Does anybody know if other airlines have begun working around the Whitlow Ruling with regard to reserves?
Reserves at jetBLue are routinely called in the morning (sometimes as late as 0900) to be released (presumably to sleep) so they can be given a redeye that night.
It seems to me that the spirit (if not the letter) of the ruling was that the FAA did not want pilots to be subject to 24 hour availability. If you can call and release and call and release, you can strategically place a reserve on AM duty and if the board looks clear - release him for PM duty.
The way we're playing it now is no different than when reserves were on call 24 hours a day. The enticement of 4 hours does nothing for someone who never breaks 75 and 4 hours does not keep someone from falling asleep on a transcon redeye.
In addition, reserves are regularly flown into their days off with no assurance what-so-ever that they will actually be home when their bid says they will.
At the end of the day:
JetBlue has enough latitude to conceivably utilize a reserve 24 hours a day 365 days a year - and with permanently tight staffing levels - career reserves in LGB had better not make any plans that can't be changed.
Pay for "performance" - it's not for slackers!