From my experience, it's pretty low by seeing how many of my FOs stay on the trip from PBS award to flying.

First, by doing that you're pretty much putting yourself on short call reserve the entire month. I've got too many things to do with the family to do that. Second, in smaller categories there just isn't that much open time to work with. Third, in my category we don't do a lot of "last flight in, first flight out" from the base, so there isn't very little of that "fly to outstation and DH back" stuff that works so well in ATL on the NB that pays 10.5 for very little work.

In the end, I put my time into a excellent PBS bid and call it good.

 

I think it's higher than 10%. Lots of people will drop or swap trips just look at the first few runs on the 20th. I used to drop down to almost zero than surf open time to minimize my days on the road. Part of that was being chronically jr. for 20 years. Even now as a "senior" type I still do swaps as things can and do change.

The big difference is in base versus out of base. Living in base makes it very easy.

 

We need more bases. Virtual bases. Home bases. These big bases are a thing of the past with all the commuters we have.

 

“but that will steal flying from atlanta pilots”

 

I’d be curious how many less local ATL pilots we’d be stealing from since the VEOP.

 

Wouldn't that mean ATL trips would have more credit? That sounds like a win-win to me.

 

I hate to be the guy to point this out, but in my category I consistently see trips with the same handful of captains in open time. There's a good reason for that, and it's not because the FOs are dropping their schedules to surf open time.

 

i hate to be the guy to point this out, but you misread what they wrote. they implied most fos *stay* on the trip.

 

😂 Thanks for clarifying that. It does seem like the OP was throwing me under the bus!

 

It can be done without "putting yourself on SC," just plan on working the days you'd normally be gone for your normal trips. One you just know further out that you'll be gone for a majority of Tues-Thurs, while the other you can often just be gone a little bit of each of those days. Obviously it helps to be more senior, but it can be done even in categories of fewer than 200 and without just doing the last out/first in trips. Occasionally you may have to pick up a trip you'd prefer not to, but at least it's better than a bid packet trips.

I'd happily fly my bid schedule if they'd build trips worth flying. They finally built some this month, but of course everyone came out of the woodwork to bid them. Even a seat seniority in the teens, didn't get you a line of day trips. It sure is a good thing we don't have more of those one days, because noone one them... 🤣