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flyskisail 04-06-2026 06:41 AM


Originally Posted by hockeypilot44 (Post 3996922)
Yes. If you bid min schedule it will try to put you under ALV if it awards min schedule. Problem is company can set min schedules to zero. You can still get min schedule but have to bid a different way.

This is why you’ll see avoid trips > 0 as last bid line. It’s to void the awards pairings at end of bid that you can’t get rid of. I pick the days I want to work, then prefer off all other days. Experienced bidders have a pretty good idea of what they can and can’t hold so usually aren’t surprised by bid results. Always look at the rotations. It doesn’t help to ask for layovers in specific cities if there are no layovers there. There’s at least one layover or selecting city wouldn’t be an option, but there might only be a single layover there that month. In January, there were very few 4 day rotations departing Mondays or Tuesdays that signed in after 10am. Obviously asking for rotations departing after 2pm on Mondays or Tuesdays isn’t going to work for that month.

These are just some examples of looking at big picture.

Thanks Hockey, I have heard about this and am not a bidding guru by any stretch. Gonna give it a go. What is the PBS Bid Line you would enter for this? I don't see an avoid trip or a credit...... Avoid Pairing Total Credit?

Edit: Appears it is Avoid Pairings Total Credit based at looking at composite reports. Answered my own question!

DWC CAP10 USAF 04-06-2026 07:22 AM


Originally Posted by icohftb (Post 4019949)
Thanks! Any good strategies to instruct PBS to say allow a 3, 4, and 5 as well as 3x 4 days?

Add "Limit" to end of award line.

See PBS Ref Handbook page 81

icohftb 04-06-2026 02:54 PM


Originally Posted by DWC CAP10 USAF (Post 4020155)
Add "Limit" to end of award line.

See PBS Ref Handbook page 81

Would this work:
- award 3-5 days limit 3
- award 4 days limit 3
- award 5 days limit 1
- award (insert 4 day rotations I prefer)
- award (insert 5 day rotations I prefer)
- award (insert 3 day rotations I prefer)

Or would that limit logic not work that way?

LumberJack 04-06-2026 03:56 PM


Originally Posted by icohftb (Post 4020403)
Would this work:
- award 3-5 days limit 3
- award 4 days limit 3
- award 5 days limit 1
- award (insert 4 day rotations I prefer)
- award (insert 5 day rotations I prefer)
- award (insert 3 day rotations I prefer)

Or would that limit logic not work that way?

Put your desired rotations above the trip length lines. After you put everything in, call the ALPA bid assist line and have them review it.

ELSE START NEXT

crewdawg 04-07-2026 04:03 AM


Originally Posted by icohftb (Post 4020403)
Would this work:
- award 3-5 days limit 3
- award 4 days limit 3
- award 5 days limit 1
- award (insert 4 day rotations I prefer)
- award (insert 5 day rotations I prefer)
- award (insert 3 day rotations I prefer)

Or would that limit logic not work that way?


I'm not sure I completely understand your goals but I'll assume you know that a 3, 4 and 5 day trip will get you in the LCW. If that's the case I'd structure my bid as follows.

- award (insert 3 day rotations I prefer) limit 1
- award (insert 4 day rotations I prefer) limit 1
- award (insert 5 day rotations I prefer) limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0


This method would allow you to get a 3, 4 and a 5 day that gets in the LCW, then stop. However, if you didn't get one of those trips, the subsequent lines would try to add one 3-5 trip at a time to try to get you up to the LCW. The danger is that you get awarded a 5 and a 4 day, can't get a 3 day, then get slapped with a 5 day on the subsequent lines. It's hard to give you complete advice without knowing your full desires. Are you willing to take more trips (read: 3-days) to stay closer to the window? If so, replace the 'award 3-5 days limit 1' with four attempts at 3 days, 3 attempts at 4 day and 3 attempts at 5 days. I personally never want to fly a 5 day again, so I'd actually go down to 2 and 1 days to try to snipe the bottom of the window.

As mentioned above, when you build something you're not sure of, give the bid assist folks a call, they'll help clarify things for you.
​​​​​​​

icohftb 04-07-2026 05:39 AM


Originally Posted by crewdawg (Post 4020556)
I'm not sure I completely understand your goals but I'll assume you know that a 3, 4 and 5 day trip will get you in the LCW. If that's the case I'd structure my bid as follows.

- award (insert 3 day rotations I prefer) limit 1
- award (insert 4 day rotations I prefer) limit 1
- award (insert 5 day rotations I prefer) limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0
- award 3-5 days limit 1
- avoid if total pairing credit > 0


This method would allow you to get a 3, 4 and a 5 day that gets in the LCW, then stop. However, if you didn't get one of those trips, the subsequent lines would try to add one 3-5 trip at a time to try to get you up to the LCW. The danger is that you get awarded a 5 and a 4 day, can't get a 3 day, then get slapped with a 5 day on the subsequent lines. It's hard to give you complete advice without knowing your full desires. Are you willing to take more trips (read: 3-days) to stay closer to the window? If so, replace the 'award 3-5 days limit 1' with four attempts at 3 days, 3 attempts at 4 day and 3 attempts at 5 days. I personally never want to fly a 5 day again, so I'd actually go down to 2 and 1 days to try to snipe the bottom of the window.

As mentioned above, when you build something you're not sure of, give the bid assist folks a call, they'll help clarify things for you.

Thanks I'll try giving them a call on the 8th. I was trying to figure out how to best put in for either 3x 4-days or a 3,4 & 5 day.

hammer189 04-07-2026 06:14 AM

You have to control the number of trips pbs can give you on any award line or else the avoid is useless.


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