The chances of using sky mikes when you actually need them to and from work are between zero and 1%.

 

To add to what Ted said about this, FA’s are also universally qualified. They can literally pull an FA from anywhere.

 

Your statement is worded in your favor and I’d reword it as: “Wanting to get rid of something that provides a clear benefit to greater than 50% of the pilot group because some non-commuters think their SeNiOrItY has been broached is ridiculous.”

Also, no contractual gain ever benefits every pilot on the list equally. Negotiating something that benefits the majority of the pilot group, and makes their job FAR easier, is a way better deal than not negotiating that thing because you incorrectly think your seniority is somehow broached in the process.

And anyway, not getting a seat while nonrevving is not being ‘harmed.’ Nonrevving is not a guaranteed seat. If you don’t get on, you have lost nothing. You didn’t have a seat before, you don’t have one now. No harm was caused. You’re exactly as whole after the flight leaves without you, as you were before the flight started boarding.

This is the only thing we agree on. The old PSC agreement was ridiculously open ended.

And that’s absurd. Someone’s leisure travel is a higher priority than someone else going to work? That’s stupid. The air line exists to make money. In order for the air line to make money, we need pilots to fly planes. We don’t need cheapskates adding to the aircraft’s gross weight, which reduces our profitability.

Living in base is a choice. Your failure to exercise a negotiated part of the PWA is your choice (if PSC were in the PWA); PSC benefits everyone, you just choose not to utilize it.

Also, being mad about something that benefits the majority of the pilot group (actually it benefits everyone, some just choose not to take advantage of the benefit) when the company knowingly sells more tickets than they can physically provide is silly. They’re literally taking people’s money knowing they can’t provide the service for which they were given that money. They’re gambling that some people won’t show up, which sometimes occurs; sometimes they get caught and they have to pay someone off. Overbooking should be illegal.

If you’re mad about there not being enough empty seats for nonrevving, get mad at the company for overbooking, not your fellow pilots who are just trying to make the company money.

 

You continue to ignore the fact that it negatively impacts others. You are convinced its just "doesn't benefit" them. Repeatedly saying seniority being honored "is ridiculous" doesn't make it so.

Commuting is a choice, as is living in base. Your sense of entitlement based on your choice "is ridiculous."

You have yet to rationally explain why you think that you are entitled to an empty cabin seat that a fellow employee could non-rev on rather than flowing up to a jumpseat, thus allowing a non-rev employee the cabin seat.

 

You can look at it how ever you want but the company FOM already says they will bump a non-rev for a pilot commuting to work and possibly a paying customer if needed. They really don’t care about your seniority. The company will absolutely without hesitation book a pilot to work positive space over a non-rev at anytime even on the first flight as long as they don’t have to bump a paying passenger. PSC or not. And I’m betting PSC is back within two years anyway.

 

I don’t care about someone wanting to go on vacation being a higher priority than someone going to/from work.

I have no sense of entitlement about PSC whatsoever. I’m talking about a hypothetical situation in which PSC were negotiated into the PWA. Utilizing a provision of the PWA isn’t ‘entitlement.’

I’ve never said I’m entitled to a seat, just like nonrevvers are not entitled to a seat. If PSC is a provision in the PWA, then booking a seat would simply be exercising a provision of the PWA, same as the nonrevver.

I always book the JS instead of listing as a nonrev, so more nonrevs can make it on. Also, in your hypothetical scenario (which is false), that employee could list for the JS since it would be open.

When PSC was a thing, it was incredibly easy to book the JS; almost all of them were open. That’s almost a guaranteed seat, it’s far better than rolling the dice with nonrev.

 

Sounds like we should just do home basing. Then everyone wins.

 

It is a guaranteed seat to work. If you are bumped by a check airman or the FAA you will be given positive space in the back.

 

When Alaska pilots commute to/from work they get to use their equivalent of S1 priority and go ahead of leisure non-revs. Why can't we at least do that here?

 

Commuted for 30+ years. I’ve done plane, train, automobile to get to and from work. I’ve bought tickets, I’ve commuted out of other nearby cities that had open seats. I’ve commuted the night/day before trip. I’ve showed 5-6 hours to sign in and forked over $ for a day rate hotel room. I’ve slept in lounge before sleep room. Had multiple hotels stays on Virginia Ave after missing last Flt home. I got a free room at FA training dorm a few times. I’ve missed primary Flt to work and called skds who would get me a positive seat on my backup no questions asked.Delta was considered a non friendly commuter pilot airline when I hired. So I took a chance and decided to commute anyways and it has worked.
Granted there were times I thought about moving to base due to commute but I made it work. My commute was worth it to me for the hassle.
With that said I don’t think commuting crews should be awarded a seat out of seniority. The pre-Covid vs post-covid flight availability makes it tough, just as tough for the pilots who had their base close in the last 25 yrs. I knew DFW pilots that struggled for years but still made it work.