Check DAL's pay rate and how much they "greenslip." Alaska can afford it. It's cheaper to pay 150% than to hire a pilot.

The only way to drop below the monthly min (75-78 depending on “flex up”), is pilot to pilot trades or drops. Not so easy if your a jr. slob with crap trips that no one wants... I commend MEA for doing minimal flying but it’s kinda like a senior CA telling a Jr. F.O. all about his new boat and cabin on the lake. Not so easily done at anything less than 20% seniority. Yet another thing that needs fixing in 2020.

I'm just short of 78 hours this month and have a little more than 78 hours with 18 days off in July. Both months were at 87+ when my lines were awarded. I usually bid 3-day trips, partial weekends even. I can drop turns and 2-day trips during step trading often.

I don't personally like to go to low 70's, because I'm hoarding cash. But, it's doable. You just have to try to trade for stuff that you can easily get rid of through p2p.

With that said, I do have a little seniority. I'm a 2006 hire and top 100 on the SEA FO list. So, step trading has been okay.

A Cartel of pilots working together to better ones SKD... pump then dump!
Scattered Vacation days
Carry-in
P2P

Getting a decent schedule shouldn’t have to be that complicated

Its good to know you have a system that can be worked. The Airbus folks are eager to learn the tricks the merger is forcing.

I think this is a reason to postpone the Airbus going to line bidding until the first of next year: we cannot swap vacation days yet, only whole weeks. With the Alaska rules requiring that pilots do these swaps well in advance, it sounds like we'll miss significant opportunities to make the holidays work if we have to go to line bidding in October.

I’m a 3 yr guy and have learned the many tricks to our line bidding. I get decent schedules for my seniority. 80-85 hrs and 16 days off. However, OCCP, you’re right, we should not have to use every trick in our bag to get decent schedules. I’ve been making a list of things I want improved upon to hand to my reps come 2020.

But I thought everything about Ala5ka was supposed to be superior to Virgin!

This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No Scope No Vote 2020

Do you bid for lines that are in that high 80s range? It seems like you'd be better off bidding for something in the high 70s instead, and not having to deal with step trading.