Sorry, but that’s what reserve are for, work on the days line holders don’t want to work. And that’s what coverage and seniority is for.

 

You've made your point but this isn't always true. Reserve has become much more tolerable at the bottom end and much better QOL at the top end. So... yeah you're right it's only for the bottom feeders don't try this at home kids.

 

Exactly. In some categories you can hold a line (a crappy one, but a line nonetheless) at 90% seniority.

 

reserving is a choice.

 

#1 Fix, GS IA call out system.
#2 Let us choose crew meals ahead of time.
#3 Auto layover hotel change based on rest
#4 Housing stipend proportional to the local housing market for bases can be used for hotels.
#5 One-to-one pilot base switching outside of AE based on seniority

 

We have cats where the plug is a line holder. Maybe not consistently month after month but it happens.

 

i certainly understand what reserve is for, and strictly speaking you’re wrong. Reserves exist to cover sick calls and scheduling anomalies that cause coverage issues, not to give cushion to guys and gals that just don’t want to fly. I’ve got three generations of pilot’s in my family, so I’ve known what reserve is for since the late 1970s.

I’ve stipulated that I personally don’t care about weekends or holidays. I have no children in the house so they (weekends/holidays) just don’t matter to me. I’m willing to fly any time. In fact, i usually bid for weekdays off.

what I’m saying is that the company is not staffing to sufficient reserve levels to allow for legitimate schedule manipulation as agreed upon in the PWA. So change the formula for reserve coverage, or how x-day moves are handled, or whatever it would take to allow for basic moving of days. Not even asking for more time off or anything that would affect the life of a more senior person. Just the ability to move a day here and there.

Why does this notion rub you guys so wrong? Nobody is on your lawn.

edit to add: if “reserve is a choice,” show me an airline without reserves. The spirit of that statement is absurd. What is the percentage of pilots on reserve who bid it by choice? Okay, let’s remove the rest of the list and see what happens

 

If we make the assumption that reserve is junior in any category and that a bottom line is preferable to reserve, even then reserve is a choice for all but the most junior on the junior category. This notion that reserve has to suck and is undesirable is outdated. As for the "purpose of reserves" there is none. The company will staff the minimum because it makes good financial sense. How many are on reserve is a function of the amount of flying in a category and how many pilots are currently in the category. They have enough tools to publish just a single lines worth of trips and put everyone else on reserve. Thankfully we have contract protections that put boundaries on this kind of behavior. What they are trying to do is get the most cost effective mix. This means some reserves will fly even if there are no sick calls and no IROPs. Just like line holders, reserve schedules are best at the most senior and progressively less good. It is incumbent on everyone to learn the schedule manipulation techniques that pertain to your situation else live with the schedule as published.

 

The fact that we are engaged in PD, Xday, etc discussions that revolve around leveling mechanisms shows the company has taken an early lead in negotiations. The proper solution is staffing properly.

SS and other premium leveling is a different topic.

 

Unless and until we can get the company to agree to a staffing formula that requires more pilots than they think they need this is a valid, but moo point. With seasonal and event driven market appropriate capacity there will never be a right number. We want more and they want less. Dealing in pragmatic solutions for our situation is how we will win.