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FDX - Long night in Open time

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FDX - Long night in Open time

Old 03-26-2010, 04:12 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by CloudSailor View Post
Has FDX or ALPA ever considered FLiCA? (Flight Line Internet Crew Access), software developed by Delta for both pilots and FA's.

It can be the best scheduling tool out there, as long as the company allows for the parameters to be "relaxed", which can be a contractual thing.

I know Delta, USAirways, America West (pre-merger), Frontier, Air Wisconsin, among others, use it.

We can trade trips out of open time into our schedule, as long as they're more than 3 days out, within seconds. All automated. We can drop trips and add trips into/from open time. We can also swap trips with other crewmembers automatically. When the trade is for a trip within 3 days, reserve coverage parameters are tightened up a little.

The only time a scheduler actually becomes involved is when there are legality/contractual disparities. Such as: we are required to have 10 hours rest in base min., but can choose waive it and go with the FAA minimums... then a scheduler has to be involved.

I would imagine that with all the ex-Delta and USAir guys there, it would have come up for discussion. Specially since it is such a money-saver for the company to have all that automation. We don't have the pay that you do at FDX, but from a scheduling perspective, the quality of life that FLiCA gives us is amazing, (sounds like a commercial for them, but I'm being completely honest).
The system we(FDX) have been using..."VIPS"...was used at Eastern, over 25yrs ago, with real-time trip trading by phone. Your request was either approved immediately or not("manning restricted"). Obviously, FDX has no interest in losing the control that human(most of them) schedulers gives them.
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Old 03-26-2010, 05:15 PM
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I fail to see the big deal about all this. Longest requests submitted last night took less than 3 hours. It's not like it's a trip in the next 24 hours. So you submit your request at 9 and go to bed..or head to Mem on your hubturn.....you got your answer by midnight. Come on guys......really?
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Old 03-26-2010, 05:26 PM
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Seriously? 2 hours?

Last Nov (for Dec Bid Month), we waited 12-14 HOURS for trip trades.

Real time would be great, but will never happen (until I make retirement). Someone pointed out it was a "control" issue.

I think a fix would be to have an extra scheduler working on the Thursday Open Time begins. If requests are processed faster, less duplicative trades/swaps submitted.
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Old 03-26-2010, 05:50 PM
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Isn't DEC one of our peak months....with a major holiday in the middle of it??? Just wondering.......
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Old 03-26-2010, 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted by hamfisted View Post
I fail to see the big deal about all this. Longest requests submitted last night took less than 3 hours. It's not like it's a trip in the next 24 hours. So you submit your request at 9 and go to bed..or head to Mem on your hubturn.....you got your answer by midnight. Come on guys......really?
You must be senior Ham. For us bottom feeders, multiple trades are the norm and the outcome of the trades, drops, etc. drive the next trades. So waiting 3 hours to find out the results of the initial trade makes for a very long night. There is no reason why they can't change a few things to make it more of a customer friendly experience! But whom am I kidding
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Old 03-26-2010, 10:00 PM
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Ummmmm....not so much. I can't even sniff a line. We all know in the current environment, ANY trip that you have bid for has more than a dozen other hard-chargers trying to get the same line. It is what it is...........just wait til openers.
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Old 03-27-2010, 07:53 AM
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Originally Posted by hamfisted View Post
I fail to see the big deal about all this. Longest requests submitted last night took less than 3 hours. It's not like it's a trip in the next 24 hours. So you submit your request at 9 and go to bed..or head to Mem on your hubturn.....you got your answer by midnight. Come on guys......really?
You would have a point if not for one inconvenient fact -- there is no good reason for there to be any delay.

At times one may miss multiple opportunities while waiting three hours for a denial to be returned. It's kind of like aiming a gun at something, pulling the trigger, and then knowing that the gun may fire instantly or at any time within the next twelve hours. It ain't a very efficient way to hunt!

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