Thanks for the info RockyBoy. Are you able to routinely get rid of reserve days through personal drop? Would it be possible to drop 6 or 7 reserve days a month on the A320? Do you think I might have better luck on the 737?

I am confused about this whole sterile cockpit debate. Are people saying it is a violation of sterile cockpit if either Pilot makes a non-FOM PA while taxiing or only if the CAPT makes a non-FOM PA while taxiing?

The whole issue seems kind of silly to me. Obviously CAPTs shouldn't Ramble-On (Zeppelin!) while taxiing, but I don't think a few extra bits of info by the FO are a sterile cockpit violation.

If ground control asks us a question that does not have a pre-scripted answer in the FOM do we have to stop taxiing before answering?

Scoop :confused:

Ed,
I'm senior to you on the 73, and try for similar goals. You would get almost all 4 days touching weekends and 3 day 30hr layos touching weekends. Since Sept, by the time the very first PCS run hits and you have a chance to drop, every single weekend has been "capped" for reserve, disallowing any drops.

Since last Sep, and reserves are only getting tighter, I have been mostly unable to drop anything. I sometimes CAN swap a trip for something 1 day shorter, so long as I still work both weekend days. At your seniority, you would be within a line or two of the reserves (unless guys above you bid reserve, which reduces in the summer), and there is also a good chance that your trips awarded would be 4day and 3day redeyes, non-commutable ending at like 0030, so really a 4 day getting paid as a 3 day... sorry, but that's what is at the bottom of the bidpack at that seniority. Very hard to give away, and you essentially can't drop ANYTHING that touches a weekend now due to increased productivity/reduced reserves.

LeineLodge's strategy is the correct one, but unfortunately you wouldn't be able to bid and get the kind of trips he's talking about. I know, I try every month and never get them.

Also, we've been moving backwards on all B cats in SLC for 2 years now, and any displacement off the ER will push guys out the bottom of 320 and 73. And, despite shiznit's and T's incorrect analysis, the company HAS said it will be reducing the ER once the summer is done (hoping to just not backfill, but will displace if needed)--I am expecting to just barely hang on in SLC at all. On 3Jun13, the AE displaced 100 ER FOs across the system, only 5 of which were at SLC... however, the west-coast ripple effect pushed the bottom 17 guys out of SLC on the 73 and 7 guys out the bottom of the 320.

As previously posted by someone, all of the "AE 7ER Widebody FO positions!!" on the last two AEs have been mostly reinstatements or NYC spots that no-one will take, for a total of 70 in Jan and 50 in Feb. That's 120, but some in Feb were unfilled from Jan; and some remained unfilled after Feb and so have flowed down again to the latest post. In all, we have not even backfilled/refilled the 100 displacements from 3Jun13. Guys that could have been reinstated were smart enough to think, "Burn me once, shame on you, burn me twice shame on me!" and they actually read the company's AE announcements and projections, and did so without rosy-glasses and selective listening to a rainbow-bright future. Here's what the company posted on their last ER displacement, and prior to the re-build of the last two AEs:

"On the December 2013 AE, we did not backfill as
7ER First Officers bid off in order to avoid filling 7ER F/O positions that were not needed. Since the
December AE, we have received an updated summer plan and will add 50 7ER First Officer positions
on this AE. ATL will see 35 openings, SEA will see 10 and SLC will have five. The 7ER block hours will
peak in July and decrease by 25 percent by the time we reach December 2014. Once the summer
peak is complete, we will decrease our 7ER pilot count."

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviatio.../1/2398137.jpg

Thought this was a cool picture. Now just needs the Delta colors.

its an awesome looking jet especially when the slides are not blown.

This is disappointing to hear. Regarding staffing and getting the weekends capped, can the company always staff the reserves at this level disallowing drops? The increased productivity allowed in the last contract has made drops more difficult? It seems there are few options for someone in my position. I guess it would be the same situation sitting on the bottom of the 7ER category as well. I do appreciate the feedback and information.

everything you said x 10.

Ed,
Yes they can staff at that level or leaner. The reserves are not actually being USED more, or not much... but the LIMITATIONS on the company using a reserve guy have been reduced, as they can force a guy up to ALV+15 vs. him being able to quit at 70, which can be almost a 50% increase in POTENTIAL productivity. Therefore, they can do without as many reserves available, therefore they can reduce the "lists" on each cat. Which they have! Look at the 320 and 73, and despite increases in flying, the TOTAL dudes in cat there have dropped by 3-5%! Because this ability comes from merely not having to staff as fat for possible use, not from ACTUAL use, none of the "reserve ALV use" triggers you often hear guys hype as a built-in-protection for manning will ever come into play.

As such, my current technique is to try to bid weekends off and get whatever crappy trips I can, anything, so that I can drop them on the 20th PCS run with sufficient reserve coverage during the week. Then I try to pick up anything in open time that is better. If it doesn't work out, I just make less $$, maybe 40% what I expected, and hang out with the kids enjoying life, and eating ramen and sewing kids clothes out of old sheets to make up for it. ;)

Uhmm... does that say "ANAl 787" on the side? What exactly is an anal 787??

Personal preference, I wouldn't say all of that if the aircraft was taxiing.

To each his own.