FlyingCoho

Hey everyone. Portland guy here looking for details on the Alaska PDX base.

I am putting out my apps to Alaska and several others. I am coming back to the industry after several years off and would love to base where I live.

Size? Seniority? etc....

Thanks in advance!

DangleDunlops

2nd smallest domicile. All 737.

1-2 years to hold plug FO. That assumes historical averages hold, but the next bid will allow cross-bidding (if alpa doesn’t **** it away again). You will likely find VRD locals bidding into pdx openings, until that flattens out, it could be a long time before you can hold PDX. Or you could get it in class. Because our vacancies for new hires seem to be awarded out of seniority at times.

PDX RSV are often used to augment SEA, even though this isn’t allowed by the contract, pairings are constructed/amended to subvert scheduling rules intentionally.

Costanza

ALK has been hiring a lot of Horizon pilots lately who live in PDX so as Dangle says it takes a while to get into the base. On the latest bid it's about 1 1/2 years. Can get into SEA right away and the commute is pretty doable since you can drive. No one knows what it will look like on next bid due to merger.

Dangle is incorrect about the company not being able to use out of base reserves. It's specifically allowed in Section 25 R 1.g. They do have to amend the pairing to add the deadhead etc. from out of base to do that.

You said you have been out of flying for a while. Don't know your background but you will need to convince someone that interviews you that you can make it through training even though you've been out of flying for a while. Good luck!

DangleDunlops

How about those layovers out of base with a DH the next day? The one where you’re reassigned our of base for a Seattle pairing? Stay away from Seattle on RSV.

Costanza

If you are out of base you can be reassigned even as a Bid Block Holder. Doesn't really matter if you were supposed to DH or fly. There are some protections for Bid Block Holder reassignments away from base that don't apply to reserves. See Section 25 V. "A Pilot may be reassigned while away from his Base to alternate flights or portions thereof in order to preserve the Continuity of the Company's General Schedule"

AltoCumulus

I LOVE THOSE!

If your deadhead is the last thing on your pairing you can call to be released as soon as you are in the city of your DH origination. You do not lose the hotel room if you want it. Your 12 hours rest starts at the completion of your originally scheduled deadhead.

Say you get to PDX at 8pm and they put you into rest to deadhead at 6am. As soon as you hit the blocks you call schedueling to get released. They have a binary choice at that point to either give you an assignment for a specific flight or to release you; the schedueler has no other options. You then Jumpseat out on the last flight back to SEA. Your 12 hours of rest doesn’t start until your DH gets into SEA, possibly killing another day of reserve depending on your RAP.

The downside is that you no longer have a guaranteed seat. The upside is that you are not-contactable and not reassignable at their whim. Sometimes it’s better to keep the deadhead (flights are crazy full with 2 days left on reserve.)

I almost always get off of reserve ASAP. I have been released and non-revved on the exact same flight, on the exact same seat I was to deadhead on. I could have even drank a beer on the flight if I wanted to.

FlyingCoho

Thanks for the response everyone. Keep 'em coming if you have more thoughts.

ShyGuy

I see the contractual provision in the DH section. However you are saying as soon as you block in/released today at 8pm, you can call to be released from DH tomorrow at 6am if they have no flights to assign.

Problem I had is they said it’s only for same day. And the contract doesn’t deleaneate if same day or not. I was told call tomorrow to be released, we can’t right now. One DH leg only, just like your case. I know VX had a rule of sane-day only release for reserve DH.

I’d like to know if there’s any clarification in the contract for same day versus day before for a DH release.

P-Dawg_QX

2. Last Segment of a Trip: Pilots Deadheading to their Base on the final segment of a trip may request to be released from duty with the Company in the city from which the Deadhead originates.
a. Requirement and Approval: The request will be approved by Pilot Scheduling if no other flying duty is assigned when the request is made.
b. Pay, Credit and Rest: The Pilot will receive pay, credit and rest as if they Deadheaded on the originally scheduled flight.

Makes no mention of what day it has to be, only that the request will be approved if no other duty is assigned. So if it’s the night before and they don’t have anything else for you at that time, they don’t have a leg to stand on. If they say otherwise, grieve it. And go home.

We gotta stop letting schedulers get away with this bull****!

(Sorry for the thread hijack. This crap just ****es me off.)

ShyGuy

Ahh, I see the potential leg to stand on, Pilot will receive pay, credit, and rest. Key word rest. Why would he rest if requesting only same day release? That makes the case for the day before release, you are still given your rest and pay. Now hopefully my next scheduler sees it. Otherwise, grievance.