AAfng

as much as guys say that AA stinks I somehow went from a 80hr line in December to 58 via trip trading and someone picking up a trip. My trips around XMAS/NYE are pretty locked down but I did trade and improve them also (Not working xmas or NYE).

This is how it is every month. My schedule is almost always how I want it.

Then again, I am in NY where I have some seniority but it worked in the past in NY as THE most junior lineholder.

But yes, AA sucks, keep saying it over and over, one big regional.

InitialBuffet

What’s the consensus on the new contract improving the bidding/schedule trading and/or flexibility?


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black cat

I'd say the general consensus is that the company won't generate a proposal that gets anywhere close to addressing this and other big shortcomings in our contract anytime soon. They don't seem to be taking our serious QOL issues very seriously up until this point. The negotiations will most definitely be drawn out for awhile.

Arado 234

I'd rather have that then this red redder bs. It's pathetic that our wo, regionals, and lcc's have better qol than here at mighty (cough, sputter) AA.

chrisreedrules

Yea that’s a head scratcher for many of us looking to move up to mainline in the next couple years. “So my QOL at work will actually be worse?”

Varks

What will really amaze you is that it’s better than it was. We used to fly into days off for regular pay. A 4 day would cancel and I would get the 64 hour guarantee. RO is new and horrible but that was traded for pay guarantee.

I had pay guarantee and no RO at my regional airline over 20 years ago. It’s a naive work group at legacy AA. You young guys/gals are a breath of fresh air. You don’t put up with the nonsense.

As bad as this contract is, it’s still better than anything I’ve had here. My vacation almost doubled and pay tripled. I don’t fly any more than I used to and bring home triple what I used to make. I upgraded too. Just think when we go bankrupt again how much more we will make. Just kidding.

Dobbs18

I flew for a regional from 2006-mid2014 and let me tell you my quality of life is WWWWAAAAYYYY better here. At 9E our QOL was terrible but it was offset by our extremely low wages. Yall must work for some awesome regionals now, and yes I realize a lot at the regionals have changed in 5 years. QOL here is what you make of it. I put in the effort and get a pretty damn good schedule by working LS, TTS, and TTOT. A lot of guys just want a good schedule "handed" to them. I get it, most of our scheduling stuff sucks, but guess what, not everyone gets weekends off, holidays, etc....but with some effort you can still out schedule your seniority here. Lots of stuff could be better but its not all doom and gloom here is what I am trying to say.

aa73

“QOL is better at the regionals than at AA.”

This is the most overused, laughable, and fictitious statement I’ve ever heard around here. And it’s complete and utter BS, usually uttered predominantly by miserable pilots who complain about everything AA and how much better it was at their previous airline.

Talk to most ex regional guys and ask them this question, you’ll usually get a laugh and a head shake in amazement.

Sure there were maybe ONE or TWO contractual items that were better at the regionals, simply due to the lower paying nature of the regionals and the necessity to have a couple of items to compensate for that.

Yes our contract needs reworking to bring up the sub standard stuff to DL/UA. It will come. But to say that QOL as a whole is better there than here is LAUGHABLE. Yeah, I’m sure there are tons of regional captains out there flying 3 day trips with a maximum of one or two legs per day, getting 15:45 for the trip at $278/hr with the 16% 401k contribution and 83hrs for the month with 16-17 days off.

Side note, I can’t help but notice the hordes of pilots leaving AA to go to the regionals for the massively better QOL, lol.

PRS Guitars

I think we’ll get some improvements at the margins, nothing earth shattering. I also don’t think we are as far behind the other airlines as some on here suggest. Yes the trading needs to be loosened up for sure.

Your schedule here will be very dependent on your bid status size and seniority in that status. Less than 50% in a large bid status usually gets you weekends off, holidays off, and very commutable trips...if you care. 70% kinda sucks, you’re getting scraps as a line holder and are on the bubble for reserve. CLT & PHX are the two places where guys are loitering at the bottom of the barrel for years.

Also, some guys (not saying anybody on this thread) suck at PBS bidding, they don’t put the time in to learn or put the time in each month to try for a good schedule. I’ve seen some really stupid bids and the guy had no clue how off the mark he was in his bidding.

If you live in an AA domicile, I would not let this thread deter you.

PRS Guitars

OP,

AA73 is spot on. There are pilots that will complain literally about everything, even if what they are complaining about gets fixed. They are few and far between to fly with but are big forum participants.

I’m guessing you are military, is that correct? I can’t speak to regionals (though I believe aa73 on that). But from a military standpoint, my QOL massively exceeds any point in my AD career. It’s not even close. I will also make twice as much this year as I made my last year on AD (including bah, etc). But, I manage my expectations, and tend to roll with the punches on the line, I don’t let delays, inconveniences, company F ups, etc annoy me. I tend not to get upset about the rare reschedule during a trip. If I’m too tired to fly it, I’ll call fatigued.

The job will be what you make of it.