When the company writes the schedule any block of days off must be at least five days except at the beginning or end of the bid pattern.

I think a good point to stress is, you don't get a guaranteed number of days off, rather you have a guaranteed minimum number of days you owe the company each month. The rest are your days off. Living within driving distance of a base helps, but if not, then you're likely traveling to/from your base on a day off, i.e. NOT one of the 17 days you owe the company.

I live on the west coast and currently have ANC as my base. So, I usually travel to ANC on my last day off, operate for 17 days, then go home. Lately, I've been lucky and have had my last operating flight land early in the morning on day 17, which has allowed me to travel and get home by dinner on my last work day. Doesn't always happen that way, so I don't plan on it, but I've been lucky the last few months.

This is not correct. We don't "owe" the company 17 days per month. The CBA specifically says that the maximum number of days we can be scheduled in a month is 17. Maximum... not minimum. But this "owe 17 days" thing has made its way into the company lore.

Now... many lines are built to 17 days. Because the company is lame like that. No reward for seniority. However, there are plenty of lines built to 15, 16, and even 14 days in a month.

That's fair. But...a new guy is not likely to get one of those sub-17-day lines. I've been here 2 years and have never been lucky enough to have one awarded to me. Not complaining, just stating the facts as I see them. Better to plan for the worst and be happily surprised if you work less.

The vast majority of lines are 17 days. It also isn't truly a maximum number either because there are a lot of reasons they can extend you. I've been extended twice this year, once on a reserve line which is somewhat common, once on a regular line which I fought and got out of but by the time they agreed to send me home I was pushed into an extension day anyway. Then if you factor gateway travel in you'll be lucky to work less than 19 days a month, could be more on a split line with multiple commutes. You have to be very senior in base to regularly get the 14-15 day lines.

I listened to one of the union conference calls and they said getting a 17-day work month was about average with other companies so they weren't really going to push for 15 or 16 day month. In my opinion they should be fighting for no more than a 16 day month, including deadhead travel in that time. This should be right up there with pay and work rules.

Assuming their TA passes Kalitta will be 16 days with travel on work days. We should settle for no less than that(or should I say no more than that). I know all the old Polar guys want to get back to their old 16 days too(or less).

The thing Fedex/UPS/the majors have going for them too is they may average 15-17 days a month overall but as you gain seniority there are lines where you can only work 9-10 days a month and get good pay. I guess we have Houston luanda lines but only a very small percentage of the very top seniority ever see those.

Correction... Kalitta crews NOW and in the new contract fly to work late on day 0.... however we can not be extended under any circumstance and yes it is 16....one less than the current 17. Generally a few times a year based on your first departure CS will have you leave on day 1.

That may change with the 3 unpaid 1/7 days. If they want to bring you out on day 0 and sit you, it's going to cost them

good point Lion....