lawndart24

I live in LA and not moving , got awarded ATL717 as a NH. With the newish reserve rules ,
is it feasible to hangout in LAX while on LC and just use hotels if converted to short call?

Besides the 1 year Seatlock of the 717 before AEing back to LAX , is there a faster way of getting back?

What is the best reserve strategy for not being used ? ….. 3 days on blocks?

MstrAv8r

Man, the commute is painful. I live in Alabama and am currently commuting to LAX short call. Luckily, I’ve only got to do it for three more weeks, then I’m basing in CLT. I know I’m not Delta, but you are going to be in the hurt locker on short call.

tennisguru

You need to review all the flights to ATL and ask yourself this: if you got called to be in ATL in exactly 18 hours, is there any time period where you would not be able to get there with both a primary and backup flight available? If there is a window where you could not make report time without a backup, then you are playing with fire by staying in LAX, especially on probation. If you can always get there with at least 1 backup flight then staying in LA is not as risky. You also have to factor in rest, since any flight that gets to ATL in the morning is a redeye. Being up all day, then getting called and having to take the 11PM redeye to ATL, to sit for a few hours, to fly a 3 leg day doesn't sound like any fun. Your best stragegy is probably going to be 3 or 4 day blocks, and just yellow slip (raise your hand to fly) the most commutable rotations on your LC days. You'd end up working more days but you'll know what you're doing 2 days out and be able to plan your commute accordingly. There is a stready stream of new hires being added to the fleet every month so hopefully you can hold a line fairly soon.

Another strategy would be to bid all your reserve in one huge block and just bite the bullet and get a crash pad in ATL for the few months you're on reserve. The problem is with this as a very junior reserve you tend to get forced to work on all the weekends so you can't pull that bid off.

Or you could bid fewer longer blocks, say 3 5-day blocks. Try to get a late report rotation or SC on day 1 then keep trying to get SC until you get tagged with a trip. This strategy would minimize the numbe of commutes you'd have to make per month.

I said it above but I'll reiterate it again - managing rest/fatigue is going to be a big challenge. Lots of 4-5 AM eastern van times that will be 1 AM wakeups LAX time. As best as you're able you'll want trips that report late and end late in the day.

Hossharris

AE out of Atlanta yesterday. Seatlock doesn’t apply if they don’t have 717s at the base you want to go to*. Talk to your mentor if you don’t know how.

tennisguru

Wrong. You can still only do this but only after 12 months on property. PWA 22.G.2.Exception. The only way he can break his seat lock is by bidding a captain spot anywhere else. PWA 22.G.5

DryClutch

I was an ATL 717B until recently, relatively senior on it and bid reserve to try not to work. My informal data collection the last 6 months, I have been getting way more SC's on each reserve stretch, at least one if not two SC's per block of days on. I also did like you said and would bid 3-days on, 4 days off blocks the best I could. The 3-day stretch can help limit the useage a little bit, especially if you can escape getting assigned something the day prior to a reserve block. Never once actually called for a trip off of a SC though, I found that to be relatively rare. Also what I saw them doing occassionaly, was assigning me SC, that SC would sit on my schedule for half a day or so, then magically a trip would populate inside the SC window the day prior.

DELTAFO

Plan on being used every reserve day until you're full. 717B is a very understaffed category. I suggest yellow slipping trips with late departures/arrivals because a 4am Eastern time wakeup is gonna be brutal for you.

crewdawg

Or the company awards him something else. Not likely, but as ole Tommy Jefferson said, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Whoopsmybad

This right here. Have everything LAX in your bid. The company “can” if they want award you something before the 12 months.

Perpetually Jr

5-6 flights to Detroit every day all on 320s with 2 JS. Bid over to DTW 717 where your seniority will be better, and have a better chance of holding a line. It worked for me.