I'm all for longer trips for the commuters, but there should be some type of consistent trip mix. I know there isn't a contractual requirement, which is a huge foul on our part, but it's needs addressed. This month we have Zero 1-days, three 2-days and 55% 4-day trips. Great for commuters, but terrible those of us who prefer 1/2/3 day trips.

 

The company actually does do a look back in every category. The information has been published in some crew resources updates. They look at bid package credit verses actual post month credit. The later is the number they consider most important.

 

Considering all these efficiencies (early reports, late duty off, regional airline multiple legs, middle rotation red eyes) Never extend FDP. NEVER.

Extend, something happens, it all falls on you.

 

I have never seen "look-back" data posted anywhere. That would be some interesting data to have a look at. I have a hard time believing 4 & 5 day trips are cheaper looking back/ "actual post month credit", since they end up breaking up many 4&5 day trips so they can get them covered. But I've never taken a deep dive on the topic.

 

Just flew a trip that had been covered 5 times. FIVE. It was built by someone with zero understanding of the destination city and it's ability to do crew and airplane swaps. I called the duty pilot & crew tracking ahead of time to point out the obvious and it was a worthless effort since they had neither the power or inclination.

End result, two reroutes, an airplane swap, three plus hours delay, around 100 people put in hotels to try again the next day, rampers (at this station they do not like to clean airplanes) bullying inflight, FCRs filed and surely management interventions to follow.

Alternatively, I could have sicked out, reset my 30 hours and enjoyed a nice 4 leg three day that went out junior to me ... instead it is midnight and writing FCRs. With the incentives such as they are, what I did (my job) was really stupid. What is soul crushing is what we did to our customers. After a while you get tired of apologizing for something you saw coming, did your best to fix proactively and best to mitigate reactively.

 

This. Also, apparently there has never been a review of whether marketing's schedules make sense. A number of out-stations with limited staffing have everything going for them until marketing gets a hold of the schedules. Typically, the ONLY traffic around the airport is Delta arrivals and departures to and from the big hubs, all scheduled to arrive and depart at the same time. As a result, Delta is getting in it's OWN WAY. We receive delay vectors to sequence Delta flights arrivals/departures. We wait for parking or pushback because, while we have the gates, we don't have the support staffing to work more than one or two flights at a time. Please don't tell me this is a summer thing either, it happens year round.

Also, we could devote an entire thread on the ridiculous turn times marketing has decided are "doable". Three and four leg days, every leg delayed because it's impossible to go from one end of a large hub to the other end, go through customs, then KCM to get to the next gate, take care of your physiological needs, and get your flight out on-time. Every time I bring this up with someone in management (over the last two decades) they say it's a marketing decision. What are we marketing "being late"? I just scratch my head when I read in newsletters about the importance of customer service and the role pilot interactions plays with the customers. We do our best but it takes 20 minutes to offload an airliner, if you're pushing in less than an hour for your next flight that is on the other side of a large hub no flight crew is going to stand there and say goodbye to our customers sorry.

 

Sorry but it cracks me up when pilots call trying to explain things to hopefully make a positive change. Stop trying to fix managements screw up. They know whats going on and guess what… THEY DONT CARE. As long as Delta is one point higher then United or American, delta management happy. They hope it all works out, and if it doesnt then oh well.

 

True, but, the irony is Delta hires people who are screened to be the folks who make it work.

Yes, easier, maybe better, to shut the cockpit door while repeating "not my job" but that does not describe most Delta employees. American is full of them. That's the difference.

Guess my point is also, we are NOT defenseless. Rotations fatiguing? We got that covered. Most pilots had found ways out of that rotation and me (hard working and stupid) was in the 20%.

 

Do you have access to SkyHub? Because coincidently there is a similar discussion there I just stumbled onto. I probably can't/shouldn't post names but the head crew resources guy (good guy btw) has said in a post that shorter trips are less costly than longer trips according to their analysis.

 

COVID Tetris !