is there anyway to even initiate a DDH if the trip is off my schedule...

the trip is in 3 weeks. I haven’t contacted CS or anything. Trying to ammo up to see if I have a case.

Contractually there was no need for them to cancel the rotation because of a change in DH unless there was no other option to get you there.

so do I have any recourse to try and not have to sit recovery?

I doubt it. The best option to avoid sitting is probably to preference a recovery trip. You could also ask that the obligation be dropped and WS something to make up the time.

Question for the hive mind...
 

I've got a 4-day rotation removed with a 23k obligation on the 8th. Can I put a recovery slip in for a similar trip that starts on the 7th? The trip would actually work better for me than what a surprise trip might be. How does one go about that? Just submit a normal recovery slip that specifies the specific date and rotation? What are the benefits/pitfalls of such a move?

Read 23j of contract. You can pick up a trip anywhere in month to replace 23k trip as long as it's value is worth at least 50 percent of original trip. That means it's possible to replace a 4 day with a 2 day and still get paid for the 4 day. Learn your contract. It will save you time and make you money.

I read that part and that was basically what I gleaned from it as well. I just wasn't sure if in this scenario I would still have an obligation after termination of the 23k trip since the footprint of my original rotation would still have one day remaining. The trip I'm looking at for the recovery slip actually pays more than the NOOPd trip, which is fine by me. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't exposing myself to additional liability or leaving money on the table.

No extra liability. I'd recommend picking up a 2 day worth less via 23J. That will eliminate your 23k obligation. You can then pick up another 2 day and get 6 days pay for only 4 days work. Only problem is 2 day has to pay 50 percent of original trip. If original trip was worth more than 21:00, can cause you a problem. My 3 highest credit months of my career were Apr, May, and Jun. As a commuter, I did it by manipulating 23k. I will say scheduling has changed their ways a little bit so it's harder to manipulate now.

You can swap out of a 23k trip. You don't even need to use 23J to do what you're doing.

Unfortunately not a lot of open time in my category. So it leaves me with the choice of a recovery trip that would be...fine. Or rolling the dice and hoping that CS doesn't concoct some heinous trip and throw it my way. I've seen a couple of those go out this month and yeeesh...

I tried to swap my 23K trip and got a “Pilot is not assigned dropped rotation”. Do I have to call CS to have them swap my trip?