About half the time I sit reserve. It will be 7 of 12 months in 2018. I do very well beating the system and rarely do all the SCs allowed in a month. Good deal months with vacation or training credit I rarely fly. 80+ hours of credit for 3-6 days of flying. Rarely was I used on SC. Most of the reserve stretches started with a 1000 SC (earliest airport report 1200) with 12 on the next days earliest SC was 0800 (1000 airport) and the third was 0600 (0800) I’ve never done more than 3 in a row. I now know statistically I was 95% not likely to be used in those last 3 hours. Intuitively I already knew this but now we have hard company data.

Presently, reserve done right is a really good deal. I’m always open to new techniques but I do pretty well with strategic bidding and an occasional X day move. I just hope it stays that way. I’m happy people are enjoying this change and I hope it benefits more than not. As an internet pessimist I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

Sounds like you have one of the very best flying jobs out there working under a outstanding contract!

 

Yup, and the contract allows a lot more productivity that hasn’t been utilized yet. I would like to keep this good deal which is possible by forgoing upgrades and commuting. This is why I suspect there will be change. This is by far the best ever my career has been, however it’s still a downgrade from the historic high and filled with uncertainty about healthcare costs and retirement. I also acknowledge that the good deal QOL my relative seniority gives me is not the norm. We can improve in several areas. But yes, life is good now.

 

Well, the answer to that is: No thanks, you can go back to 12 hour shortcalls.

Denny

 

Only job in America where you can brag about not working and getting paid. Nothing wrong with it! Seems like a lot of money is being wasted on guys doing nothing, while guys who turn a wheel could get paid more(hint, we could all make more). It's a convoluted business model. If we could monetize the system, we all could benefit.

When I lived in base, I didn't bid reserve, didn't like the uncertainty. Many don't. But it's obviously a good gig if you can't get it. More power to bidding reserve, hoping the phone doesn't ring.

 

Agreed. More SC's, even if they codified the 9 hours, would be a significant concession.

The real danger is how the offer is presented. If they faux counterbalance that very broad concession to a lot of pilots with a theoretical "good deal" for a tiny number of pilots, like a technically existent, but grossly inadequate, number of "long call lines" or something to that effect, hopefully we can muster the unity to resist. The concept of a "good deal", however extremely rare it may be, is absolutely intoxicating to a group of sea lawyers like us though and I bet they know it.

 

I absolutely agree.

 

The uncertainty used to bother me but then I bid a line and went through ATL. ...and got rerouted.

 

Benjamin Franklin correctly observed back in 1789 that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes!

 

I live in base and bid reserve on a widebody. It's a nice gig for sure. But as I made my way up the career ladder, it was all reserve at various cargo companies. I went from a 15 minutes callout (ie, 15 minutes from call to be AT the airport), to 20, to 25!

Man, with 25 minutes I could actually take a shower at 3am before jumping in my car. So two hours or so is kinda a luxury for me. And C2012 made reserve a lot better.

I've never minded not knowing where I was going - but I've done it most of my career.