Originally Posted by
iaflyer
First, by doing that you're pretty much putting yourself on short call reserve the entire month. I've got too many things to do with the family to do that. Second, in smaller categories there just isn't that much open time to work with. Third, in my category we don't do a lot of "last flight in, first flight out" from the base, so there isn't very little of that "fly to outstation and DH back" stuff that works so well in ATL on the NB that pays 10.5 for very little work.
In the end, I put my time into a excellent PBS bid and call it good.
It can be done without "putting yourself on SC," just plan on working the days you'd normally be gone for your normal trips. One you just know further out that you'll be gone for a majority of Tues-Thurs, while the other you can often just be gone a little bit of each of those days. Obviously it helps to be more senior, but it can be done even in categories of fewer than 200 and without just doing the last out/first in trips. Occasionally you may have to pick up a trip you'd prefer not to, but at least it's better than a bid packet trips.
I'd happily fly my bid schedule if they'd build trips worth flying. They finally built some this month, but of course everyone came out of the woodwork to bid them. Even a seat seniority in the teens, didn't get you a line of day trips. It sure is a good thing we don't have more of those one days, because noone one them... 🤣