Options Out of Base
 

So let’s say I moved to ATL, but am based in NYC. While waiting on the next AE I want to pick up some extra flying, but being NYC based it’s very inconvenient. Can I use the ATL swap board to pickup flights while NYC based? I’m sure other options are OOBWS and best of all OOBGS.

no out of base swaps or trades.

Be careful not "steal" someone's GS in ATL.

As was said no swapping between bases. Your best bet is OOBWS. I would expect extremely few trips in ATL to ever get to OOBGS, at least on non-WB fleets. In order to get to OOBGS every single in base pilot with an applicable GS request in would need to be offered the trip first. Also remember that anything OOB is only for same day/next day (and starting June 2, second day) coverage. No picking trips many days in advance.

Can’t swap out of base…open time or pilot swap board.

OOBWS or OOBGS only options.

Not that I ever participate, but just a thought. How much do you think the new coverage times will effect things? More or less out of base chances?

No swap board. Best option is to clear schedule and pick up out of ATL. Get proficient enough at it you might end up staying in NYC to fly a better schedule in ATL vs being based there. I’m NYC based, live in ATL and fly 80% of my trips OOBWS from ATL. Read “Optimize Your Schedule” from the Union on your EFB. All the “Credit Surfing” and dropping trips tips and tricks are in there.

Or you can just be based in ATL and not have to worry about being a ninja on the open time board.

Some folks genuinely enjoy doing that stuff. I’m not knocking it, there’s something for everybody, but I just like the easy like of bid and swap a little for better trips, not playing games to clear all. Just me.

So no picking up on your days off out of base? Or just swaps?

You can out of base white slip to pick up (and green too), just no swaps.

He gets amazing seniority in NYC = all the good days off, all the vacation weeks he wants, and with seniority can drop most of his line.

Now with a wide open month and all the days off he needs for family commitments, he’s able to sharpshoot OOBWSs to his heart’s content, while having the luxury of driving to work and then when he’s ready, he’ll get GS#1 and GS#2 in NY, prob trips that start with a DH and by living in ATL, it’s too easy to deviate DH one leg to start the trip.

Don’t hate the man, he’s got an amazing thing going. I’d do the same if I was able.

that only works if you can drop all your trips in NYC.

Yep. Just seems like way too much work. I’d never give up a drive to work just to commute to get a “better” trip. I’d rather rather have a 12 hour overnight in GPT and drive to work rather than a commute to work and 24 hours in Aruba.

Not hating the man. Different strokes for different folks. My tiny brain just can’t fathom giving up a drive to work just to fly better trips. A commute is still a commute.

That would mean worse pay and worse schedule. And worse vacation. And working Holidays. No thanks. I'll gladly be a ninja on the opentime board in exchange for all that. BTW, the only time I commute to NYC is for a Greenslip.

Which is not difficult if you're above 80% seniority, which isn't difficult to obtain in NYC. The Optimize your Schedule document basically gives everyone the blueprint on how to clear your schedule

This is where "different strokes for different folks", "one man's trash is another's man's treasure" comes into play. Even if I couldn't drop all my trips I'd gladly commute for 24 hrs in AUA vs drive to work for 12 hrs in GPT/JAN etc plus the 4 leg day galore that's ATL flying.

With that said I'll GLADLY fly one leg to GPT layover and fly/DH back

I drive to work too. I usually show up in ATL anywhere from 5pm-10pm, fly a 1 hour flight, layover, and then either DH or fly one flight back to ATL and go home. Thats just the usual tho. All sorts of variety of trips available to pick up last minute that help one reach the GS trigger with minimal effort.

The above line of conversation is why some live it up, while others languish. People can't wrap their minds around a system that has the potential to benefit someone nicely. If I were ATL based, I'd strongly consider doing the same thing Trip does, the disparity in seniority isn't insignificant (for me it's the difference of 25% in seat vs 60%...). Couple that with the fact that you'd likely only have to occasionally make the commute, getting my desired vacation alone would be worth the gamble.

Yep, and the amount of broken up trips in ATL especially on the 737 daily is astronomical. Easy short 1hr leg to a layover and deadhead back. If you're able to drop your schedule down and pick up those easy white slips/out of base white slips, it's a good life.

How often do you resort to calling in sick to clear your schedule?

The OOBWS step breaks ARCOS, when an already large category expands to the entire system.

I have been told ALPA is negotiating concessions to try and fix the IA problem. Complete elimination of batch size is what I am hearing out of seniority opportunism will cost our pilot group.

Who says he's calling in sick? He might be bidding some sweet trips with nice layovers, put them on the swap board and "poof" they are gone. I'm always surprised with the action I'm able to drop and pick up from the P2P swap board. Don't hate a guy for working the contract smarter, not harder.

I did not say that HE is calling in sick and using fly back. However, anyone who does a random check of the OOBWS ninjas can observe the pattern.

Is costing other Pilots tens of thousands annually by bidding flying with no intention of flying those trips smart, or duplicitous?

Everyone waiting in line thinks **cutting in line is bull****.**

Zero. I clear my schedule every month using a variety of techniques that are shown in the Optimize your Schedule document from the Union.

OOBWS does not break ARCOS. It's simply the coverage step prior to in base GS. Also to address the OOBWS angst, it shouldn't be much of an issue to a strategic Greenslipper. Majority of OOBWS folks snap up silly easy broken up trips that most pilots WS, saving GS for longer, higher paying 3 and 4 day trips.

There is no cutting in line. Those OOBWS trips are available to inbase pilots as a WS first. Then out of base. If it's still not covered then it goes GS.

Good. Surely you are aware that others do not follow your approach.

Let’s talk about the problem. We have 643 320B’s in ATL. If half that number had slips in each step of coverage would run 4 hours during the day and 21 hours at night. Guessing that many slips are not in, but CS tells me it is running four hours to get through WS and OOBWS. So, they randomly (every CS does it differently) go to IA, which means OOBWS are also not getting the love. Every CS who has talked to me and a manager complain about the OOBWS wildcard. You have probably noticed that is where CS goes to IA. In this case causation and correlation are the same.

Smaller categories probably aren’t seeing this. ATL 320, 737, 7ER are frustrated. Trip assignment is seemingly random and unfair (if we consider seniority “fair”)

A good case for why batch sizes should be a percentage based on the number of pilots in the category. I'd rather see that vs a blanket change for everyone. Or they could staff the airline for the schedule they want to fly...

Blasphemy! Reserves who don’t fly 1 minute short of guarantee are major money drain on the company!

It didn't used to be a problem. The change was making everything a proffer. Good luck changing that. This is a staffing issue pure and simple. Delta is the problem not OOBWSs.

in base greenslips should go before out of base white slips.

But it doesn’t.

So people need to get over it.

I’ve never understood the angst. It’s not “stealing your green slip” if you never had it.

Signed,

Someone who’s never done an OOBWS

I don't disagree, but since the company pays double for the former, they won't likely ever agree to move the latter later...