Short Call QOL Improvement
10-25-2018 | 07:17 AM
#21
Get's Every Day Off
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,864
Likes: 0
From: Retired
I sit reserve a lot. I'm all for shortening SC to 9 hours for now.
However, I am wondering "why are they really doing this?" They don't typically do ANYTHING out of the goodness of their hearts. Aside from the discussions above, I am concerned about this making me "available" 3 hours earlier for the next "good"deal. I hate having the extremely early short calls. I foresee starting short call on a Monday after days off at 1000 at the earliest. Now I'm available at 0700 on Tuesday and 0400 on Wednesday. Rolling scheduling thunder. Granted, they can do this now by releasing you early via a phone call, but they have to plan for it and make adjustments to do it. They also have to have the bodies available to make those adjustments. That makes it less likely to happen. Now it can happen without any forethought. I'm sure there are other "hidden gems" in this "act of good will." Just color me suspicious.
However, I am wondering "why are they really doing this?" They don't typically do ANYTHING out of the goodness of their hearts. Aside from the discussions above, I am concerned about this making me "available" 3 hours earlier for the next "good"deal. I hate having the extremely early short calls. I foresee starting short call on a Monday after days off at 1000 at the earliest. Now I'm available at 0700 on Tuesday and 0400 on Wednesday. Rolling scheduling thunder. Granted, they can do this now by releasing you early via a phone call, but they have to plan for it and make adjustments to do it. They also have to have the bodies available to make those adjustments. That makes it less likely to happen. Now it can happen without any forethought. I'm sure there are other "hidden gems" in this "act of good will." Just color me suspicious.
10-25-2018 | 07:21 AM
#22
Line Holder
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 930
Likes: 76
From: 73N
so let's assume there are 15 pilots a day on short call, with this change it requires more pilots per day to be on short call and because of that you will sit more short calls than you have been if you weren't already maxing them out. Again, the scheduling committee has said this is a win for the company in terms of productivity gains. Instant gratification for the pilot sure, but overall not a win.
10-25-2018 | 07:22 AM
#23
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 7,253
Likes: 96
From: DAL 330
Scoop,
Usually I agree with you, but I'll go ahead and take the bait.....
This is bad for pilots. There. Ok, I said it.
Here's my concern. By releasing pilots sooner, this is is an advantage to the company as they can now release you to rest and then assign another short call RAP that much sooner. Big picture, this means more short call coverage with fewer pilots. Translation: "job killer". They have identified an inefficiency which requires more pilots, and are looking to trim the fat.
Obviously the end game for the company is NOT to have the same total number of reserve pilots with shorter Short Calls. It's a way to reduce required headcount and keep essentially the same short call coverage to protect the operation.
I sit Reserve in my category a lot. I live in base and actually put in yellow slips sometimes to be first on short call. I still have never had a month of 7 short calls. Even when I ask for it. With this change, I'm predicting an increase in the number of short call periods per month for those exposed to it.
As far as the guy who can now commute home? I don't think it was a big deal as you could have called and got released early most times. (Intl might be different?) Additionally, now you won't be able to go home anyway because guess what, since you're done earlier, you're back on short call tomorrow morning!
Scoop, as someone who argues against the 30-day bid periods as a job killer, I'm surprised you aren't thinking the same way on this change?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Usually I agree with you, but I'll go ahead and take the bait.....
This is bad for pilots. There. Ok, I said it.
Here's my concern. By releasing pilots sooner, this is is an advantage to the company as they can now release you to rest and then assign another short call RAP that much sooner. Big picture, this means more short call coverage with fewer pilots. Translation: "job killer". They have identified an inefficiency which requires more pilots, and are looking to trim the fat.
Obviously the end game for the company is NOT to have the same total number of reserve pilots with shorter Short Calls. It's a way to reduce required headcount and keep essentially the same short call coverage to protect the operation.
I sit Reserve in my category a lot. I live in base and actually put in yellow slips sometimes to be first on short call. I still have never had a month of 7 short calls. Even when I ask for it. With this change, I'm predicting an increase in the number of short call periods per month for those exposed to it.
As far as the guy who can now commute home? I don't think it was a big deal as you could have called and got released early most times. (Intl might be different?) Additionally, now you won't be able to go home anyway because guess what, since you're done earlier, you're back on short call tomorrow morning!
Scoop, as someone who argues against the 30-day bid periods as a job killer, I'm surprised you aren't thinking the same way on this change?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
The company can already release you anytime they want if they need you the next day.
Even if this did affect jobs, which I don’t think it does, it is not even in the same league as the 30 day months which was 3.3% productivity gain on all 14,000 + Pilots line and reserve. This deals with a fraction of a fraction.
