alfaromeo

In case any NW pilot cares, I am going to try to give an unofficial, line pilot's guide to our scheduling system. I am hoping this is a "wiki" type effort, where other people will add to and correct my info. I am going to start with definitions with more to come. I am sure that there is an official guide being worked up, but this may get some NW pilots some info in the meantime.

TLV - Targeted Line Value - (range 74-79) - This number keeps Delta management from over scheduling and under scheduling pilots consistently. This number is for the pilots. It is the 12 month average of the ALV in a position (aircraft and seat, for example 777 co-pilot). Delta cannot consistently use an ALV of 82, because then the average will be too high.

ALV - Average Line Value - (range 72-82) - This is the average number of hours scheduled for each regular line holder each month. It is not the maximum you can fly. This number is for management so they can adjust our flying to meet their marketing schedule.

LCW - Line Construction Window - (range + or - 7.5 hours from the ALV, with some exceptions at the high and low ends) - This allows pilots to build their schedules to meet their needs. A very tight LCW would force pilots to give up days off they want or eliminate pattern bids in order to fit their schedule into a narrow band. Sometimes you get a high value line, sometimes low, but you can always try to pick up more later.

White Slip (yes it used to be a white piece of paper, now it is computerized) - This is a request for a regular line holder to get more time at straight pay. The limit is 15 hours above the ALV. So if your ALV is 77, then you can pick up to 92 hours with a white slip. White slips have priority over reserve pilots.

Green Slip - Request to fly for double pay. These are given out only when they are out of reserve pilots. The Green Slip trigger is 75 hours or the ALV whichever is less. You can get a Green Slip and get paid some straight pay and some double pay. For example if you are scheduled for 72 hours in a month with an ALV of 75. If you get a Green Slip, the first 3 hours will be straight pay and the rest will be double pay. Reserve pilots can Green Slip on their off days and they get paid straight pay, on top of the reserve guarantee, and then they get their off days paid back. For example, a reserve pilot gets a 2 day green slip worth 11 hours. He would get paid his guarantee (70) and the green slip (11) for 81 hours. He would then get his next two on-call days off as pay back. When manning is short, reserve pilots keep on requesting to fly on their off days, and then keep getting more off days. This is called rolling thunder.

Inverse Assignment (IA) - Junior manning. Always double pay. Don't answer the phone if you don't want to fly it. They now have a system where they robo-call the whole base when they are junior manning. You can ignore the call, listen to your voice mail, and then call back if you want the trip.

Long Call Reserve - 12 hour notification. When you are on long call, you never have to answer the phone (and most pilots don't). You do have to listen to your message and acknowledge the trip within 3 hours of the report time. For example, it is 7 pm. Scheduling can assign you a trip starting at 7 am the next morning. You have to acknowledge the call by 4 am. Most pilots let the phone ring, and then listen to voice mail and then acknowledge by calling or signing on to the computer. Scheduling will call up to two numbers in the database.

Short Call Reserve - Limit of 6 per month. They have to give you 9 hours rest before short call. Domestic short call is 12 hours long, international 24. They stagger the start of short call periods during the day. On short call you have to be "promptly available" which is generally considered 2 hours. Traffic problems are considered legitimate excuses to be later than 2 hours. Living in Tampa and being based in Atlanta is not considered a legitimate excuse to be later than 2 hours.

RAW Values (Reserve Assignment Weighting) - Instead of a first in first out system, Delta assigns points to reserves based on the number of hours you have flown and the number of duty periods you have worked. The person with the lowest RAW value (least amount of flying) is given the next trip. You can put your trip preferences in the computer when you are on reserve. If a group of pilots are all being given trips, then they will go in seniority order and try to give the more senior pilots in the group the trips they desire.

In general, scheduling fills trips in the following order:

1. White slips in seniority order
2. Reserve pilots
3. Green slips in seniority order
4. Inverse assignments

There are actually 20 or more steps that include instructors and out of base pilots but in general it is what is listed above.