Originally Posted by Birdsmash (Post 3282345)

Shhhh….Secret Squirrel missions!

Originally Posted by KA350Driver (Post 2841327)

When out on a two week rotation do you normally do out and backs from the same base or is just jumping all over the place?

Originally Posted by Continuingappch (Post 3301571)

Two-week? I thought you were out 18 days - can anyone speak to how gateway skeds are structured now?

Originally Posted by Mzungu (Post 3301612)

For Alaska, there are AM/PM lines for scheduled runs to Nome, Bethel, and a couple other destinations. These lines are 5 days on, 5 days off.

Originally Posted by Mzungu (Post 3301612)

There are also several ad hoc first half/last half lines

Originally Posted by Mzungu (Post 3301612)

(17 or 18 days long, depending on length of the month),

Originally Posted by Mzungu (Post 3301612)

The Africa work usually tacks on a couple of days for travel on either end of a first/last half 18 day hitch.

Originally Posted by A Squared (Post 3376638)

There are only 4 of those lines out of 27 bid lines, and they typically go very senior.




The terms "First half" and "Second half" are misrepresentations perpetuated by management. Except for the 4 Alaska AM/PM lines, the schedules are not even remotely "half on half off." The lines have a commitment of 18 days a month (except in February) Mathematically it is a lot closer to "First two thirds" and "last two thirds" than it is to "First Half" and " Second Half", but that doesn't sound as good to be honest about what it is. There are a few 3 month lines in whcih the duty periods don't really line up with the calendar months, but the ratio of says on to days off is not significantly different than the 18 days out of 30 of most lines.






Other than the Alaska AM/PM lines and February, there hasn't been a monthly line with less than 18 days on in a long time.




If awarded one of these lines, the company reaches back into your previous month and retroactively makes your scheduled days off into travel days, and refuses to pay the day off premium you are entitled to for working/traveling on scheduled days off.

Originally Posted by Continuingappch (Post 3376942)

Retroactive? That's a red flag...though if it doesn't cheat 121 duty/rest issues it is more of a QOL/labor relations issue. If it's the former then document it and push back!?

Originally Posted by A Squared (Post 3377179)

It's not something that disregards required rest periods, or otherwise violates time and duty regulations. "Retroactively" was probably a poor choice of words. What I mean by that is is that a bid for a particular month is used to change the days off you were already awarded in a previous month's bid. If you were awarded a "First two thirds" line for April, you'd have the last 12 days of April as scheduled days off. Now if in the May bid, you were awarded a line for whcih the company wanted you in position on distant continent on the first of May, you'd get travel in the last 2-3 days of April, which means that they are no longer your days off. As a practical matter, that is probably unavoidable, BUT: There is a day-off premium whcih is supposed to be paid when you work on scheduled days off, whcih takes the sting out of losing the day off. The company refuses to pay the day off premium when your scheduled days off in your previous month's bid line suddenly get turned into travel days for the next months bid line, for company convenience. It's a labor issue, not a regulatory one.