AE Bid Regret
#11
In all seriousness, you’re probably stuck.
Many years ago, when staffing wasn’t so tight, you could go to the CPO, plead your case, and have a 50/50 shot of getting out of it. Understand, though, by doing this you hosed some other pilot who might have wanted that bid.
When the staffing got real right a few years ago, that all went away. These days, you need essentially a family emergency or other such critical life event, and even then they’ll just push you out to the end of the conversion window.
This is another consequence of our somewhat messed up system. With so few bids, people wig out and leap before they look. “Want what you bid....blah blah blah” is just a cop out excuse for a busted system.
Many years ago, when staffing wasn’t so tight, you could go to the CPO, plead your case, and have a 50/50 shot of getting out of it. Understand, though, by doing this you hosed some other pilot who might have wanted that bid.
When the staffing got real right a few years ago, that all went away. These days, you need essentially a family emergency or other such critical life event, and even then they’ll just push you out to the end of the conversion window.
This is another consequence of our somewhat messed up system. With so few bids, people wig out and leap before they look. “Want what you bid....blah blah blah” is just a cop out excuse for a busted system.
#12
Roll’n Thunder
Joined APC: Oct 2009
Position: Pilot
Posts: 3,509
On the other hand, switching to an auction process for AEs could certainly ramp up the craziness!
#13
Super Moderator
Joined APC: Dec 2007
Position: DAL 330
Posts: 6,851
I am curious about this statement. I also don't like "going" to work" and some of the early east coast wake-ups can be brutal but the actual "work" of flying the aircraft is still very enjoyable to me as I am sure it is to most of us.
Sometimes thinking about going to work and being gone for four days is worse than the actual work. I have also noticed that when I am in a groove working consistently but not overdoing it everything seems better. The longer it has been since the last trip the harder it seems to jump back into it.
Thoughts?
Scoop
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2018
Posts: 1,082
Sometimes thinking about going to work and being gone for four days is worse than the actual work. I have also noticed that when I am in a groove working consistently but not overdoing it everything seems better. The longer it has been since the last trip the harder it seems to jump back into it.
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,905
I am curious about this statement. I also don't like "going" to work" and some of the early east coast wake-ups can be brutal but the actual "work" of flying the aircraft is still very enjoyable to me as I am sure it is to most of us.
Sometimes thinking about going to work and being gone for four days is worse than the actual work. I have also noticed that when I am in a groove working consistently but not overdoing it everything seems better. The longer it has been since the last trip the harder it seems to jump back into it.
Thoughts?
Scoop
Sometimes thinking about going to work and being gone for four days is worse than the actual work. I have also noticed that when I am in a groove working consistently but not overdoing it everything seems better. The longer it has been since the last trip the harder it seems to jump back into it.
Thoughts?
Scoop
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2020
Posts: 560
Here’s why..... because if it works for you—I also want that option. If I take that option, the guy below me will also want that option. Instead—I’m gonna play the game the best I can, take my new pay to the bank, and try to take advantage of the stripper like mentality of some of our pilots who will snag something the second it hits the swap board.
The way I view it—I (it sounds like you and I) signed a two year commitment to the D to operate whatever equipment and we both knew the risks and seniority hit we would take when we hit “save bids.” Maybe your wife and mine can talk on the phone while we are gone and support each other
Good luck man.
P.S. mine doesn’t know a thing about my seniority... she just knows I go to work and come home. Beautiful thing is—all 12-13,000 of us however many we have now work roughly half a month. It’s just which half man. Figure out a way to spin it to her.
#17
Yeah, stop involving the wife like this guy does. Just make every effort to drop or get days off and keep bringing up moving to base.
Information doesnt shut them up, it makes them ask more questions. "I'm trying to drop one of these trips/reserve blocks" and if they are the type that wants more stuff, tell them what it costs to drop flying.
Just make more hourly, drop more often. You might get the same pay and be home more if you're lucky.
Information doesnt shut them up, it makes them ask more questions. "I'm trying to drop one of these trips/reserve blocks" and if they are the type that wants more stuff, tell them what it costs to drop flying.
Just make more hourly, drop more often. You might get the same pay and be home more if you're lucky.
Now I offer her a choice between a glass of wine or a spreadsheet when an AE is posted. The reply is "Red please, I trust you". I've now have complete freedom to bid what I want...
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2018
Posts: 3,144
Before bidding on an AE back in 2015, I went through every detail with the wife. We looked at the commuting options for every Delta pilot base, including hotel costs, departure times, round trip gate to gate time, number of JS, mainline vs RJ vs offline. Next we looked at hotel / crashpad options including local transportation. I pulled out the three months of bid packs and wide reports for each category to get an estimate of commutability, line holder cutoff point and average daily hours of pay. We considered layovers and the potential for her to tag along on a few trips per year. We looked at the reserve coverage, open time and P2P swap board to gauge the level of post PBS schedule manipulation. We included some assumptions about seasonality of flying within the categories, potential for fleet growth and previous AE bidding patterns. Next we analyzed the hourly rate x average daily hours to get an estimate of daily pay for each category both with and without commuting nights lost. We looked at the potential to bid reserve and sit long call from home as well as potential for unused days at the end of a block in the international categories. We looked at monthly pay including commuting costs. Etc, blah, blah, this, that and the other thing...
Now I offer her a choice between a glass of wine or a spreadsheet when an AE is posted. The reply is "Red please, I trust you". I've now have complete freedom to bid what I want...
Now I offer her a choice between a glass of wine or a spreadsheet when an AE is posted. The reply is "Red please, I trust you". I've now have complete freedom to bid what I want...
#19
Rodeo clown
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Position: Tractor seat
Posts: 703
Most excellent. Same type of advise when you get married. Offer to "help" by cooking dinner for "her" then burn the bejeebers out of it....that will be the last time she will want your input/help. Make it so painful that "open comms/help" are more trouble than they are worth.
#20
as a married man (yes, I identify as a straight man), I made it crystal clear to my wife that my career matters to me. She made it crystal clear that my career matters to her, but being a family matters to her too. I fell into the trap in the regional world of working as hard as I could, for A: the money and B: the PIC time. One night, after picking up yet another OT trip, she wasn't there the next morning when I got home. Frantic, I called/texted and no response. Turns out she was at the grocery store, buying things to make for our "talk" breakfast. She made it very clear that I meant more to her than money or the career. I relented in picking up OT.
Point is, it's a balance between achieving your career dreams and juggling the needs of your family. Your needs are important; so are theirs. Did you dork up your bid? Probably. But look at it this way - blessing in disguise?
Point is, it's a balance between achieving your career dreams and juggling the needs of your family. Your needs are important; so are theirs. Did you dork up your bid? Probably. But look at it this way - blessing in disguise?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post