, at least not the flying in my base; perhaps other bases are different. In addition, it's stressful to wonder about your pay even when you clear it because it seems I am awarded a much lower premium than I think I should. If I had 20 years, 1000 sick trips, and five weeks of vacation here with a few million in the bank, I would be much more willing to gamble, but to say that "flying the line" is cringe is a tad shortsighted, in my opinion.
For the record, I never said it was cringe. I said, to each his own.
There is definitely a lot less stress/effort if you just fly your line.
FWIW, I was in the left seat for over a decade, in a very senior base, before I could clear all or most of my board, and not as many folks put forth the effort to do it as there are now.
I've heard the term "work smarter, not harder" when referring to board clearing etc.
It may be smarter, and you'll typically make more money for the time spent in the cockpit, but you're working harder the rest of the time clearing and rebuilding a line. It starts with monthly line bids, where seniority is, by far, the biggest player and continues with ELITT, TTGA etc.
It's almost like being on reserve when it comes to making plans etc.I am constantly asked "when are you working next?" by friends and family, and, typically the answer is not for several weeks to a month. But......... I could be going out today or tomorrow, since I have to make hay while the sun shines, and premium doesn't grow on trees these days, like it did almost every single summer up til 2018.
One of the best things about our contract is that our flexibility affords lots of ways to make lots of coin or take some time off or both.