Originally Posted by
tennisguru
Then you have a fundamental lack of understanding of the effect of PB days. If it were only about banking lots of extra hours for some extra dough then the company wouldn't be so driven to eliminate them. PB days benefit all pilots in a category, both REG and RES, by driving staffing down to create more GS opportunities in the future. Remember, a RES GS is effectively a GS with conflict since it takes out roughly the same number of reserve days as the GS rotation flown. So every time a RES does a GS with LC remaining in the bid period it reduces staffing over those LC days. That's 1 less pilot that can be on SC to soak up a last minute rotation so there's a higher probability of it going green. Even banked days can have this effect if they are dropped on RES days. Remember that WB pilots cannot PD below the min RES block length, but can with a PB day. Take a 5 day block of reserve, drop a PB day on day 3, and now you're functionally useless to the company for almost 1/3 of your RES obligation for the month. And again that can drive more GS opportunities as more RES pilots sit at home unusable or now off over what was LC days. NB pilots can do the same thing (although they can PD as well if they want) but with PB days they're not taking the pay hit. Again, fewer available RES pilots = more chances for GS for the pilots in the category, both REG and RES.
And yes, many times people bank up some days, but that is a technique availble to all pilots whenever they choose to bid RES. Many who don't do RES regularly will do so in a month with vacation, and if you stack a bunch of X days at the end of the bid period you can set yourself up to get some banked PB days, either to cash in later for 7-15 hours each (category dependent) or use them to wipe out a REG trip or RES days with pay.
Believe me, if ALPA went to the company today and offered to eliminate PB days in lieu of RES GS paying double pay/no credit, they'd throw a party on the 4th floor.
Edit: I'm a commuter, AND I'm going to end this year with close to 25 PB days in the bank.
This should be common knowledge for everyone. If you are normally a REG and bid RES for credit on VAC or CQ months you can guarantee yourself more pay. If you then yellow slip on your LC days to make it the same as a REG line for commuting purposes there's no back up required day 1. Also you will credit 15ish hours more per week of vacation in that month and 5ish more hours per CQ day. All while having the opportunity to get PBs if you choose. If you aren't bidding RES during months with VAC and CQ, then you're doing it wrong. The added utility of PBs during the month allows you to effectively move your off days to where you want them if you got coverage days by bumping them back later in the month. 4 coverage days awarded in AUG on PBS and I never sat RES on any of them.