This is probably just what they said - they were not using guys so why waste the time of the schedulers. This might require more guys if they want the same coverage. It now takes 3 guys to provide 24 of SC vice 2.
As a occasional reserve guy I like this. 25% less SC!
Bottom line - I was released from SC plenty of times to be available 12 hours down the road just as now they can release a guy after 6 hours.
Scoop
10-25-2018 | 07:59 AM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,553
Likes: 100
From: Road construction signholder
But is it a long term "loss?" We'll have to see but I'm guessing months from now we'll be asking "what was that possible objection to 9 hour SC some guys once brought up?"
Maybe the objection comes under the "every bleeping Tuesday?!" category.
Maybe the objection comes under the "every bleeping Tuesday?!" category.
10-25-2018 | 08:01 AM
#26
Line Holder
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 795
Likes: 26
From: Drivin’ the bus
The company can already release you anytime they want if they need you the next day.
Even if this did affect jobs, which I don’t think it does, it is not even in the same league as the 30 day months which was 3.3% productivity gain on all 14,000 + Pilots line and reserve. This deals with a fraction of a fraction.
This is probably just what they said - they were not using guys so why waste the time of the schedulers. This might require more guys if they want the same coverage. It now takes 3 guys to provide 24 of SC vice 2.
As a occasional reserve guy I like this. 25% less SC!
Bottom line - I was released from SC plenty of times to be available 12 hours down the road just as now they can release a guy after 6 hours.
Scoop
Even if this did affect jobs, which I don’t think it does, it is not even in the same league as the 30 day months which was 3.3% productivity gain on all 14,000 + Pilots line and reserve. This deals with a fraction of a fraction.
This is probably just what they said - they were not using guys so why waste the time of the schedulers. This might require more guys if they want the same coverage. It now takes 3 guys to provide 24 of SC vice 2.
As a occasional reserve guy I like this. 25% less SC!
Bottom line - I was released from SC plenty of times to be available 12 hours down the road just as now they can release a guy after 6 hours.
Scoop
I think you kind of made my point though. 3 pilots on SC per 24 hours vice 2. More SC periods per month? This is why I think commuters may have more instances per month sitting in base for a SC period. This also increases the likelihood that a trip assignment matches their period and they get assigned to a trip. More efficient use of reserves and fewer GS to cover trips.
We'll see what happens. Other than having to remember to shave, I'm largely unaffected if I have to do more days of SC. If it turns out I was wrong, I'm OK with that too!
10-25-2018 | 08:08 AM
#27
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,556
Likes: 11
2. more short calls per month (i know the max is 6/7 but you could have been doing 4 before and now maxing out)
10-25-2018 | 08:14 AM
#28
Back on Reserve
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 842
Likes: 23
The earliest they can assign SC on day 1 is 10am (with the caveat that you can notify them that you're not contactable during the first 2 hours). If they assign that 10-12 SC on day one, they used to have to modify your 12hr window if they wanted to use you earlier on day 2++ and 'robo-notify' you of 2 changes. This just saves them one step.
New scenario: 10am SC assigned day 1 (with the 2hr deal), on the hook till 7pm. With no modification they have now made you available at 7am day 2 which (on some fleets) makes you more 'usable'. Then they can shift you all the way to the earliest slot on day 3++.
I think it just saves the step that they're already doing to get you earlier on subsequent days.
I predict (for those of us junior on RES) that SC will move in a fairly predictable shift, earlier each subsequent day. Only tool we have to defend against this (for those senior enough for it to work) is to YS "if needed for SC, time XX:xx to XX:xx".
Overall, I will still take a reduction and call it an improvement.
10-25-2018 | 08:16 AM
#29
Line Holder
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 795
Likes: 26
From: Drivin’ the bus
10-25-2018 | 08:23 AM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 226
Likes: 0
I am not an international pilot but I would like to know if there is any reason why international reserve going to 9 hours would benefit the company more than domestic? It seems that international guys sit and do nothing a lot during the winter.
This could be just the company throwing out a gesture that schedulers already have the power to do, now it’s in writing.
It could also be because there has been an uptick of people leaving to go home early to commute.
We work for a great airline, it doesn’t always have to be bad. If there is a gotcha moment with this I’m sure we will discover it next week
Also, remember if they have a trip for you it doesn’t matter how many hours you are on sc you are working anyway
This could be just the company throwing out a gesture that schedulers already have the power to do, now it’s in writing.
It could also be because there has been an uptick of people leaving to go home early to commute.
We work for a great airline, it doesn’t always have to be bad. If there is a gotcha moment with this I’m sure we will discover it next week
Also, remember if they have a trip for you it doesn’t matter how many hours you are on sc you are working anyway
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
