I seriously doubt you will see a lot of auto accept and auto awards with OOBWS. By definition they are pilots coming from out of base (except for that small portion that live in one base and commute to another) and the fidelity in PCS isn’t good enough to thin the trips to exactly what you want (especially for short notice trips that you might have to commute for).

 

Ya man, I get it, we all have our own priorities. But if we make OOBWS more prevalent, that only hurts staffing. Personally, I'd rather have more pilots in category, which means I could either be more senior in category or bid up to that next position. This is also the reason I think we should get rid of the loophole that allows people to Swap with the Pot/Friends up above ALV+15. With better seniority or pay, it might be a lot easier to spend that time visiting family and friends.



It's easy to only see everything through the lens of your current category, but the situation you describe above often isn't a reality, especially during non-rona times. Just because GS currently flow like wine in your category, doesn't mean that's here to stay, or that it's happening everywhere. In some categories (pre-rona), namely WB, GS#1 rarely made it out of the same small handful of pilots and GS#2 was a mostly a unicorn. Also, despite what people who hate on Peachtree City folks (I don't live there lol) love to believe, not everyone who takes GS's lives their lives waiting on that GS call.

 

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Well, I've been in 4 categories at Delta, and OOBWS hasn't been pervasive in any of them.

Oh, and I'm not a peachtree hater....I'm just pointing out (in a round about and sarcastic way) that the opportunity to make extra money is enhanced by living in base. I don't get the butt hurt about OOBWS. I personally get more annoyed when reserve coverage is inadequate and WS's flow like wine.

 

I wasn't saying that they are prevalent and I'm certainly not butthurt by them, I simply think they should be pushed further down the list. Just because they're not prevalent now, doesn't mean they won't become so later, or won't help in the long run. I was saying that GS#3 is not all that prevalent in the long term and we shouldn't NOT make a change because you think it's only the greedy pilots salivating over GS#3, that want the change. I'm super senior in my seat and most months I never even take a GS, I've never seen GS#3. One does not have to take advantage of something to see the utility in it...for example, I live within SC range of my base, but I would like to see us get positive space commuting.


These two are not mutually exclusive and moving OOBWS below in-base GS would do more to increase the staffing/fix the situation you describe, than leaving it where it is. I'd love to see a time where GS aren't all that common and only used to cover the occasional hiccup in the system, rather than being continuous staffing bandaid. Along with that, I'd like to see a vast majority of the monthly reserve coverage being blue. This is but one small item that could work toward that goal, add in a few other small items here and there and it can add up.

 

Fixed it for ya.

We didn't think they'd do that... We need a new catch phrase for ignorance and lack of fore thought. (this one is stale)

It was never even on our radar. HUH?! Or just this string of emojis...

I'm guessing your not a fan of the new WS auto functions then. No more panic at the disco when an uncovered trip pops into open time after the 0700 PCS. Just press the white ARCOS (easy) button and done.

 

Personally, I think all time above ALV should pay double no matter how it ends up on your schedule. PCS high lines, swaps, pickups, rerouted etc. all should be overtime because its above straight time. (ALV) Before you ask, no not 150%. And no I'm not willing to give something for it, that's just my philosophy coming from a union perspective.

 

So then would you be willing for an pickups that take you above ALV be after those pilots who are below?

 

You make your own schedule based on seniority. At the end of the month if ALV was 72 and you have 82, then you get 72 at normal pay and 10 at 2x. 92 total pay. If you drop to 50 then you get 50 at the end of the month. Your REG line has to be built to ALV +/- 7.5 so you could get 2x on the initial PBS schedule if they are built towards the high end of the window or you know the threshold in on the low end. Now we have ALV-5 as a trigger but it doesn't become a player unless you gamble on a GS. This allows choice, more work (overtime) means more pay.

I don't understand the rationale for below ALV gets pick ups first. They either have slightly lower lines or drop intending to do less work. This is the same as what we have now. I often drop to 50-65 to adjust my schedule and then pick up trips to get me around the ALV. Most months every trip I originally had changes.

 

Shouldn't I get a chance at single pay to get to the new "trigger" before you start picking up those same trips at double pay and a higher seniority?

 

Why? If you are junior then you bid junior. If you are junior your WS is processed later, as with any schedule change in PCS. I corrected above that if your PBS is high you get 2x for above ALV if you fly that schedule. You would still have first come on the P2P swap board and I expect it would become a more useful tool. I wouldn't do anything different with our coverage system just that ALV+ pays double. GS trigger would stay the same so if you want to gamble and get 2x pay for 5 additional hours you can. This is strictly a pay rate issue for working in addition (overtime) to the average regular line.